LAUREN Croning

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Do digital natives exist? Is there a difference between the 2001 digital native and the 2017 digital native?

A digital native is a person who is “innately” familiar with technology, especially computers and the internet, due to being born and exposed to technology during a particular digital age (Bennett. S, 2008). Similarly, a digital immigrant is someone who has to acquire a familiarization with technology at an older age due to not being exposed to technology at and earlier age (Prensky. M, 2001).

Technically I am considered a digital native and I can relate to it. I can also see a distinctive difference between how my parents have adapted and acquired their technological skills, deeming them a digital immigrant. Therefore, from a personal perspective I do believe that digital natives exist, however this does not sufficiently validate my argument.

When doing further research into this discussion I came across, Marc Prensky a scholar who popularized the terms “digital native” and “digital immigrant” in his 2001 article discussing the need to reform the education system, to accommodate students of the modern world. In his article he discusses how technology has changed the way people receive, process and interpret information.

Neurobiology proves that the stimulation of particular areas of the brain changes its structure and intellectual thoughts, which is constantly being altered (Prensky. M, 2001). Social psychology research indicates that social experiences and environment contributes to individuals thought processes (Prensky. M, 2001).

If we go back in time and compare the different ages of technology it becomes more obvious how technology has changed society. For example, the renascence (1400’s to late 1600’s) displayed a shift in art and literature, improving culture and society  (Bennett. S, 2008).  

We are currently in the age known as the information age, where the internet and technology has allowed us to easily share and access information, which has become a necessary part of daily life (Palfrey, J. , 2011). Rapid advancements in technology means that society is required to changing along with it.  This has formed sub ages in the information age.  New media tends to appeal to younger generations leading to youth following new trends. Therefore, the supporting evidence does indicate a difference difference between 2001 and 2017 digital ages.  

APA referencing and link:

Bennett, S., Maton, K., & Kervin, L. (2008). The ‘digital natives’ debate: A critical review of the evidence. Source:http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-8535.2007.00793.x/full

Palfrey, J. G., & Gasser, U. (2011). Born digital: Understanding the first generation of digital natives. Source: https://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=wWTI-DbeA7gC&oi=fnd&pg=PR2&ots=wHiB5Os-Vx&sig=pG1fVvy3bKPY6jTTkyyEEPyUny0#v=onepage&q&f=false

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants part 1&2. Source:http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1108/10748120110424816

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Truong-Xinh Nguyen’s writing on ‘Do digital natives exist?’ was an informative and interesting piece which focused on the studies of Marc Prensky.  Truong-Xinh’s blog provided good evidence but was often confusing as it was not clearly linked back to the topic.  Although the information provided within the post was engaging and had an abundance of interesting ideas, it was not clear whether these were Truong-Xinh’s personal opinions, as it was not written in the first person as most reflective blogs usually are.  To create a more coherent piece, rewording and re-reading are recommended. Overall, Truong-Xinh argument was an enjoyable read.

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An Understanding of How Changes In Technology Impact On The Way Humans Communicate, And The Ethical Issues That Surround These Changes

In 2017 it is common for most people to come into contact with a digital device in their everyday life. People of the 21st century now rely on devices such as laptops, mobiles, and televisions day to day and have because autonomous to it.  Always wanting the most up to date and fastest model of these devices it makes you really think of what are the ethical issues that surround these changes.

There are many concerns around these technologies whether it be social issues where people are so attached to their phones that without this device it may cause anxiety and even have sleeping issues due to being addicted to scrolling through their phone or the constant dependence on our mobile phones to solve all our problems rather than thinking for ourselves. (B.Wuensch, 2015)

Another issue surrounding the changes of technology is online bullying. People especially youths are now anonymous online and can create fake personas to torment others online. It is easier for others to bully somebody online as it is only a click of the button, there is no confrontation which makes the culprit feel like there is no wrong done. Bullying is not ethical and the victim often feels helpless and like there is no escape. With the changes in technology, it makes this faceless crime easier. (R.Vitelli, 2016)

There have been many positive impacts within technology but with the constant development, we have become so involved with the technologies that we have started to isolate ourselves, rather than living in the present moment we are sitting on our phones. These digital devices which were created to bring us together are now isolating us. (B.Wuensch, 2015)

