In the Digital world, are you a Resident or Visitor?

“Digital Natives” are a generation that has grown up in the digital age using technology devices such as computers, video cams, cell phones. The ease with the use of technology can be compared to a native’s comfort with their mother language. They are proficient at interacting with technology and often rely on it to access information.

“Digital Immigrants”, those born before 1980 are not effortlessly proficient in modern technology. They may pick up new technologies, however they will never be fluent with it. Accessing the internet for information will not be their first move, they prefer to print items out than reading them online and will search for information manually rather than using online tools.

However, the concept of Prensky’s generational divided terms have raise a number of questions. Are older learners really as handicapped as Prensky suggests? Are younger learners really as privileged as he understands them to be? Logic and evidence have challenged both positions and therefore, “Digital Residents” and “Digital Visitors” by White and Le Cornu is introduced soon after.

‘Digital Residents’ create and regularly maintain their identities online. They view the web as a place to conduct their social life professionally, for study and for recreation. They leave traces behind even after they are offline. The web has become a important aspect of the way they present themselves and how they maintain part of networks of friends or colleagues.

‘Digital Visitors’ view the web as a tool to achieve goals when needs arise. They do not feel the need to create an identity on the Web or to express themselves by participating in online cultures. At the end of the day, they leave no traces behind after they are done achieving their goals. These individuals may book a flight ticket or research a specific subject.

My position is geared towards Digital Resident since I spend most of my time using social networks such as Instagram and Facebook where I express my identity and maintain my social life for recreational purposes. However, I can be a Digital Visitor too, mostly when I’m researching for my assignments or searching for some particular videos on YouTube. Overall, I feel that one can be a mixture of both positions depending on the context they are in unlike Prensky’s generational divided terms where you only fall in one.

Personally, I feel that “Digital Residents” and “Digital Visitors” are more suitable terms than “Digital Natives” and “Digital Immigrants”. There are cases when I met people from the older generation who are more proficient in technology than me and younger generation who have a hard time being familiar with digital devices. Based on Prensky’s generational divided terms; “Digital Native” and “Digital Immigrant” , it seems that he is judging solely based on the generation you’re born in.

Of course, growing up in a digital age helps in our learning for Digital Technology and it indeed developed the majority of us the younger generation to be fluent in Technology nowadays, therefore I cannot say that Prensky’s generational divided terms is completely wrong but however, we also cannot neglect the fact that there is still the minority of them who are the opposite which leads me to ponder upon the reason. Personally, I feel our capability to capture Digital knowledge and fluency also involves practices and willingness to learn. Therefore, “Digital Residents” and “Digital Visitors” by White and Le Cornu (2011) will be more suitable terms in this case. According to my observation, people are still having the concept that the younger generation does it better so Prensky’s generational divided terms has not been completely replaced. Even as for me, I never knew about the concept of “Digital Residents” and “Digital Visitors” if not for MANG2049. It is the little revelation I gained today.

References:

Oxford University Department for Continuing Education, (2014). Digital visitors, digital residents.. [online] Available at: https://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/news/index.php?post=2011-06-01:165653:951 [Accessed 27 Nov. 2014].

Etec.ctlt.ubc.ca, (2014). Digital Natives and Immigrants – ETEC 510. [online] Available at: http://etec.ctlt.ubc.ca/510wiki/Digital_Natives_and_Immigrants [Accessed 27 Nov. 2014].

White, D. and Cornu, A. (2011). Visitors and Residents: A new typology for online engagement.First Monday, [online] 16(9). Available at: http://firstmonday.org/article/view/3171/3049#p2 [Accessed 27 Nov. 2014].

(@daveowhite), D. (2014). TALL blog » Blog Archive » Not ‘Natives’ & ‘Immigrants’ but ‘Visitors’ & ‘Residents’. [online] Tallblog.conted.ox.ac.uk. Available at: http://tallblog.conted.ox.ac.uk/index.php/2008/07/23/not-natives-immigrants-but-visitors-residents/ [Accessed 27 Nov. 2014].

Pancommunications.com, (2014). [online] Available at: http://www.pancommunications.com/prspeak/assets/digital-generation.jpg [Accessed 27 Nov. 2014].