In this video, I break down what “digital literacy” actually means in 2026—because the skills we learned back in the dial-up era (yes, the “download one song and go make a sandwich” days) don’t cut it anymore. A lot of us are still operating on 2005 standards while the internet has evolved into something we barely recognize. And the problem isn’t that you can’t post an Instagram Story—the problem is that platforms, algorithms, and AI are operating on you while you scroll. I walk through four core competencies that matter for Gen X professionals and adult learners: understanding how platforms monetize attention (you’re not the user, you’re the product), recognizing AI-generated content that can sound confident while being wrong, understanding algorithmic circulation and how it shapes your reality, and managing data/privacy/digital identity so you don’t hand over your whole life with one “Allow Access” click. Bottom line: digital literacy isn’t about being a tech expert—it’s about staying unmanipulated, productive, and safe in a world where misinformation, scams, and deepfakes are getting better every day. We taught our parents email; we’re not about to need our kids to explain the internet to us.