What+are+Digital+Natives?

What are Digital Natives?
The term 'digital natives' is used to describe a new generation that is markably different from the ones before it. According to Bennett, Maton and Kervin, 'digital natives' make up the generation of learners who have grown up in a world saturated with information and communication technology (ICT) where technology is "an integral part of their everyday lives" (2008, p. 775). Members of this unique 'Net generation' were born between 1980 and 1994 and may or may not remember a time when they were not surrounded by the influence of computers, video-games, cell phones, or mp3 players (Bennett et al. 2008). How exactly does this create a new generation? How does a society inextricably immersed in technology impact this 'Net generation' of students? According to Bennett et al., not only do "digital natives learn differently compared with past generations of students", but they are also more "active experiential learners, proficient in multitasking, and dependent on communications technologies for accessing information and for interacting with others" (2008, p. 776). The last point is very evident as teachers and students alike rely on the internet for quick, accessible information and many students rely on their cell phones to connect with family members and friends. Also, because digital natives live in environments severely infused with technology, research has shown that these types of stimulations change the brain and how it thinks (Prensky, 2001). If the minds of digital natives are different from the generations beforehand, teachers will need to consider these changes in order to teach effectively.



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