Are You A Digital Native or A Digital Immigrant?

           We all know that we are living in an increasingly
      technologically driven world. Living here in the heart
      of Silicon Valley I certainly feel it every day. In fact, I
      don’t think I know a single couple in my neighborhood,
5    other than my wife and I, who don’t work in the
      technology field in some capacity. Our local companies
      are Facebook, Apple, Google, Yahoo, and so many
      venture capital firms that I can’t keep them straight.
       But you don’t have to live in Silicon Valley to feel
10   that the world is getting more and more technology
      centered, focused, and driven. We can debate the
      pros and cons of this reality but we can’t deny that
      the world has changed very quickly in head spinning
      ways. Two recent comments led me to finally enter
15   the 21st century by getting a smart phone this week,
      kicking and screaming.
           First, I mentioned to one of my undergraduate
      classes at Santa Clara University that I didn’t have
      a smart phone, but rather I had a dumb phone. My
20   phone can make and receive phone calls and that’s
      about it. No email, internet, and so forth. So one of my
      students looked at me in an odd and curious way, like
      she was talking to someone from another planet, and
      stated in a matter of fact manner, “Professor Plante,
25   even 2^nd graders have smart phones.” Ouch!
           Second, I was talking with a producer at the
      PBS NewsHour who wanted me to do a live interview
      within a few hours of his call regarding some late
      breaking news about clergy sexual abuse, which is
30   my specialty. I was out of the office and driving my
      car when he called and in a matter of fact manner
      he said that he wanted to send me some important
      information to my smart phone to best prepare me for
      the upcoming interview. When I told him that I couldn’t
35   receive anything since I had a dumb phone and not a
      smart phone, there was a long silence. He then said
      he’d have to just read it to me over the phone as a
      Plan B. He wasn’t happy ... neither was I.
            In case you haven’t noticed, the 21st century is
40   really upon us and to live in it one really does need
      to be connected in my view. Although I often consider
      myself a 19th or 20th century guy trapped in the 21st
      century we really do need to adapt. For most of us
      we are just living in a new world that really demands
45   comfort with and access to technology.
           This notion of digital native vs. digital immigrant
      makes a great deal of sense to me. Young people
      in our society are digital natives. They seem to be
      very comfortable with everything from iPhones to TV
50   remotes. Digital immigrants, like me, just never feel
      that comfortable with these technologies. Sure we
      may learn to adapt by using email, mobile phones,
      smart ones or dumb ones, Facebook, and so forth but
      it just doesn’t and perhaps will never be very natural
55   for us. It is like learning a second language ... you can
      communicate but with some struggle.
           This has perhaps always been true. I remember
      when I was in graduate school in the 1980s trying to
      convince my grandparents that buying a telephone
60   answering machine as well as a clothes dryer would
      be a good idea. They looked at me like I was talking
      in another language or that I was from another planet.
           Perhaps we have a critical period in our lives for
      technology just like we do for language. When we are
65   young we soak up language so quickly but find it so
      much harder to learn a new language when we are
      older. The same seems to be true for technology.
           So, this week I bought my first smart phone and
      am just learning to use it. When questions arise, I turn
70   to my very patient teenage son for answers. And when
      he’s not around, I just look to the youngest person
      around for help.
           So, what about you? Are you a digital native or
      a digital immigrant and how does it impact your life?
 

Adapted from “Digital Native vs Digital Immigrant? Which are you?”
Published on July 24, 2012 by Thomas G. Plante, Ph.D., ABPP in
Do the Right Thing
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/do-the-right-thing/201207/
digital-native-vs-digital-immigrant-which-are-you
retrieved on July 28, 2012

The author uses the expression “a matter of fact manner” (l. 24 and l. 31) twice in the text.
Inferring from the context in which it is used, “a matter of fact manner” is