{"id":1111,"date":"2019-01-31T13:12:20","date_gmt":"2019-01-31T13:12:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/digitalwisdom\/?p=1111"},"modified":"2019-01-31T13:12:20","modified_gmt":"2019-01-31T13:12:20","slug":"digital-fears-and-hopes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/digitalwisdom\/2019\/01\/digital-fears-and-hopes\/","title":{"rendered":"Digital Fears and Hopes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

In a recent post on the \u201cthe future of stupid fears<\/a>,\u201d educational futurist Bryan Alexander emphasizes the need for digital literacy to confront fake fears that are digitally mediated. Digital literacy can help us discern true hopes as well.<\/p>\n

(For a definition of digital literacy, see the discussion<\/a> two of my colleagues set up for the class they\u2019re currently teaching called \u201cDigital Literacy and Life<\/a>.\u201d)<\/p>\n

\"Contra
Contra Internet, Miller ICA at Carnegie Mellon University (2019)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As we learn new competencies and dispositions associated with digital literacy, we quickly encounter larger reflective and ethical questions<\/a> about what we can know, what we may hope for, and what we must do. These questions require us to become not just digitally literate but also digitally wise. This move from literacy to wisdom is the most important digital divide<\/a> to close. Hope has a role in this.<\/p>\n

As Alexander points out, digital literacy can help us discern true from fabricated and fantastical fears. But what do we do when we are left with true fears?<\/p>\n

Back in 2015, Marilynne Robinson commented<\/a> on the fact that \u201ccontemporary America is full of fear.\u201d In a country historically informed by Christian influences, she added, it is important to emphasize that \u201cfear is not a Christian habit of mind.\u201d Nationally\u2014not to mention individually and globally\u2014we are in desperate need of more hope.<\/p>\n

In\u00a0Hope without Optimism<\/a><\/em>, Terry Eagleton distinguishes hope from optimism. He describes hope as a cultivated virtue grounded in realism and reason; optimism, which is more of a reflexive condition, can do without either. A person of hope confronts the world as it is and seeks reasonable desires that can shape a narrative of the future.<\/p>\n

Digital literacy can help us discern credible hopes from optimistic or fake hopes that are digitally mediated. These include\u00a0narratives<\/a> about the future of our digital information environment, which we may, through wisdom, shape with hope.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Digital literacy can help us confront fake fears and discern true hopes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3120,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[319,316,313,310],"class_list":["post-1111","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-digital-divides","tag-digital-literacy","tag-fear","tag-hope"],"yoast_head":"\nDigital Fears and Hopes<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Digital literacy can help us confront fake fears and discern true hopes.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/digitalwisdom\/2019\/01\/digital-fears-and-hopes\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Digital Fears and Hopes\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Digital literacy can help us confront fake fears and discern true hopes.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/digitalwisdom\/2019\/01\/digital-fears-and-hopes\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Digital Wisdom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-01-31T13:12:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/846\/2019\/01\/contrainternet-225x300.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Michael Paulus\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@mjpaulusjr\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Michael Paulus\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/digitalwisdom\/2019\/01\/digital-fears-and-hopes\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/digitalwisdom\/2019\/01\/digital-fears-and-hopes\/\",\"name\":\"Digital Fears and Hopes\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/digitalwisdom\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2019-01-31T13:12:20+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-01-31T13:12:20+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/digitalwisdom\/#\/schema\/person\/f2b1ab370cd4dda7608f6165567c80f2\"},\"description\":\"Digital literacy can help us confront fake fears and discern true hopes.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/digitalwisdom\/2019\/01\/digital-fears-and-hopes\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/digitalwisdom\/2019\/01\/digital-fears-and-hopes\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/digitalwisdom\/2019\/01\/digital-fears-and-hopes\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/digitalwisdom\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Digital Fears and Hopes\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/digitalwisdom\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/digitalwisdom\/\",\"name\":\"Digital Wisdom\",\"description\":\"Reflecting on Theology and Technology in the Digital Age\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/digitalwisdom\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/digitalwisdom\/#\/schema\/person\/f2b1ab370cd4dda7608f6165567c80f2\",\"name\":\"Michael Paulus\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/digitalwisdom\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f2d029e3d8979e0a51c36d40c3a999b6?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f2d029e3d8979e0a51c36d40c3a999b6?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Michael Paulus\"},\"description\":\"Michael Paulus is University Librarian, Assistant Provost for Educational Technology, and Director and Associate Professor of Information Studies at Seattle Pacific University. 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