“IF YOU PRESS OK, YOU WILL PAY WITHOUT KNOWING”: NECROALGORITHMIZATION AND DIGITAL LITERACIES IN ADULT EDUCATION

necroalgoritimização e letramentos digitais na EJA

Abstract

This article examines the perceptions of Adult Education (EJA) teachers regarding the challenges and possibilities of digital literacies for elderly learners, with a particular focus on the implications of necroalgorithmization. This qualitative study was conducted within the framework of an extension project aimed at providing continuous teacher training. The analyzed data, collected through discussion circles, were transcribed and thematically categorized. The theoretical framework draws on Ferreira (2024) regarding educational subcitizenship, Lankshear and Knobel (2007) and Kleiman (2007) on critical digital literacies, and Araújo (2024) on the concept of necroalgorithmization. The findings reveal that while digital literacy holds emancipatory potential, the absence of critical support renders elderly individuals vulnerable to systemic exclusions, including involuntary indebtedness, financial fraud, and barriers to accessing essential services. The analysis highlights processes such as the compulsory digitization of financial services and algorithmic invisibility, demonstrating that the challenges extend beyond mere technological inclusion. We argue that digital literacies in EJA are not merely a technical issue but a pressing political and social concern, necessitating public policies aimed at algorithmic justice and the right to digital citizenship.