Signal to Noise

During the eighties and early nineties, it was common to see public service announcements decrying the startling rate of illiteracy in the United States.  That is, the incidence of people who could not read.  Adults who could not read accounted for fully half of the unemployment rate at one point during my childhood. Incidentally, true illiteracy was, and is, a real problem–one that never returned to the lime light when the dot com bubble burst.

Today, the concern over “digital illiteracy” seems to be formulated with the same sense of alarmism that ought rightly be place on deep systemic problems like illiteracy and even drug addiction.  The argument is, how are people going to succeed in the “digital world” unless they’re armed with a digital skill set?  And to some extent, I agree.

But in true “where’s the outrage” form, I’ve got to chuckle at the Wall Street Journal’s rush to conclusion that the digital exuberance is the ultimate answer to questions of equality and opportunity. It’s truly laughable that so many people are upset over whether or not failing segments of society have access to broadband. Would broadband somehow make these groups of people more successful, or any more apt to flourish than those of us who already use 40 megabit pipes?

I doubt it.  The problem is, we have a poor system of establishing a desire to be self-reliant.  People aren’t necessarily born with the essential values of earning in mind. Take a look at the failure rate of Cleveland high school students if you disagree. In a world where every novelty is available cheaply due to Chinese workers who actually believe in the hallowed concept of value creation, American degenerates are able to coast along sucking at the nipple of mediocrity.

Let’s work on true literacy before we work on digital literacy.  We can play video games until we’re blue in the face and still have no idea how to make change at a cash register.