APA referencing and link:

Wuensch, Brianna (2015) 10 ways technology has negatively affected society. Retrieved https://www.theodysseyonline.com/10-ways-technology-negatively-affected-society

Vitelli, Romeo (2015) Does technology make bullying easier? Retrieved https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/media-spotlight/201604/does-technology-make-bullying-easier

Image retrieved from http://sites.jmu.edu/gumniorfall131/how-much-technology-is-too-much/

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Brianna Cust’s blog post on the impact of changes in technology and ethical issues has evidently shown her research and personal understanding in a clear manner. Brianna was able to address the idea that change in technology has impacted human being’s ability to communicate, and gave simple examples of these, however more information could have been added to her piece to make this clearer. Brianna gave sufficient examples of ethical issues, although she could have spoken about what attempts have been made to overcome them. Revision of the argument is recommended, as minor grammar errors made certain areas less cohesive and prevented a smooth flowing writing. Overall, Brianna’s argument was an interesting and appealing piece which allowed me to understand her views on technology and ethical issues.

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Feedback given by me on Brianna Cust’s article:

Brianna Cust’s blog post on the impact of changes in technology and ethical issues has evidently shown her research and personal understanding in a clear manner. Brianna was able to address the idea that change in technology has impacted human being’s ability to communicate and gave simple examples of these, however, more information could have been added to her piece to make this clearer. Brianna gave sufficient examples of ethical issues, although she could have spoken about what attempts have been made to overcome them. Revision of the argument is recommended, as minor grammar errors made certain areas less cohesive and prevented a smooth flowing writing. Overall, Brianna’s argument was an interesting and appealing piece which allowed me to understand her views on technology and ethical issues.

Feedback given by me on Truong-Xinh Nguyen’s article:

Truong-Xinh Nguyen’s writing on ‘Do digital natives exist?’ was an informative and interesting piece which focused on the studies of Marc Prensky.  Truong-Xinh’s blog provided good evidence but was often confusing as it was not clearly linked back to the topic.  Although the information provided within the post was engaging and had an abundance of interesting ideas, it was not clear whether these were Truong-Xinh’s personal opinions, as it was not written in the first person as most reflective blogs usually are.  To create a more coherent piece, rewording and re-reading are recommended. Overall, Truong-Xinh argument was an enjoyable read.

[croninglauren-blog]

Feedback given by Brianna Cust on my previous article ‘Do digital natives exist?’

Overall the blog post written by Lauren Croning – “Do digital natives exist?” is a good read and engaging but could use some additional work. The blog post is very informative and addresses the question, although the opening paragraph has some repetition which causes a little confusion early on for the readers. Also adding some photos to the blog post to make it more eye-catching and visually pleasing to the readers. This blog post overall showed a good understanding of the questions but to further engage with your reader you could use some examples to connect your points.

Feedback given by Truong-Xinh Nguyen on my previous article ‘Do digital natives exist?’

Lauren Croning provided a cohesive informative piece within the word limit and appropriately address the topic. She was able to demonstrate extensive knowledge of the topic, through her research. She provided a satisfactory number of resources and correctly referenced. There was also some good practical example. Furthermore, her information was sufficiently supported by statistical evidence. Despite this, the post lacked the informal nature of a blog, this could have been managed through consistently writing in first person. Personal opinions make a more engaging read. The use of multimedia was also absent.

Rewrite: Do digital natives exist?

Perusing through articles written by scholars, particularly Mark Prensky, has allowed me to understand the theories behind what digital natives are and what adaptations need to be made within our society and education systems to accommodate the needs of people within this age.  Simply defined, a digital native is unfamiliar with periods of time without digital technology.  Digital media in the modern society consists broadly of computers and the Internet, which are broken down into many different subcategories such as social media and online games which has influences today’s generation.  Prensky also establishes the idea of a ‘digital immigrant’, who in contrast to digital natives have lived in a time without digital technology and have learned to adapt the change in technology later in their lives (Prensky, 2001)

