November 5, 2025
Passkeys, hot takes, and AI tea
What does computer literacy mean for 2026?
New ‘computer literate’ rules spark Big Tech vs privacy brawl — and jokes about grandma’s passkey
TLDR: A viral guide says 2026 computer literacy means strong security (passkeys, safer sign-ins), using AI as a helper, and working across devices. Comments clap back, accusing Big Tech lock-in and cloud creep, while others shrug and say the tips are solid—even if the piece reads like it was AI-written.
The article lays out a new “2026 bar” for computer literacy: lock down your accounts with passkeys (a safer, passwordless sign‑in), stop falling for phishing, and treat AI like a helpful coworker—not a magic genie. It name‑checks data‑breach stats from Verizon’s 2025 DBIR and reminds us that every job now has a digital layer, from spreadsheets to small automations. That’s the facts—but the comments turned it into a full‑blown soap opera.
The loudest pushback: privacy alarm bells. User vaylian argued this guide is really for folks locked into Microsoft/Google/Apple, warning that “AI” often means your info rides straight to a Big Tech cloud. The other thread’s main character, CrispinS, dropped a spicy meta‑take: “fitting that an article about AI was written by AI,” spotting “GPT‑isms” while admitting the advice (like asking AI to cite sources and explain assumptions) was mostly solid. Cue the split: one camp calls it a corporate onboarding checklist, the other shrugs, “if it saves hours, ship it.”
Humor flew. Readers joked that “2026 literacy” means learning to talk to robots, and that grandma now needs a hardware key on her keychain. Some quipped the cloud is “where your secrets go to make friends.” Drama, memes, and a very modern dilemma: trust the tools, or keep your data off their lawn.
Key Points
- •Computer literacy in 2026 includes strong security, effective AI use, and cross‑platform competence, not just basic office tasks.
- •Employers increasingly require medium or higher digital skills, aligning with World Economic Forum insights.
- •Modern literacy provides efficiency and opportunity: reading charts, automating workflows, and steering AI are key capabilities.
- •Security guidance emphasizes passkeys and FIDO2 hardware keys for phishing‑resistant authentication via cryptographic challenges.
- •Verizon’s 2025 DBIR reports stolen credentials and social engineering as leading breach causes, underscoring the need for modern sign‑in methods.