My group examined the differences between digital natives and digital immigrants. My role in the group presentation was to look at digital immigrants. Specifically, I examined how digital immigrants have had to make the transition to modern technology.
To start off, a digital immigrant is defined as anyone born before the year 1985. This year is significant because it is a clear marker between my generation and my parents’ generation. I was born into the era of modern technology, while they were forced to adjust from the older methods of communication to the ones used now in all first word nations. I researched the lack of personal isolation, the ways that members of society used to communicate with one each other, along with examining the …show more content…
He believes that the world is currently in a very significant time because “we have a very rare opportunity” to “still notice the difference between Before and After”. Harris believes the biggest change that can be observed between the generations “is the end of absence”. He argues that “the daydreaming silences in our lives are filled [and] the burning solitudes are extinguished.” The rapid development technology, such as the many forms of social media available, makes it extremely difficult for people to spend time by themselves. People these days are constantly spending time on their mobile devices, making it nearly impossible for anyone to totally disconnect from everyone surrounding them. This has been a major difference between these two generations, possibly the greatest of all the differences. Children born after 1985 have grown up with the Internet and many forms of social media around them, so it feels very natural. The digital immigrant; however, grew up without all of the technology modern kids are exposed to, meaning they had to make the …show more content…
The digital immigrants used to primarily receive their news through traditional print newspapers, television news broadcasts, and radio stations. Although these sources of information are rapidly declining in popularity in their traditional format, they are still existent today, just with different formats. First off, print media has changed through the years, as many of the newspapers all around the country have decided to move to an online style. There are still newsstands on street corners; however, the vast majority of news articles read now can be found online. In order to keep up with their competitors, newspapers must move online to please the younger customers. Even my local newspaper, The Town Topics, has a website that contains all of its stories. The switch to more digital formats can be seen when looking at the advertisement revenue generated in print media vs. online. Although print still holds more revenue, the gap is quickly closing, and it is simply a matter of time before online advertisements generate more revenue for businesses. The new digital articles are one adjustment that digital immigrants had to make. Although they can still read the physical print newspapers, it is sometimes cheaper and often much more convenient to go to the