Letter of the Day | Myth of the tech savvy student

THE EDITOR, Madam:

For years the narrative has been clear that students are supposed to be digital natives blessed with an intuitive command of technology. They tap, they swipe, they scroll and they spend hours online. Yet beneath the surface of that familiar glow is a growing and worrying reality. The digital age learners are not as tech savvy as we think and the quality of their academic work is exposing gaps far wider than many educators expected.

Across classrooms and virtual spaces one trend has become hard to ignore. Students who can film a TikTok in seconds often struggle to format a document, upload an assignment, navigate a learning platform or organise a presentation. Many cannot distinguish credible sources from misleading ones. Basic productivity skills that should support academic success are missing and the results are evident in poorly structured papers, inaccurate references, disorganised submissions and incomplete digital tasks.

The issue is not a lack of devices, it is a lack of digital competence. Students are consuming technology but they are not mastering it. What they know is entertainment. What they lack is the skill required for effective scholarly engagement.

Hurricane Melissa disrupted electricity, internet and campus operations across the island sending academic delivery into further disarray. While institutions rushed to adjust timetables, extend deadlines and improvise temporary solutions the inconsistency of instruction created an even heavier burden for students already navigating the cracks in their digital abilities.

The hurricane did not create the gap, it has magnified it. Students who were already struggling to keep up with online platforms fell further behind. Those who depended on campus connectivity or in person support lost access completely. The uneven resumption of classes means that learners with strong digital literacy bounce back quickly while others remain stuck waiting, hoping and guessing.

If we continue assuming that digital exposure equals digital expertise we risk leaving a generation of students at the mercy of both natural disasters and technological limitations. The solution begins with intentional instruction. Digital literacy training must become a core component of teaching and learning not an optional extra. Students need structured guidance in researching, presenting, organising and navigating digital ecosystems that now shape their academic futures.

Hurricane Melissa has reminded us that resilience is not only about infrastructure. It is also about skill. The next storm whether climatic or technological will find our learners better prepared only if we teach them the competencies they are too often presumed to have.

LEROY FEARON JR