Personally, I believe that the concept of ‘digital natives’ which Prensky establishes is correct and that his arguments on why there are such beings is shown through his attempt to understand the thought processes of these individuals, and how education can be adapted to suit their demands (Gu, Zhu & Guo, 2011). But what evidence exactly has persuaded me enough to encourage me to agree with these scholars?  The idea that there are individuals who find it difficult to relate and understand those who are technology savvy lead me to believe that this concept of digital natives is, in fact, true, and it can often seem as those these individuals have a different sense of communication and language to older generations.  This is evident in children of the current generation who are often more intelligible with certain kinds of digital media, such as social networking platforms like Twitter, Tumblr, and Facebook than their parents.  The way in which digital natives learn and receive information, as well as their preferences of digital media is proven different to digital immigrants (Vercic & Vercic, 2013).  However, although all digital natives are classified under the same term, those from different time periods are in fact quite different to each other.  For instance, a digital native from 2001, when compared to a 2016 digital native, have both had different experiences with digital technology and therefore are more adapted to the form of media which is prevalent for their own age.  Finally, modifications made in schools, such as the introduction of tablets in learning, demonstrates the differences in development between different digital natives, in which individuals have been allowed to flourish in a more modern sense.

Reference list:

Prenksy, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. Retrieved from http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf

Pinterest (2017). Digital Natives.  Retrieved from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/338262621988856382/

Vercic, A T., & Vercic D. (2013). Digital natives and social media. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0363811113001215?via%3Dihub

Gu, X., Zhu, Y., & Guo, X. (2013). Meeting the “Digital Natives”: Understanding the Accepting of Technology in Classrooms. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0363811113001215?via%3Dihub

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How do changes in technology impact the way humans communicate, and what ethical issues surround these changes?

 Technology within our modern society makes up a large proportion of our daily lives, from communicating with relatives and friends to aiding our efficiency in workplaces, as it has become a vital aspect that we need to thrive.  However, technology is ever changing and constantly shifts the way human beings interact with each other.  We’ve come to an age in which we are unable to function without technology, as we have developed a dependency on it.  Technology “makes communication more dynamic but also more unpredictable” because of its habit to change so rapidly (Nejjai, 2012).  Digital technology has allowed us to advertise and present new information to people through news websites which provide us with the ability to know what’s going on around the world, and social media platforms such as Facebook, which accommodates personal communication.  From just this, we can observe technology’s impact on the way we think and act every day.

Although technology has been so beneficial to our society, there have been many ethical issues surrounding it.  Topics such as bullying, privacy and surveillance, and intellectual property rights (IPR) have caused uproars in web communities because of the ease of access provided to us through technology.  Technology gives us freedom to roam the internet, stealing ideas which further creates plagiarism issues and other cybercrime problems (Hannabus, 2008).  This instant access can often cause miscommunication on what is free to use or not, and many rules and advertisements have been put into place to prevent copyright complications (Mishra, 2015). But why are more ethical issues arising linearly with technological changes? Technology has caused people to question what should be allowed or prevented within a net community. I personally believe that introduction of stricter laws has pushed these ethical issues to the interest of the public, creating this confusion of what is and isn’t appropriate within our society.

 Reference List:

Nejjai, M. (2012). The changing face of tech in business: how it’s affecting the way we communicate & do business. Retrieved from http://www.amadeus.com/blog/06/11/the-changing-face-of-technology-in-business-how-technology-has-affected-the-way-we-communicate-and-do-business/

Hannabus, S. (2008).  Ethics and Technology: Ethical Issues in an Age of Information and Communication Technology, 2nd edition. Retrieved from http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/full/10.1108/00242530810865538

Mishra, M. (2015).  Ethical, Legal and Social aspects of Information and Communication Technology. Retrieved from https://arxiv.org/pdf/1507.08447.pdf

Villarma, C. (2013).  Human Interaction, there isn’t an app for that! Retrieved from http://tmgnorthwest.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/human-interaction-there-isnt-app-for.html

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From an external perspective, games are often visualized as an engagement between persons and digital technology which is considered as ‘fun’.  However, individuals who have been involved in online games, whether it be by playing, observing or creating, are able to experience more than just the pleasure behind this form of media.  

