Abstract
This paper analyses the challenges of digital education in higher education within the field of communication, focusing on the tension between instrumental digital literacy and the development of critical thinking. Based on a qualitative exploratory approach grounded in theoretical analysis and teaching experience, the study examines how students appropriate digital technologies in educational contexts. The analysis is structured around four dimensions: operational use of digital tools, difficulties in critically engaging with digital environments, fragmentation of learning processes, and the impact of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. The findings show that technical proficiency does not necessarily lead to critical competencies, calling into question prevailing models of digital literacy in higher education. The study contributes to the discussion on the need to rethink educational approaches by articulating technical skills with critical understanding in the field of communication.