[Kim Tae Hyun's Teen Education] Why Digital Literacy Matters Now More Tha...

[Korea Lecturer News | Columnist Kim Tae Hyun] If you visit schools today, you will often find classes dedicated to digital literacy. I have also received a growing number of requests to teach the subject myself.

Why has digital literacy become so important?

Digital literacy is the ability to find, understand, evaluate, and use information through digital tools and technologies.

In South Korea’s revised 2022 national curriculum, digital literacy was integrated across all subjects. Since 2024, that focus has expanded further into AI literacy, making it no longer optional but a basic competency expected of educators.

Digital literacy is necessary not simply because technology has advanced.

It is necessary because technology has changed, culture has changed, and the era itself has changed.

To live well in this new reality, digital literacy is now essential.

1. Technological Change

Across the global tech industry, artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping work.

In 2023 alone, more than 150,000 jobs were cut worldwide. Major companies such as Microsoft, Google, and Meta began restructuring around AI-centered strategies.

Some departments were reduced while AI investment accelerated. Korean companies are also replacing repetitive tasks with AI-based systems.

Does that mean people will simply be pushed aside by machines?

Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, argues otherwise.

He explains that while some jobs will disappear, AI will also create new forms of work—more creative, more meaningful, and more productive than before.

The real dividing line of the future may not be between humans and AI.

It may be between those who can use AI wisely and those who cannot.

Technology has moved beyond making machines smarter.

It is now redefining:

The meaning of work

The way we work

The kinds of work that exist

That is why digital literacy has become a survival skill.

It is necessary to:

Find employment

Participate in society

Remain adaptable

Live as an active agent in the modern world

Technology is evolving quickly.

Our ability to understand and use it must grow just as quickly.

2. Cultural Change

Recently, at a middle school leadership camp, I witnessed something revealing.

One student—usually shy about speaking in front of others—heard music from a favorite idol group during break time and suddenly began dancing in the classroom.

Soon, other students joined in.

They were doing what many young people call random play dance—a popular activity where short sections of hit songs are played and anyone who knows the choreography jumps in to dance.

What stood out to me was this:

Some students who feel embarrassed giving a presentation in class feel completely comfortable dancing in front of others or filming short-form videos for platforms like TikTok or Instagram Reels.

This is not simply a personality issue.

It is a cultural shift.

A Digital Native Generation

Today’s youth were born into digital environments.

They are often called the digital native generation.

For them, digital spaces shape:

Daily life

Friendships

Play

Communication

Identity formation

According to youth media usage surveys, over 90% of teenagers consume short-form content, and a significant portion are considered at risk for problematic internet or smartphone overdependence.

Digital life is no longer separate from real life.

For many young people, it is life itself.

Playgrounds Have Changed

When I was young, the playground was the center of children’s culture.

Kids gathered there without needing to make plans. Even unfamiliar children could join the game. Younger or less skilled kids were still included.

Today, many children build relationships and play inside mobile games and social platforms instead.

One day, I saw a large group of children gathered at a playground near my home. Hearing laughter, I assumed they were playing a game together.

When I got closer, I realized they were filming TikTok videos.

The playground still existed.

But the culture inside it had changed.

Digital technology has transformed how children play, connect, and express themselves.

That means education can no longer focus only on teaching tools.

We must also teach how to live wisely within digital culture.

3. Generational Change

Earlier this year, several news outlets reported that one elementary school in Gwangju welcomed only a single first-grade student.

We are living through a major demographic shift:

Falling birth rates

Aging populations

Shrinking student populations

In some regions of Korea, schools have no incoming students at all.

At the same time, the population aged 65 and older has surpassed ten million.

This social change has created another challenge:

The digital divide between generations.

Two Generations, One Society

A few days ago, I saw an elderly man with white hair standing uncertainly in front of a self-order kiosk at McDonald's. After hesitating for some time, he finally asked an employee for help.

This scene reflects the world we now live in:

One generation can feel excluded by digital systems.

Another generation is immersed in them from birth.

Both live in the same society.

Bridging that gap is also the work of digital literacy.

We need education that helps people across generations and social groups not only use tools, but understand technology and use it responsibly.

Closing Thoughts

Why digital literacy?

Because technology changes.

Because culture changes.

Because the era changes.

Education has always been about using changing tools to teach unchanging values.

Technology itself is not the final goal.

What matters is learning how to use technology to:

Understand others

Express ourselves

Solve problems

Live responsibly with others

Digital literacy is not merely technical training.

It is human-centered education for a changing world.

It teaches us not only how to use technology—but how to remain human while using it.

Columnist Profile

Kim Tae Hyun is a youth education expert and curriculum designer specializing in career development, self-directed learning, and leadership education. Known widely as Girin Teacher, he helps young people grow at their own pace and build lives they can lead with confidence, purpose, and hope.

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