This article, through a comparative perspective of traditional and digital literacy, focuses on the conceptual and pedagogical dimensions of literacy in the digital age. The study aims to highlight the qualitative differences between the two forms of literacy and examine how they influence learning processes, teaching practices and educational design. Traditional literacy is based on linear, print-based reading and writing, reinforces analytical and abstract thinking, and is associated with the embodied dimension of learning within stable cultural frameworks. In contrast, digital literacy involves multimodal, interactive, and non-linear information processing, promotes autonomous and socially embedded learning, and requires the development of new skills such as critical source evaluation and creative content production.

The article draws on an extensive literature review and empirical data from international studies comparing the effectiveness and learning outcomes of both types of literacy across diverse cultural and pedagogical contexts. Case studies from countries such as Sweden, Finland, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia are presented, while theoretical distinctions between technocratic and socio-critical approaches to technology integration are also analyzed. Particular emphasis is placed on the risks of superficial learning, cognitive overload, and cultural homogenization if digital education is not grounded in analog foundations.

The article concludes by arguing for a synthetic pedagogical framework in which traditional literacy is not abandoned but serves as the foundation for cultivating a critical, creative, and socially responsible form of digital literacy. Technology should be integrated purposefully and with moderation, within an educational vision that fosters meaningful learning and the democratic formation of 21st-century citizens.

Keywords: Traditional literacy, digital literacy, critical thinking, multiliteracies, educational practices, digital education.