A friend of mine, Frederick Pilot, recently asked me an interesting question. Is digital literacy that comes from using a smartphone the same as digital literacy from using a computer? It’s a great question, because the majority of Internet users in the world only have broadband access through a smartphone. In developing nations, 90% of broadband users only have access to a smartphone. In the U.S., 16% of adults only use a smartphone to reach the Internet.

There are skills needed to master using a computer that can’t be learned from using a smartphone. Computer users learn to use a mouse and to type – even people who speak to a computer need the mouse and keyboard. People working on computers learn how to create, save, and manage files. Computer users learn how to use operating systems and software programs.

By contrast, smartphone users mostly learn how to use apps. While some apps are complex, the skills learned generally apply mostly to the specific app.

It’s clear that learning how to navigate an app ecosystem is very different than mastering a computer ecosystem. Of course, some things are the same for both sets of users. Streaming video or shopping on websites is largely the same for everybody. Smartphone and computer users have email accounts and can use social media.

A key question is the degree to which only using a smartphone prepares somebody to work in a computer-based work environment. The biggest issue with smartphone-only users is that they have not learned to use a keyboard to type. It’s hard to imagine many computer-related jobs that don’t require at least some typing.

Interestingly, there are many work functions today that look more like apps than like spreadsheets or word documents. I recently visited the doctor for my annual physical, and they’ve converted to a system that captures and transcribes what the doctor says as notes in the patient history. Much of the rest of the effort of using the system means clicking through a bunch of forms and checkboxes. But the doctor and staff still need to type. The doctor edits the notes if they aren’t accurate, and some of the forms require a typed response. This is a new system, and I have to imagine that over time, the amount of typing needed will decrease. My doctor said that his favorite feature is that the system always spells drugs and medical terms properly.

Training people to use a computer has changed a lot in recent years. It wasn’t too long ago when computer training meant learning how to use a word processor and a spreadsheet. People who train others how to use computers tell me they take a more practical approach today, and that training involves things like learning mouse basics; learning basic keyboard skills; learning how to create, find, save, and organize files; learning how to navigate an operating system; Internet basics like searching and using a browser; security awareness and how to avoid scams; and basic troubleshooting and what to do when things go wrong. Much computer training today is personalized and teaches a person to use the web functions that are most important to them, like using a banking website.

None of this discussion answers the original question, which asks if smartphone users are digitally literate. I’m sure that many smartphone users are fully literate in terms of being able to navigate the web. But that doesn’t mean they have the digital skills that employers are looking for. And that begs the question of what it means to be digitally literate.