Something new…

Following my earlier post on the characteristics of digital residents vs. digital visitors, I’ve received some interesting views from my peers. Also, I’ve read several other blog posts regarding the same topic and here’s what I learned:

Learn ALL the things!

Uhhhh, I wish.

 

  • Reliance on The Internet and technology

From the comments I’ve received, it is apparent that this is one of the main concerns. People are afraid that the reliance on technology and Internet would hinder their learning process, or that it would make them lazy and reluctant to work.

My take: People should never forget the basics of how things should be done without the involvement of technology, which is also the way we are taught in school now. For example, we’re taught the full equation for our Statistics module from scratch, only then, are we introduced to functions in the calculator which requires less than 5 seconds to get the answer. I also feel that the world is never going to stop ‘digitizing‘, so the only way is to accept change. Lastly, I strongly believe that with the right attitude and mindset, we’ll be able to work and learn as per usual, and not be affected negatively.

  • Visitor- Resident Mapping

This is Khai’s personal VR map. It caught my attention as it was something I did not look into while doing my research. He mentioned, “… there is a fine line drawn between personal and institutional/work life.” and a debate, “Would you add your boss on Facebook?“, explaining why the bottom right quadrant will always be empty for some people.

I immediately validated his statement and asked myself the same question, which made me realize that I’ll probably have a similar map if I were to construct one.

1417194459_question-balloon_stickerWhat about you? What would your map look like?

Digital “visitors” and “residents” – Which are you?

Dad: Jeanne, What’s Instagram? Is it an app? How do I set it up?

Seriously?

Seriously?

An example of what I face whenever I talk to my parents about digital-related topics.
Multiple questions asked, and many of which I go, “What? How can you not know that?” in my mind. Of course, I understand why…

Being a 20 year-old student living in a fairly developed country, I consider myself as a digital native. I was exposed to the digital world and technology since young and grew up with it, I am able to pick up and learn new things about the online world (i.e. new social media platforms) quickly whenever needed to. In contrast, my parents are not familiar with much of the social media platforms, etc. as it is still something relatively new to them. 

So back to the topic, who are the digital “visitors” and “residents“? My parents? Me? Does age play a role?

Firstly, no, age does not play a role. This is a common misconception. No doubt there seems to be a trend of youths being “residents” and adults being “visitors”, I have met many (age: 30-50+ years old) during my internship who are passionate about the growing trend of digital and online marketing. In fact, they are more active than I am on social media!

Digital “visitors” are people who see the world-wide-web as a tool and use it only when they need to, they are skeptical about how they work and constantly worried about privacy issues. These people are users, not members of the web.

They set aside time and must have a purpose to use the online services and social media platforms. For example, my mom uses Skype to communicate with my grandma (in Hong Kong) to avoid paying overseas charges.

Digital “residents” on the other hand, treat the web and online world as part of their life. They build relationships and have an identity online, they would think of using online services instead of physical services whenever they can (i.e. Google vs. Information Counter). These people are members of the web.

The “residents” view the web as a source of ideas, inspiration and avenue to express themselves. They don’t need a purpose to go online, they don’t set a specific time frame to use online services.

In actual fact, these “residents” (which I am part of) are probably always online, constantly checking on updates and news, because it has already been incorporated into part of their lifestyle.

Having read the characteristics of both, which do you belong to? Feel free to share your thoughts! 🙂

References:

White, David, 2008. TALL blog » Blog Archive » Not “Natives” & “Immigrants” but “Visitors” & “Residents.” Available at: http://tallblog.conted.ox.ac.uk/index.php/2008/07/23/not-natives-immigrants-but-visitors-residents/ [Accessed November 27, 2014].

Anon, 2013. Working with Young People, SAGE Publications. Available at: http://books.google.com/books?id=quSBAgAAQBAJ&pgis=1 [Accessed November 27, 2014].

White, D.S. & Cornu, A. Le, 2011. Visitors and Residents: A new typology for online engagement. First Monday, 16(9). Available at: http://journals.uic.edu/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/3171/3049 [Accessed November 27, 2014].