. Our culture loves to produce labels for everything. So it may not surprise you that there is a term for people who were born before a certain age but now live in the digital age. They are referred to as “digital immigrants”. We may know them more commonly as seniors or grandparents sometimes parents too.
The label attached to those born during or after the digital age are the digital natives. They have always lived in a world of digital technologies. We think of them as the whiz kids with programming, the ones always attached to a cellphone or other device, and the ones who are younger.
Generally, the digital immigrants are those who have slowly adapted to web surfing, emailing, texting and the instant world of social media and on demand entertainment. In the modern world, you can have a mix of immigrants and natives and it may seem that a generation gap exists. But as more and more immigrants immerse themselves in the digital world, the gap is closing, and perhaps disappearing.
Honestly, I have no idea where I belong. The simple reason being I was born in a where technology took a dramatic change. I’ve seen the evolution of technology as I grew up. What once was paper and pen is all touchscreen now. From the old Nokia phones to apple IPhones, technology reached new heights. As a kid I wasn’t that exposed to technology. Besides I was brought up in a rigid family where we didn’t sink into any trendy gadgets. I still remember playing board games and running out on the streets. So am I a “Digital Immigrant”? yes,I guess I belong under that category .
Later I was introduced to the growing technology. I took to heart to learn how to use modern gadgets. Now I am really comfortable using any form of technology. I am in sync with the madness of technology. I am a wiz kid as one might say. Does this make me a “digital Immigrant”? I do not know.
What I most certainly know is that my parents are digital immigrants. They are not exposed to technology and are comfortable living without them. Credit when its due, they how to lead life without the help of any gadget. I still remember the day we bought a new television. it was a LED screen 3D tv with features that I’d never heard before. Learning to use a television was easy for me. It was matter of hours. On the other hand my parents found it really hard. According to them, if one switches on the television the desired channel must appear. It’s hard to blame them because they are from a generation where technology wasn’t the main focus. Therefore, if they wanted a particular channel, they would call me to switch. It got really annoying one day that my dad rang me up when I was at a party. He wanted to know the number for the news channel. Enough was enough, I thought to myself.
I decided to teach them to operate the television. they were disinterested at first but they took it to themselves. Now they are able to operate the television to an extent. What’s important is to have an open mind to learn. It’s not rocket science. I’m happy I made a difference in someone’s life in terms of technology.
It comes down to creating opportunities where they learn from each other. The generations, in some ways, feed off each other. Digital immigrants invented the microchip, the Internet, the cellphone, text messaging, all decades ago. But the greatest users are the natives. Collaboration is the key. Allowing for a variety of people with a variety of abilities and experiences must be paramount.
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