2017, Page 19

Natives vs. Immigrants In 2001, Prensky proposed a distinction between two types of online users: ‘digital natives’ and ‘digital immigrants’. Prensky’s theory can be summarised as follows: Digital natives: The younger generation that have grown up with technology and are therefore competent digital users. Digital immigrants: The older generation that have not been exposed to technology from a young age, so are required to adapt to the changing digital environment. Continue reading →

The V&R framework critically challenges Presnky’s digital Native-Immigrant distinction. (White and Le Cornu, 2011) Prensky used ‘language’ to metaphorically argue age underpins Web users technologically adeptness (Prensky, 2001). Continue reading →

Digital Visitors and Digital Residents are two terms coined to replace the idea of Digital Immigrants and Digital Natives. The original terms, as described in the image below, are considered to be out of date and not descriptive enough of the ways different individuals interact with the internet, particularly as there is not such a clear grouping of people in the online world. Continue reading →

In today’s increasingly digital and dynamic world, it is no surprise that the conceptualisation of ‘Digital Natives’ and ‘Digital Immigrants’ by Prensky (2001) has been fiercely debated. Articles emerged just two years after Prensky’s original theory claiming that such a concept is outdated (White and Cornu, 2011), and this is testament to the digital world’s rapid pace of development. Continue reading →

The current age of society is heavily technology based. There is often a large divide between generations of those who have grown up using technology and those who have just become accustomed to using it. Prensky details this as the idea of “Digital Natives” and “Digital Immigrants” (Prensky, 2001). Continue reading →

In recent years, technology has played a crucial role in the construction of society as we know it. Prensky (2001) delved deeper into this concept and offered the typologies of the ‘Digital Native’ and the ‘Digital Immigrant’. Although significantly outdated – and particularly criticised – he described the ‘Native’ as somebody who is completely at ease with the digital world (White and Cornu, 2011). Continue reading →

The Web is 28 years old this year and it is fair to say many of us can not live with out it. Throughout these years distinctions have been made about different users. Similar to the way we describe people learning a new language, web users have been described as ‘digital residents’ and ‘digital visitors’. Prensky’s Typology In Prensky’s book  ‘On the horizon’ he created an analogy of users being either ‘Digital natives’ or ‘Digital immigrants’. Continue reading →

The concept of digital “visitors” and “residents” followed from presnky’s now outdated notions of digital “Natives” and “Immigrants”. Prensky (2001) Indicated a generational divide between the digital competence of online users, regarding young online operators as “digital natives”, experiencing privileged access to digital systems throughout their life-course, causing them to become accomplished expert’s within digital settings. Continue reading →

Natives and Immigrants to Residents and Visitors Digital residents and visitors ideas stem from the theory of natives and immigrants, proposed by Prensky in 2001, based on the idea that as current young generations have spent their lives growing up immersed in technology, they are ‘natives’ to the digital world, whereas older generations are ‘immigrants’ as they have to adopt new practices in the digital age (Prensky, 2001). Continue reading →

Prensky’s original concept of Digital ‘Natives’ and ‘Immigrants’ expresses the proficiency of one’s online capabilities with the main contributor being age (Prensky, 2001). In his article, Prensky explains that those who were born at the cusp of technological advances and grew up with technology are more adept in using it, referred to as ‘Natives’. Continue reading →

Prensky (2001) originally coined the terms digital natives and immigrants which were used to explain disparities within digital engagement. Successively, this concept suggests that people who have grown up in the digital revolution (digital natives) are more familiar with digital technology and consequently use it more frequently, in comparison to their senior counterparts who struggle to adapt to a vastly evolving digital world (digital immigrants) Prensky (2001). Continue reading →

Figure 1. Prensky’s Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants (2001), http://www.wordclouds.com. Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants The rapid increase of digital technology (within the 21st century) has led to many heated debates over Prensky’s (2001) concept of “Digital Natives” and “Digital Immigrants.” Digital natives are individuals who have engaged in technology since birth. Therefore, they are more ‘fluent’ digital users. Continue reading →

“Visitors and Residents is a simple way of describing the range of ways individuals can engage with the Web”(Themes, 2014). It is a way of grouping together people by the way people use the internet. The majority of people that use the internet tend to be both residents and visitors however most often at different times. Although there are people that can be only visitors and only residents and also people that can be a visitor and resident at the same time. Continue reading →