DIGITAL NATIVES vs DIGITAL IMMIGRANTS

Definition:

  Digital natives are individuals who grew up in the information age, surrounded by technology such as computers, the internet, and smartphones.

  Digital immigrants are people who grew up before the digital age, adapting to technology later in life.

Who are Digital Natives

   Digital natives are people who have grown up in the information age. Marc Prensky coined this term in 2001 to describe the generation of people who grew up in the era of information technology, including computers and the internet. Digital natives can consume digital information quickly and comfortably using various devices and platforms. In other words, they are very familiar with smartphones, tablets, and social media. For them, technology is an essential part of their lives.

Who are Digital Immigrants

     Digital immigrants are people raised before the digital age. They did not grow up in the age of computers and the internet. Therefore, they had to adapt to the new life brought in by digital technologies. It was Marc Prensky who coined the name digital immigrants in 2001. Generally, people belonging to generation X and boomers and those born prior to them are digital immigrants. If we look at a particular year, those born before 1985 are considered to be digital immigrants. Digital immigrants are the opposite of digital natives. Generally, digital immigrants are supposed to be less technically able compared to digital natives. Moreover, some argue that digital immigrants cannot develop the technical knowledge and skills as digital natives. But sometimes, digital immigrants can surpass digital natives in technological knowledge.