Theoretical substantiation of the term 'visual literacy' in the context of the digitalization of society

Introduction. Nowadays there is a tendency towards more critical and creative use of digital graphic elements for educational purposes. Modern generation of students and schoolchildren was born in the era of social networks, digital technologies and touch screens and now they live through visual content. However, being technically knowledgeable, modern information users are visually illiterate and easily fall for «fakes» and media provocations. This article considers the conceptual construct associated with the subject of visual literacy, including visual culture, visualization of information, visualization, etc. Based on publications indexed in the RSCI, theoretical analysis was made on the basis of a historical-logical approach and the empirica l analysis (quantitative and meaningful). According to theoretical analysis, we made conclusions about the structure, aspects, and main components of visual literacy in foreign literature. The article gives the defi nition of the term visual literacy. Empirical analysis of Russian research fund proved the “peak” level of interest to this topic. The author explains the reason for such high interest and makes assumptions about the further research topics. Conclusions. It is concluded that the development of visual literacy has a fundamental importance for an eff ective strategy of the modern education system development.