Information literacy refers to the capacity to comprehend, access, retain, assess, modify, and employ information with purposeful intent (Oddone, n.d). 

I am curious about any changes to the definition that might be caused by the online world. I think internet access’ influence on society in terms of how people think and behave cannot be underestimated. For the first time in history, anyone can publish anything to be read by anyone. Surely this has immense ramifications for ideas around information literacy. Technically, the internet gives everyone a voice.  

What are same effects of this phenomenon? 

There is no such thing as alternative or a niche anymore. 

Memes have taught me that my experiences and opinions are not unique to me – someone else in the world, indeed, hundreds and thousands of people, also don’t like the word ‘moist’, or wonders why we can eat salad but we cannot eat plants.  

If there is access to all artistic content, then how can subversive or alternative cultures now exist? It is only a matter of time before any aesthetic becomes fashionable if consumed online by enough people.  

2. This allows for the publication of uncountable perspectives.

 ‘Perspectives’ being understood as ‘a feeling or opinion about something or someone’ (Cambridge Dictionary.com, nd) which we can be assumed is usually created within people through their unique life experience, and is often dictated to an extent by a person’s origin, would mean that contemporary librarianship would need to include this within the definition of information literacy? And in this sense, teaching the skill of ‘Perspective-taking¹ or “theory of mind,” involves reasoning about the mental states of others (e.g., their intentions, desires, knowledge, beliefs) (Birch et al, 2017). 

And I would also in turn argue that the Teacher Librarian additionally needs to have knowledge or at least awareness of the different cognitive and psychological processes involved in reading online material, where the author’s identity is often unknown or inaccurate. One could exempt Wikipedia from this, I have not seen any sites beyond academic publications and journals which include so much referencing and checking of the accuracy of the information presented, including the checking of the presence of bias. 

Uncountable perspectives would naturally also include uncountable opinions. It is possible for google results to give contradicting information simply based on decisions over which words to use in the search, and the user’s previous on-line behaviours which would dictate their opinions and biases. Opinion could be an anti-thesis to thorough research and inquiry as Bullard (2021, cited in mindjournal.com) writes: 

“Opinion is really the lowest form of human knowledge. It requires no accountability, no understanding. The highest form of knowledge… is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another’s world. It requires profound purpose larger than the self-kind of understanding.”  

I am additionally curious about why it is not common practice to reference our opinions online? At what point did online behaviours develop? 

How does psychology play into information literacy? 

Is it just that everyone of us has a strong desire to be the informed one, to be right? 

If the most effective learning inquiry is questioning our conclusions – especially questioning ourselves. Why are we not doing this online?  

Birch, S., Li, V., Haddock, T., Ghrear, S., Brosseau‐Liard, P. E., Baimel, A., & Whyte, M. I. (2017). Perspectives on perspective taking. In Advances in Child Development and Behavior (pp. 185–226). https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.acdb.2016.10.005 

The Cambridge Dictionary (nd.) https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/perspective#google_vignette 

Oddone, K. (n.d.). Defining and developing digital literacy part one: Theories and models. Linking Learning. https://www.linkinglearning.com.au/defining-and-developing-digital-literacy-its-far-more-than-facebook/ 

Sahal, S. (2022, January 4). Why does every voice matter? The importance of hearing different perspectives. Medium. https://medium.com/curious/why-does-every-voice-matter-the-importance-of-hearing-different-perspectives-eeba740955ab