The Digital Debate: Am I a 'Native' or 'Immigrant'


The words 'native' and 'immigrant' are not new to my lexicon, but when a third familiar word 'digital' falls in front of them I had to do my research.

After learning about theses new terms, I couldn't help but instantly categorize my parents as "digital immigrants". When my father received his first iPod Touch as an early Christmas gift about 10 years ago it was my job to show him hope to download and put music on it from "the iTunes". The first time I showed him, he took specific and thorough notes on his yellow legal pad. We added an array of musical titles from Bing Crosby Christmas to  his entire library of the Beatles. Long story short, despite his notes and my numerous tutorials, ten years later (yes his iPod Touch is still kickin'!) my father still has his seasonal music pop up in his shuffle while at the gym. This is not because he is some sort of Christmas fanatic it is simply because he has just found it easier to skip the song than remove it and add it back each December.

While my father clearly falls into the category of "digital immigrant" I do not know if I fit into one category so easily. I was born in 1989, but there are still things about the digital world that just don't come to me. At school I frequently make use of the teacher responsible for the IT support. I most recently learned how to use all components of my G-Drive effectively (still working toward efficiently). I believe that straddle the line between 'native' and 'immigrant'.

Further reading:

Huffington Post: Native vs Immigrant
Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants M.Prensky
NextGenLearning
Bobology
What does it mean to be Digital Native?

Further viewing:

Are You Digital Native?

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