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Definition
The term “digital native” refers to the generations of individuals born after the widespread use of digital technologies, with access to and experience with digital technologies from a young age, theoretically resulting in a unique set of skills, interests, and cognitions.
Description
Digital native, a term popularized by Prensky in 2001, refers to a subset of the population born after 1984 (or 1980) who had access to digital technologies from a young age. Growing up surrounded by computers, televisions, and video games, these individuals learned to become what Prensky called “native speakers” in a digital language. In contrast, the term digital immigrant refers to individuals who were born before the 1980s and introduced to digital technology later in their lives. Unlike digital natives, digital immigrants were required to adapt to digital technologies in a manner analogous to learning a second language (Prensky 2001a, b).
Some theorists have argued...
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References and Further Reading
Akçayır, G., Akçayır, M., & Dündar, H. (2016). What makes you a digital native? Is it enough to be born after 1980? Computers in Human Behavior, 60, 435–440. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.02.089.
Bennett, S., Maton, K., & Kervin, L. (2008). The digital natives debate: A critical review of the evidence. British Journal of Educational Technology, 39, 775–786. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8535.2007.00793.x.
Kirschner, P. A., & De Bruyckere, P. (2017). The myths of the digital native and the multitasker. Teaching and Teacher Education, 67, 135–142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2017.06.001.
Prensky, M. (2001a). Digital natives, digital immigrants part 1. On the Horizon, 9, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1108/10748120110424816.
Prensky, M. (2001b). Digital natives, digital immigrants part 2: Do they really think differently? On the Horizon, 9, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1108/10748120110424843.
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Mirabelli, K.M., Schultz, B.K. (2020). Digital Native. In: Gellman, M.D. (eds) Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-39903-0_101949
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-39903-0_101949
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