 Online gaming promotes creative thinking, learning, problem solving skills and encourages expressive behaviour, as it creates a platform where individuals can present their creations and capacity to similar audiences. (Bartholomew, 2017). Regarding socialization amongst gamers, through my own experience I have been able to identify the importance of community building and self-organization in online gaming. Associate lecturer Dr Colleen Stieler-Hunt has also stressed that online gaming expands skills of coordination, cooperation and sociable interaction which is not only important within a gaming environment, but also within a general social community as well.  Online games have therefore been found to increase socialization through gaming communities, which permits someone to develop skills and abilities to help them in day to day life, and is often contrary to popular belief that gaming is a pastime which is engaged in by anti-social people (Duchenaut & Moore, 2004).

 When online gaming is considered in this fashion it can be perceived as quite beneficial to an individual’s development.  There are many genres of games which are created to target specific audiences with different interests and intentions in what they want to achieve out of interacting with the game.  Encounters I’ve had with a wide variety of genres have enabled me to understand that you truly need to have an expanded knowledge to be able to understand what is required of you while playing a game, let alone when creating one. (Institute of Play, 2017).

 Reference List:

Institute of Play, (2017).  Design Pack: Games and Learning. Retrieved from https://cdn-educators.brainpop.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/IOP_QDesignPack_GamesandLearning_1.0.pdf

 Bartholomew, K. (2017). Online gaming more than ‘frivolous’ entertainment, says academic. Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-24/gaming-development-conference/8301676

 Duchenaut, N., Moore, R. (2005). More than just ‘XP’: learning social skills in massively multiplayer online games. Retrieved from http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/17415650580000035

Proud, B. (2017). His social skills have improved since he lost his job in banking. Retrieved from https://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/o/online_game.asp

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Do digital natives exist?

A digital native can be simply defined as someone who is unfamiliar with periods of time without digital technology, such as computers and the Internet.  Revision of articles written by individuals, such as American writer and public speaker, Marc Prensky, establishes this understanding of the theory of who and what digital natives are, as well as ‘digital immigrants’ who adapted the age of digital technology later in their lives (Prensky, 2001).

Whilst there are individuals who do not believe in the idea of digital natives, I personally believe that the concept of ‘digital natives’ has a lot of evidence constructed by theorists like Prensky, who attempt to understand the changes that may need to be undertaken to be able to adapt education to the needs of newer generations (Gu, Zhu & Guo, 2011).

But what evidence has persuaded me enough to encourage me to agree with these scholars?  The idea that there are individuals who find it difficult to relate and understand those who are technology savvy lead me to believe that this concept of digital natives is in fact true, and it can often seem as though these individuals have a different sense of communication and language to older generations.  The way in which digital natives learn and receive information, as well as their preferences of digital media, is proven different to digital immigrants (Vercic & Vercic, 2013).  However, although all digital natives are classified under the same term, those from different time periods are in fact quite different to each other.  For instance, a digital native from 2001, when compared to a 2016 digital native, have both had different experiences with digital technology and therefore are more adapted to the form of media more prevalent within their own age. Finally, modifications made in schools, such as introduction of tablets in learning, demonstrates the differences in development between different digital natives, in which individuals have been allowed to flourish in a more modern sense.

Reference List:

Vercic, A T., & Vercic D. (2013). Digital natives and social media. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0363811113001215?via%3Dihub

Gu, X., Zhu, Y., & Guo, X. (2013). Meeting the “Digital Natives”: Understanding the Accepting of Technology in Classrooms. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0363811113001215?via%3Dihub

Prenksy, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. Retrieved from http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf

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Do digital natives exist?

 Is there more to online games than just fun?

 How do changes in technology impact the way humans communicate, and what ethical issues surround these changes?

 The driving questions listed above focus on key ideas surrounding technology, education and communication. With a variety of sources, this blog will aim to deliver a personal understanding of these topics and what digital technology means for our current and possibility our future societies.   By actively introducing views on these concepts, this blog hopes to create further understanding for other interested individuals.

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This website will not be stolen from any source without acknowledgment. The following ACU document states that every resource is appropriately recognized as I do not want to get fined, suspended or expelled for copyright issues. Thank you for reading this strict post.

Australian Catholic University (2017).  ACU Cover sheet. Retrieved from http://handbook.acu.edu.au/handbooks/handbook_2016/faculty_of_health_sciences/approved_course_campus_offerings/postgraduate_courses?a=154914