Dubai: Amidst your ability to use today’s latest batch of smart devices, browse the internet and be part of various social media platforms, the big question to be asked is — are you e-Competent?
Being e-Literate is not an indicator that you are e-Competent as the idea of e-Competency covers more than your ability to search, evaluate, utilise and communicate information in its various formats.
“We live in a world where we are increasingly becoming dependent on technology — which necessitates the need to acquire more knowledge and skills in order to be able to use these new smart devices, software solutions, applications and even the most common office software,” said Jamil Ezzo, director general of International Computer Driving License (ICDL) GCC Foundation, an organisation dedicated to promoting digital skills and cyber safety across the Gulf region.
Besides personal and social purposes, the use of computers also involves the sound understanding and knowledge of the nature, role and opportunities presented by information and communication technology (ICT) as a means of gaining meaningful employment or stepping up your career.
This includes usage of main computer applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, databases, information storage and management and understanding of the opportunities of ICT via electronic media for employment, learning and research.
Today’s market for smart devices, which are dominated by the more popular smart phone and tablets, is surging phenomenally with the global sale of tablets alone reaching 195.4 million units in 2013. In addition, industry analysts have forecasted that there will be an estimated 1.75 billion smartphone users by the end of this year.
Of these figures, a total of 1.73 billion of the global population were active across social media platforms in 2013, reflecting an increase of 18 per cent as compared to the previous year.
At the rate of the recorded growth, the numbers are expected to reach 2.55 billion over the next three years.
“One of the greatest fears brought about by this rapid growth is that people may soon stop gaining new skills, fully stopping at touch devices skill level. It is on this note that we should see the necessity of developing new courses and training programmes that allow people to keep pace with the ever-evolving modern technology that is essential for building a Smart Generation,” he said.
Discussing the divide between e-Literacy and e-Competency, he said that it is extremely important to highlight that the sale of personal computers (PC) is following a global downward trend with 10 per cent decline recorded in 2013, the worst in the PC market worldwide. The decline is not a reflection of PC demand by businesses; in fact this sector witnessed an increase in PC sales.
The poor performance is attributed to “significant shift in people’s technology buying priorities” due to easy availability and high affordability of smartphones and tablets that come loaded with many useful software and application. Hence, the replacement of PCs with smart devices at home has also played a crucial role in the decline of its sale.
“Parents, in particular, should understand that smart devices, though lightweight, portable, and capable of accomplishing many tasks, could never be a substitute for a PC, especially if it is meant for children,” he added.
