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Adults using smartphones
Children learn to navigate tech at a young age.

The term digital native describes a person has grown up in the (Information age). Often referring to millennials, Generation Z, and Generation Alpha, these individuals can consume digital information and stimuli quickly and comfortably through devices and platforms such as computers, mobile phones, and social media. Instant gratification and reward systems, such as through games, are preferred as their attention spans are shorter than previous generations.[1][2][3] (the latter two are sometimes described as distinct "neo-digital natives",[2][3] "true" digital natives,[4] or "digital integrators".[5])

Digital natives are distinguished from digital immigrants, who grew up (before the advent of the Internet, came of age) in a world dominated by print and television, because they were born within the advent of the Internet.[1] These two terms are often used to describe the digital generation gap in terms of the ability of technological use among people born after 1980 and those born before.[6] The term digital native is a highly contested concept, being considered by many education researchers as a persistent myth not founded on empirical evidence[7][8] and many argue for a more nuanced approach for understanding the relationship between digital media, learning and youth.

Conflict Between Generations

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Because many digital immigrants are used to a life without digital technology or may be hesitant to adapt to it[9], they can sometimes be at variance with digital natives.[9] The everyday regimen of work-life is becoming more technologically dependent with advancements such as computers in offices, improved telecommunication, and more complex machinery in industry[10]. This can make it difficult for digital immigrants to keep pace, which has the potential to create conflict between older supervisors and managers and an increasingly younger workforce.[[10] Similarly, parents of digital natives clash with their children at home over gaming, texting, YouTube, Facebook and other Internet technology issues. According to law professor and educator John Palfrey, there may be substantial differences between digital natives and non digital natives, in terms of how people see relationships and institutions and how they access information.

Implication of Technological and Media Landscapes

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Digital Natives vary in demographic based on their region's technological and media landscapes. Not everyone agrees with the language and underlying connotations of the digital native. The term, by definition, makes the assumption that all digital natives has the same familiarity with technology. Similarly, the term digital immigrants implies that this entire age group struggles with technological advancements. For instance, those on the disadvantaged side of the digital divide lack access to technology. In its application, the concept of the digital native preferences those who grow up with technology as having a special status, ignoring the significant difference between familiarity and creative application.[[8]

The classification of people into digital natives and digital immigrants is controversial. Some digital immigrants surpass digital natives in tech savvy, but there is a belief that early exposure to technology fundamentally changes the way people learn[8]. The term "digital immigrant" overlooks the fact that many people born before the digital age were the inventors, designers, developers and first users of digital technology and in this sense could be regarded as the original "natives". To consider use of digital technology by current adolescents as deep knowledge and understanding is misleading and unhelpful to the discourse. The term also discounts the broader and more holistic knowledge, experience and understandings that older generations may have about digital technologies and their potential place in society[8].

Digital Natives are determined based on their educational and cultural backgrounds as well as their access to technology[11]. As the adoption of digital technology hasn't been a unified phenomenon worldwide, digital natives are not all in the same age group. Self-perception also plays a role: individuals who do not feel confident in their use of technology will not be considered a native regardless of the formally mentioned factors[11].

The terminologies that can refer to certain generations like "Digital Natives" are made because these groups can create their own culture and characteristics. Here are some of the culture and characteristics of "Digital Natives":

  1. They feel familiar with digital devices. 54% of them have a smartphone as a first personal mobile phone. These devices are used for entertainment and as a requirement in educational endeavors.[12]
  2. They tend to be individualistic.
  3. They are able to multitask or focus on a single medium when needed. [12]
  4. They are realistic. They are usually raised in an affluent environment, but due to the prolonged economic recession and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, they think their future is not clear. This kind of thinking makes them focus more on their reality.

References

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  1. ^ a b Prensky, Marc (September 2001). "Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants Part 1". On the Horizon. 9 (5): 1–6. doi:10.1108/10748120110424816. ISSN 1074-8121.
  2. ^ a b Thomas, Michael (19 April 2011). Deconstructing Digital Natives: Young People, Technology, and the New Literacies. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1-136-73900-2.
  3. ^ a b Takahashi, Toshie T. "Japanese Youth and Mobile Media". Rikkyo University. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
  4. ^ "Generation Z characteristics and its implications for companies | McKinsey". www.mckinsey.com. Retrieved 2021-05-13.
  5. ^ "Gen Z and Gen Alpha Infographic Update". McCrindle. 2015-02-02. Retrieved 2021-05-13.
  6. ^ Zaphiris, Panayiotis; Ioannou, Andri (2018). Learning and Collaboration Technologies. Learning and Teaching: 5th International Conference, LCT 2018, Held as Part of HCI International 2018, Las Vegas, NV, USA, July 15-20, 2018, Proceedings. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. p. 100. ISBN 9783319911519.
  7. ^ Margaryan, Anoush (2011). "Are digital natives a myth or reality? University students' use of digital technologies". Computers & Education. Volume 56. {{cite journal}}: |volume= has extra text (help)
  8. ^ a b c d Bennett, Sue (2008). "The 'digital natives' debate: A critical review of the evidence". British Journal of Educational Technology.
  9. ^ a b Wang, Qian; Myers, Michael D.; Sundaram, David (2013-12). "Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants: Towards a Model of Digital Fluency". Business & Information Systems Engineering. 5 (6): 409–419. doi:10.1007/s12599-013-0296-y. ISSN 1867-0202. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. ^ a b Brody, Charles J.; Rubin, Beth A. (2011-02-07). "GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES IN THE EFFECTS OF INSECURITY, RESTRUCTURED WORKPLACE TEMPORALITIES, AND TECHNOLOGY ON ORGANIZATIONAL LOYALTY". Sociological Spectrum. 31 (2): 163–192. doi:10.1080/02732173.2011.541341. ISSN 0273-2173.
  11. ^ a b Akçayır, Murat; Dündar, Hakan; Akçayır, Gökçe (2016-07-01). "What makes you a digital native? Is it enough to be born after 1980?". Computers in Human Behavior. 60: 435–440. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2016.02.089. ISSN 0747-5632.
  12. ^ a b Thompson, Penny (2015-09-01). "How digital native learners describe themselves". Education and Information Technologies. 20 (3): 467–484. doi:10.1007/s10639-013-9295-3. ISSN 1573-7608.