Are You a Digital Immigrant or Digital Native?

**forHISglory** · 05-14-2009, 09:47 AM

I went to an interesting seminar about advances in technology. The speaker said that we fall into two camps: digital immigrants or digital natives.

It's much like our forefathers coming to a new land. My great grandfather had to learn a new language, how to get around in a new country, new traditions, etc. He was an immigrant. His children, however, had no problems with any of this, but they did have to contend with and help parents who continued to struggle with the transition. The grandchildren were totally assimilated, with no trace of the old country. The children and the grandchildren were natives.

Digital immigrants are those of us who at one time did not use computers or cell phones or fax machines, etc, but now do. I am a digital immigrant. Computers weren't around for a good deal of my lifetime. I had to learn how to use them, the protocol, the customs and traditions. I had to learn the language of texting. Knowing which keys to punch is not native with me. Probably, like my great grandfather, I will always be a bit behind.

My children and grandchildren are the natives. A computer and cell phone are as common to them as a book was to me. They are completely comfortable and knowledgeable about the technology. They don't have to think twice about the use.

How about you? Are you a digital immigrant or native? Do you pick up technology changes effortlessly or do you have to work at it? What parts of technology drive you crazy? With what parts are you comfortable?

**Debbie-cat** · 05-14-2009, 09:53 AM

I am a digital immigrant. I have gotten quite good with computers but other things like iTouch, Blackberries and what ever else is out there, I have no clue. I just get my son to take care of that stuff.

**forHISglory** · 05-14-2009, 09:56 AM

Debbie-cat, I get my son to help me put numbers into my cell phone! LOL! He gently laughs at me for not knowing how to do this.

**monkeywrangler71** · 05-14-2009, 10:33 AM

That's a really interesting way of looking at it. I am GenX, and always felt like I was kind of caught between two worlds. I grew up up in the old world, then when I was a young adult everything changed really really fast. I think a lot of people in my generation were driving the change, so they would have been comfortable, others were slower but still able to keep up, lots of people I know just got totally left behind.

I like technology and I'm comfortable with it, but it wasn't until I went back to school with kids 10 years younger than me that I realized I was not a 'native' user. My husband works in IT, and he has noticed the same thing. Anyone more than 5 years younger than us, they just seem to just automatically understand everything.

I spent two years at the Institute of Technology studying computers, and my 4 year old is now showing me how to do things. He gets on the computer and just goes. You don't have to teach him anything, it's like he instinctively understands. All the interest and education in the world will never get me to that point where it's as natural to me as it is to my preschoolers.

**Michelle68** · 05-14-2009, 10:58 PM

I'm with Monkeywrangler---kind of caught between being an immigrant and a native. I remember first working on a computer in middle school. They had those old MS-DOS programs. My kids, OTOH, are whizzes at most things electronic. When I tell them about the computers we learned on, they can't believe computers were so "primitive" back then.

**forHISglory** · 05-14-2009, 11:02 PM

I know what you mean about "primitive". The first computers I ever touched had those green screens, and fun meant playing pac-man. I remember when getting onto the internet meant typing in a huge line of numbers, hopefully correctly, and then waiting while made all these grinding noises. It's easier now, but I'm still an immigrant.

**fixer** · 05-14-2009, 11:03 PM

I first used a computer in college. It was a mainframe that took up most of a building and we had to punch cards to run our programs.

**Thevail** · 05-15-2009, 02:40 AM

Digital native. I had older friends that, even when I was in middle school and we had tape drives, were very into computers. And I was on the internet back when it was composed of nothing but bulletin boards, M.U.S. H. s, alt.newsgroups, and college boards.

I had a freak box that you set your old phone reciever into to dial out.. LOL! It took about an hour to have a conversation shorter than this post.

**nancycg56** · 05-15-2009, 08:03 AM

Immigrant here ~ I remember using the punch cards, too, LOL!

I love technology, though

**lmbaker520** · 05-15-2009, 08:16 AM

I consider myself a native. I was in middle school when the technology and internet boom hit. I enjoy technology and embrace it as much as possible. It comes very naturally.

To say this though, I have found myself enjoying some of the more simpler things recently. For example, I would much rather make and send someone a card on their birthday or just to say I am thinking about them. Email has gotten to where it seems so out of touch to me sometimes.

There are some parts of technology that I am still having trouble embracing. I know that one of the big in things now is the Kindle that Amazon sells where you can load books on it to read instead of carrying a book. I am sure that I will eventually come around, but I just can't get into the thought of not having the actual physical book with me.

**mommy4ever** · 05-15-2009, 12:53 PM

I'm not quite young enough to be native, but not quite old enough to be immigrant. I guess I'd qualify as pioneer? ROFL.

My brother bought a computer when I was little, Grade 4? It was the TSR80 from radio shack. Then my other brother bought a different one, but it was color! My cousin had a different computer, monochrome but had lots of games..lol

I took computer classes starting in grade 6. I didn't get internet access until I was 23. It was very very new in our area that year. It took a bit to get used to, but I took to it easy enough. Had we been smart, we'd have sent me back to school during that time to become a computer tech or programmer, but hindsight is 20/20..lol

**Luckybustert** · 05-15-2009, 01:04 PM

I suppose I'm technically an immigrant, but I feel like a native. I've worked with a lot of people in my age group who seem to be afraid of technology (more or less afraid of making a mistake and not being able to recover from it, it seems) but I've always taken to it like a duck to water.

**MisaLady** · 05-15-2009, 08:36 PM

Native. My dad had tape drives and "freak boxes" when I was little little little and taught me how to use them. I've been "online" since it was just B.B.s and the like. I learned how to program when I was... five? I made my own games and the like. Definitely native.

**frugalfranny** · 05-16-2009, 12:20 AM

Digital immigrant......I guess. Can you be a digital dinosaur?

Computers weren't around when I was younger BUT I learned to use the old card punch machines and WIRE BOARDS in school. Sort of gives a new meaning to 'old school' doesn't it???

**frugalwarrior** · 05-16-2009, 01:13 AM

Definate immigrant. My kids grew up with it and teach me new things constantly. My son was loading software for the teacher in first grade. If there was a problem everyone would freeze and ask my DS.