Week: 8/9 Question 1: Digital Immigration

A ‘Digital Immigrant’ is the concept of a particular generation that has not been brought up around the ideas of new media or new digital technologies. Because of this they have a somewhat limited knowledge of new media preventing them to grasp the concepts/skills as easily as a digital native-ie the younger generation who’s life has been influenced and shaped by new media technologies such as computers, the internet and video games. A digital native is used to the common conventions and characteristics of this type of medium as they were born into this particular method of learning. Theis created a split between generations creating two different categories of users: ‘digital immigrants’ and ‘digital natives’. These divides can be seen between groups such as students and teachers, parents and children, older work colleauges and younger work colleagues.

These two terms were coined by theorist Marc Prensky in 2001. ‘Digital immigrants’ seem to struggle with the concept of grasping this type of medium where as the ‘natives’ on the other hand are comforatable with this techology as they find it the ‘norm’, quick and easy to use and use it on a daily basis. The word ‘immigrant’ is highly effective as this is indeed what an individual from the non-digital generation actually is; they have to ‘adopt’ the ideas of new media and try to adapt to technology as it develops. The theory created by Prenksy is supported and expanded by Robert O'Toole. Whilst using the main ideas of Prensky, O'Toole also came up with 12 characterisitcs in which he thought made someone a 'digital native'.

For some reason the idea of Prensky suggests that you are either a digital immigrant or native, there is no middle man. Surely this can be questioned? I think the idea s of Prensky are very interesting and they make you question whether you are yourself a complete ‘digital native’ and make you think of individuals that you know who may be ‘digital immigrants’. The is also the question of how ‘ahead of the game’ digital natives are in our techno-derterminist society compared to digital immigrants. Are they seen to have an ‘advantage’ over the immigrants or are some of the old methods which the digital immigrants are native to still effective? Possibly suggesting that these ‘languages’ that Prensky implies digital natives and immigrants use could perhaps meet together on some level and find their preferred method of learning.

O'Toole, R. (2006) 'Transversality: What does it mean to be digitally native?', http://blogs.warwick.ac.uk/rbotoole/entry/how_to_make/ [accessed 13/03/09]

Prensky, M. (2001) 'Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants', On The Horizon, Volume 9 (issue 5), http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf. [accessed 13/3/09]