Our introduction to the Living and Working on the Web module was the task of explaining the concept of Prensky’s ‘digital residents’ and ‘digital visitors’, by which those born in the digital age are more digitally fluent than those who have had to adopt it, and whether or not these terms are pertinent. Researching and commenting on something which, on reflection, is an integral part of my own existence was a refreshing undertaking. It forced me to consider my digital experiences through a different lens, and made me think more deeply about other people’s views and opinions on the effects of the digital space on society. Not only this, but the medium of blogging allowed for a stimulating alternative to the usual ‘essay style’ of many university assignments.
My immediate discovery was that I did not agree with any permutation of the theory, which somewhat changed the nature of the post. Rather than simply explaining the concept, I chose to include my own interpretation of the digital landscape, which had the potential to lead me slightly awry of the set question.
However, many of the other posts took different approaches, such as Davina’s, which considered purpose as the most important factor in digital identity, and Joe’s, which used examples of figures such as Casey Neistat to illustrate the influence of so-called ‘visitors’ in the digital world. Having read these and offered my opinion, I’ve been inclined to consider the fact that the explanation behind what makes some people more digitally native than others may not be a simple one.
In terms of the blogging experience, this first topic has allowed me to read and evaluate styles of writing other than my own, which I intend to learn from and use to improve my structure and themes. The use of graphics is something in particular that I will try harder to incorporate, as I struggled to find suitable examples for this topic.
Click here to find my comments on Joe and Davina‘s posts.
What would Will do? 