Americans Get Low Marks For Tech Literacy

The average American is not very technologically savvy, concludes a recent report released by the Committee on Technological Literacy, under the auspices of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the National Research Council.

Based upon findings from this two-year study, the committee reported that while Americans are dependent on technology, the average adult is fairly limited when it comes to critically analyzing how to optimally use technology.

An arena where this lack of skill is most pronounced is in the world of public policy, infers the report. Consequently, U.S. government leaders are encouraged to improve their technology literacy, especially for the sake of assessing technologies critical to national security. Further, NAE President Bill Wulf comments that if members of the general public improved their technological IQ, they could have greater influence on energy and environmental issues.

Citing the report’s findings, the NAE also encourages K-12 schools to include more technology in their curriculums—beyond just computers and the Internet.

To order this report, visit NAE’s web site at: www.nae.edu/techlit .

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