Iowa needs to lead in ‘digital literacy education’

To the Editor,

   At a recent legislative forum in Anamosa, Representative Bradley and Senator Koelker were VERY eager to ban books from libraries. I do not doubt that there is material in a library which a few students and families will find offensive. The Republican Party typically defers to local decision-making for many issues. Nearly every school library in the state has a policy which guides a process when a student of citizen has a complaint about a book. Let’s keep big sister/brother from Des Moines out of the process of deciding which materials are appropriate for a community.

   Further, a much greater concern that Senator Koelker and Representative Bradley should focus on is digital literacy. Nearly every student has access to school and personal digital devices. I am amazed at the skill young children have, even in elementary school, related to social media. Many children can get past blocks on devices placed by parents or school staff. Several books I have read recently, such as “iGen” (2017), “Who’s Raising the Kids” (2022), and “The Chaos Machine” (2022) clearly demonstrate digital devices contribute to greater mental health issues and violence. Each of these books describe the manner in which ALL of us are frequently lured into digital information which can be confusing and contribute to our decline in face-to-face communication.

   I propose the legislature allocate at least $30 million for community-based digital literacy education for students and citizens. This money should come from the COVID relief dollars. Multiple sources confirm that since COVID, many individuals have become more “attached” to digital media. The pilot sites could report the impact in potentially reducing mental health referrals, and reduce discipline referrals in schools. Each pilot site would report their local goals, actions, and results. Now is the time for Iowa to lead in supporting our citizens and students to be effective digital citizens.

Respectfully,

Keith Stamp

Monticello, Iowa