Topic 1: Digital ‘Visitors’ and ‘Residents’
The concept of the digital ‘visitor’ and ‘resident’ is particularly interesting when comparing our individual uses for the web. White (2008) described the digital visitor as someone who uses the internet for simple, everyday tasks such as checking emails and news, as well as infrequent tasks like booking holidays. White and Cornu (2011) argue that this tends to include older generations who haven’t grown up with technology through childhood. The digital resident is best explained as a person using technology, like the web, frequently for work, learning and for ‘non-civilian’ tasks. This category tend to be described as the younger generation, who have technology ingrained as second nature.
I would contest the theory that both groups can be so easily distinguished. As a 21 year old who remembers the first family Windows 98 PC arriving in our home as a young boy, I would be bundled into the category of ‘digital resident’. Although I like to think my understanding of the online world is relatively thorough, I believe my use of technology is what defines me as a ‘resident’ or a ‘visitor’. Until university, and the days of SPSS statistical software, my use of the internet, would have appeared similar to a visitor’s usage.
I believe that how we use technology is actually what defines us as digital ‘residents’ or ‘visitors’. Although my understanding of Facebook is relatively absolute compared to my mothers, her understanding of medical, radiographic equipment in her hospital workplace far exceeds my understanding of it! Does this make her a digital resident? Arguably, I guess it must do, as she has grown up through her career with the great leaps in the technology she uses. To her its second nature, but to me, it’s straight over my head. Just like the concept of her new iPhone and its touch screen poses its own challenges.
Furthermore, it would be of great interest to study the generation of young people below my own, which have been born into a world where touchscreen always existed, and where being poked could be tangible or Facebooked. Below is a video of a baby which has only ever known an iPad touchscreen, rendering the original paper magazine incomprehensible. In my opinion, the generation of this baby is the true digital resident, and generations like my own and those working in technology based industries may actually be assimilated technology migrants. Enjoy! 🙂
White, D. (2008, July 23). TALL blog. Retrieved February 4, 2015, from http://tallblog.conted.ox.ac.uk/index.php/2008/07/23/not-natives-immigrants-but-visitors-residents/
White, D. S., & Cornu, A. L. (2011). Visitors and Residents: A new typology for online engagement. First Monday, 16(9).
