I was in a meeting where everyone but me had their phone out and was actively texting,etc. I had forgotten mine at home and a couple of people were horrified at the idea! They would have gone back home after it. That reminded of the research John Coyle (?) did at U.S. Cellular about how people use their phones and what they want in a mobile carrier. I am so not their target audience. Anyway, here are the categories I came up with and their definitions, with credit due to Anders Gronstedt from Second Life for the term "Digital Native" and "Digital Immigrant". He used those phrases when I went to one of his sessions at an ASTD conference; he was the first one that I heard use them so I give him the credit.
- Adigital Native- A Gen Y person or later who grew up with remotes, computers, cell phones and total digital connectivity. Though this person doesn't know life without digital connectivity, they choose to live without it. They don't carry a cell phone, don't have a laptop and possibly not even a desktop PC thought not having a remote for their flat screen TV with a satellite antenna would be an unknown concept to them. They know how it all works but choose to remove themselves from the digital life as much as they are aware of being affected by the digital life in their generations.
- Digitally autonomous native - Gen Y person or later who grew up with remotes, computers, cell phones and total digital connectivity. This person doesn't know life without digital connectivity either, but they choose to use digital connections selectively. They may carry a cell phone but it may not have internet access or they may not have a laptop but have a desktop PC. They know the options and choose which to integrate into their life. They realize what digital connectivity means and admit that they are connected by things like satellite TV, cell phones, internet connectivity on PCs or cellphones if they so choose. They are focused on controlling the power of the social media and digital connectivity in their world.
- Digitally dependent native. Gen Y person or later who grew up with remotes, computers, cell phones and total digital connectivity. This person cannot imagine a day without a cell phone that has FB, internet browsers, downloaded apps, a laptop at the ready and apps for every contingency. Their cell phone is connected to their FB contacts and their Google email, calendar and every digital convenience that they find useful. They would return home for the cell phone if they forgot it one morning, which would probably never happen. Digital connectity is as much a neccesity as air conditioning.
- Adigital immigrant. A Gen X'er or earlier generation that remembers life before remotes, computers, cell phones and total digital connectivity. Though this person may be knowledge about digital connectivity, they choose to live without it. They don't carry a cell phone, don't have a laptop and possibly not even a desktop PC though not having a remote for TV is a hard concept now even though they remember getting and going to the TV to change the channel. They even remember programming their old VCRs manually to receive channels. They may know how it all works but choose to remove themselves from the digital life as much as they are aware of being affected by the digital life in their generations. Generations prior to Gen X may not have much knowledge about digital connectivity at all and may live without digital connectivity to a large degree b/c of lack of knowledge, without missing it.
- Digitally autonomous immigrant. A Gen X'er or earlier generation that remembers life before remotes, computers, cell phones and total digital connectivity. but they choose to use digital connections selectively. They may carry a cell phone but it may not have internet access or they may not have a laptop but have a desktop PC. They know the options and choose which to integrate into their life. They realize what digital connectivity means and admit that they are connected by things like satellite TV, cell phones, internet connectivity on PCs or cellphones if they so choose. They are focused on controlling the power of the social media and digital connectivity in their world. They may feel a sense of separation and superiority that they know how things really work and don't need the 'doggone' digital world, that people need to really truly physically be together to connect. They don't get the 'virtual' connection that happens in the digital world that is taking the place slowly of physical connections in many good and bad ways.
- Digitally dependent immigrant. This person cannot imagine a day without a cell phone that has FB, internet browsers, downloaded apps, a laptop at the ready and apps for every contingency. Their cell phone is connected to their FB contacts and their Google email, calendar and every digital convenience that they find useful. They would return home for the cell phone if they forgot it one morning, which would probably never happen. Digital connectity is as much a neccesity as air conditioning. They are not that different from the Digitally dependent native.
No comments:
Post a Comment