Reflections on Functional Illiteracy
In a broad scientific understanding, functional illiteracy is the inability to understand complex texts, even if a person has an adequate level of formal education, basic reading and writing skills, language proficiency, and a normal IQ.
This phenomenon manifests when a person:
- avoids complex tasks;
- makes systematic errors;
- cannot effectively apply knowledge and skills in practice.
In other words, a "formally literate" person is unable to apply reading and thinking in real-life situations. They avoid reading, or quickly become tired, feel irritated, and prefer to set the text aside to have it explained in a simpler way.
Today, with the availability of artificial intelligence, the number of people who read texts to complete tasks and meet the formal requirements of education is decreasing. Increasingly, information is absorbed through images with short comments and videos, without the use of written language.
Functional literacy is directly related to psychological well-being, health and safety, and professional achievement.
A functionally literate person can:
- read and understand texts, instructions, news, and contracts;
- distinguish facts from manipulation;
- critically evaluate sources;
- perform work tasks not "by the book," but consciously;
- apply knowledge in practice and learn new things throughout life.
Without these skills, a person easily becomes a victim of
disinformation, fraud, and propaganda.
A sense of competence, control over life, and reduced anxiety in difficult situations are just a few of the advantages of a functionally (rather than formally) literate person.
The statistics I found are only outdated, for example:
- over 40% in Romania, Poland, and Portugal,
- over 53% in Chile,
- Scandinavian countries - less than 20%,
- the lowest rate in Japan - less than 10%.
If you have read and understood this text 
, a question may arise: what can be done to improve your
level of functional literacy?
Read books, analyze texts, write independently, and speak coherent texts. Because a muscle that we exercise grows and functions. And a muscle that is not used - regresses.
Literature:
Vágvölgyi, R., Coldea, A., Dresler, T., Schrader, J., & Nuerk, H. C. (2016). A review about functional illiteracy: Definition, cognitive, linguistic, and numerical aspects. Frontiers in psychology, 7, 1617.
https://www.oecd.org/en/topics/literacy-skills.html