Social media and rapidly developing technology do not appear to surprise anyone nowadays. Not updating an Instagram page is considered strange, and not having a PC is hardly imaginable. However, the world was completely different just 50 years ago when computers first appeared. The tremendous change with the appearance of progressive technology is believed to give birth to inherently new technological and cognitive skills in people born in the era of technology. Nevertheless, the absence of empirical data finding an entirely different nature of how “natives” acquire the technological skills and many contextual factors affecting cognition prove that “digital natives” may, after all, be only a myth.
The digital natives are determined as the generation born after 1980 with the appearance and popularization of computer technology (Margaryan et al., 2011). This generation, known as millennials, was subject to an increasingly technologized era, making them inherently savvy in it. The prominent features of natives are often believed to go beyond sophisticated digital skills to radically different cognitive abilities and learning skills (Margaryan et al., 2011). The immigrants, on the other hand, did not get the technological background from birth. They had to learn their ways around the computerized world, and not many immigrants adapted to the change well.
However, such claims do not appear to have a clear empirical basis. The generation born in the era after the appearance of computers is believed to be technologically savvy (Margaryan et al., 2011). The use of various technological tools may be more comfortable for the so-called “digital natives,” but the newly evolved critical cognitive skills remain questionable. Generation Z’s are more likely to use computers better and be more accustomed to them, but not possess radically different learning styles. Since the first introduction of the personal computer (PC) in 1975, the world has indeed radically changed at a fast pace, but not everyone was accustomed to the new technology. Even the fact the PC’s broad distribution in different areas of the world happened much later, the division between different generations is necessary. People born in 2000 and 2010 would have a much deeper computer usage gap, even with the difference in 10 years (Margaryan et al., 2011). Nowadays, children are brought up with almost limitless access to computers and are surrounded by technology from the day they are born, which contributes to the belief that they are more technologically intelligent.
Even in the era after the appearance of computers, the overall users utilize social media on a standard level. The amount of time spent online does not define the savviness in technology as well as different critical skills. The majors in technical disciplines appear to be more technologically intelligent, but that proves the necessity of more intensive and extensive use of technology apart from basic understanding to be a “digital native.” The typical internet users may use virtual worlds and spend hours chatting online but not understanding its founding principles. The nature of technology usage should be entirely different from being considered technologically native. Moreover, many other factors, such as socio-economic background, geographical location, and personal peculiarities, come in place and affect the person’s ability to be technologically savvy much more than the generation they were born in (Margaryan et al., 2011).
One day, humankind would reach the point to rely on technology entirely, but people are still on the way towards it. The new technological breakthroughs and the all-pervasive internet create a new environment for the population, but it does not change the cognitive skills of people who are more accustomed to it. The system slowly starts to transform but still heavily relies on physical presence with its traditional learning and even technological practices. Being a digital native may present a utopian belief about the technologically advanced species, but it has not come to life yet.
Reference
Margaryan, A., Littlejohn, A., & Vojt, G. (2011). Are digital natives a myth or reality? University students’ use of digital technologies. Computers & Education, 56(2), 429-440. Web.