a.+What+are+Digital+Natives?

What are Digital Natives?
I have never owned a cellphone. I get headaches reading long documents online and prefer to print them and read at my convenience. When I see things such as BRB, LOL, TY and LMAO I need a few seconds to recognize and remember just what they represent, and I write emails the same way I would a letter - in full sentences. Does any of this sound familiar to you? While I am not the only one out there who can apply these statements to their life we are not as rampant as you might imagine these days.

I am a Digital Immigrant.

[[image:boy-using-computer.jpg align="left" caption="Image: nuttakit / FreeDigitalPhotos.net"]]
Marc Prensky, who first coined the term in his essay __Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants__ defines Digital Immigrants as those who were introduced to technology within their lifetime and had to adapt to the fast-paced change of environment. An environment of rampant technology, such as computers, cellular telephones, the internet, as well as social media, including Google, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and more.

So who are the Digital Natives? According to Prensky anyone who grew up immersed in technology and speaks the digital language fluently is a Digital Native. Some even go as far as placing an actual date to it; an invisible line drawn in the sand dividing generations. While this does risk the creation of a generalization - many born both before and after that date are proficient in the digital world and conversely many are perplexed and overwhelmed by the dramatic increase in technology over the last few decades - it does stand that the majority of the younger generations are more fluent in the digital language than not. We are no longer teaching children how to use technology, they are teaching us. But is using technology all there is to it? Is technology simply a tool? Or are there further implications to consider? It is important for us to remember that just because a generation grew up surrounded by technology and will be more adept to using and developing it, doesn't mean that they intrinsically understand the implications it may have on themselves and society as a whole. With the rapid changes and advances in technology that are emerging every day it can be a struggle for anyone to keep up. As Dr. Pauline Broderick, a professor of Principles and Processes of Education at the University of Manitoba stated: "Criticizing that metaphor [of Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants] is a good place to start... We are all immigrants."(P. Broderick, personal communication, October 07, 2010).

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