2017, Page 18

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The concept of digital “visitors” and “residents” followed from presnky’s now outdated notions of digital “Natives” and “Immigrants”.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 →