— Marc Prensky, internationally acclaimed thought leader, speaker, writer, consultant, and game designer in the critical areas of education and learning, coined an interesting terminology in 2001, describing those born before 1980 as “Digital Immigrants,” and those born later as “Digital Natives.”
Prensky published his findings nearly 20 years ago, raising awareness of a pronounced contrast between how older adults who adapted to computers and other digital technology later in life and digital natives - younger individuals who never knew a world with no Internet. And since 2001 when this dichotomy was first identified the divide has changed exponentially with smartphones and social media, becoming more pronounced as GenZ comes of age.
And since this article came out, Prensky and others have fine-tuned their assessments a bit. My takeaway is this - not all digital immigrants are hopeless Luddites, and not all of the generations after 1980 live their entire lives online. There are varying degrees at which all people embrace technology in their lives.
For this Baby Boomer, I find much of the technology useful, but I’m not going to feel as if my oxygen’s been cut off when I can’t get a wifi signal or cell service.
Working at a university, I can recall not so long ago asking someone younger than me for their cellphone number. As he was getting ready to give it to me I was fumbling around for a pen and slip of paper. He responded, “just tell me your cellphone number and I’ll text my number to you. I felt like a fossil but since then have found this to be helpful when networking with others.
Let’s face it. If we’re in our 50s, 60s or older, our brains are wired differently from younger generations. We’re methodical and linear, while younger generations can be totally random and nonlinear. They live for the current moment; we draw from years of memories.
Granted, there are things I really like about having a smartphone. I might be at a meeting and there’s info printed on paper (sometimes paper’s still in use) that, instead of copying information down, I simply snap a quick photo on my phone (remember those neat little spy cameras in the movies?) and retrieve the information at my convenience or air drop it to my computer at home or work.
A student can study with the TV or music on, while his Boomer Generation college professor can’t see how that’s possible. Yet at the same time these same students experience a disconnect when someone gives a lecture. Spoken words alone aren’t stimulating enough, so they zone out and check their phones.
When working on a project with a younger colleague, I might advocate for a well-written article, when the younger colleague responds “let’s just produce a short video.”
Does it make me right and him wrong? Not really.
Immigrants to a new land must learn the language and customs of the people with whom they must communicate. That’s why the “immigrant-native” metaphor coined by Prensky makes a lot of sense, and helps us learn to relate to one another.
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