Short Paper on Digital Natives vs. Digital Immigrants

            Digital native/immigrant divide fundamentally refers to the date that separates people born after internet technology was introduced from the people born prior to the internet technology (Thompson, 2007). The difference between the digital immigrant and the digital native has become a universally accepted trope in higher education and its broader intellectual contexts, as a way of understanding and mapping the fast technological transformations which are currently re-forming learning spaces and individuals as subjects in the digital age.

            The natives have grown with computers as well as the internet, and are by nature proficient with contemporary digital spaces and technologies. The immigrants on the other hand, will at all times be a step behind in their transactions with the digital (Owen, 2004). It has been argued that young learners’ (natives) fascination in digital technologies generates in them a radically dissimilar approach to learning. This primarily concerns the swiftness of access, instant fulfillment, intolerance with linear judgment and the capacity to multi-task (Barnes, 2007). Teachers of these contemporary young people, the natives, have an obligation to adapt their techniques in favor of this new methodology learning. The teachers, the immigrants, require re-inventing themselves in line with the terms of the natives in order to retain relevance and, presumably, be employable (Prensky, 2001).

Ten Differences between the Natives and Immigrants

            There is fundamental divergence between the digital natives and digital immigrants that can be well elaborated in relation to their respective perceptions regarding lifestyle. 

Computers and technology

            According to the digital natives computers are not synonymous with technology.  It is an implicit ingredient of everyday life. The natives have no perception of life devoid of computers and the internet.

Television and the internet

            The natives spend less number of hours watching TV, unlike the immigrants. Reasons for the disparity are largely interactivity and greater internet utilization for social-networking.

Multi-tasking

            The natives are comfortable when engaging in simultaneous multiple activities, unlike the immigrants. Multi- tasking would in this case include conveyance of instant messages, chatting on the phone, listening to music and doing homework. This may be a response to overload of information.

Perception Over Reality

            The deception in digital imagery is responsible for the perception among the natives that reality is no longer real. Digital images are in most instances altered, and the content may not be true.

Doting is More Imperative Than Knowledge

            Among the natives, knowledge is no longer supposed to be the ultimate goal. Outcomes and actions are regarded as more imperative than the gathering of facts

Nintendo and Logic

            Nintendo represents a trial- and- error technique to problem solving. According to the natives, losing is the most secure way to master a game since losing symbolizes learning. This contrasts with the immigrants more rule-based, and logical, approach problem solving.

Typing and Handwriting

            The natives prefer typing to handwriting. The use of the pen is considered archaic in favor of keyboarding skills.

Staying Connected is Essential.

            The natives are always in touch, via multiple devices. PDAs, cell phones, and computers guarantee them connectivity from anywhere, at any time.

Zero Tolerance for Delays.

            Having grown in a customer-service tradition, the natives have an intense demand for immediacy. They anticipate that services will be available through- out.

Consumer and Creator

            The distinctions between, owner, creator and consumer of data are vanishing.In a cut-and- paste, file sharing culture (Oblinger, 2003)