“Digital Native” and what now?

I’ve found that in the past collecting my initial thoughts on something before diving into the reading is sometimes helpful, so here I am to give that a go… When I read the term “digital native” I get a little flustered because I think I have an idea of what it is, but I also might be way off… I would define a digital native as someone who grows up with technology. I think my parents used to consider me a digital native because I grew up using a computer so it came natural to me to navigate it, where for them it was like learning a new language. That said, I would not consider myself completely current on technology and digital resources. Heck, this will be my first forte into Twitter this week (except for the time I heard a funny nickname on Howard Stern and tried to quickly snatch the handle… I think it involved a misspelling so no luck there, but it’s probably still out there floating somewhere. Perhaps I will find it this week?).

Ok I googled it and I am not embarrassed about my answer, but a little embarrassed that I couldn’t publish this post without checking. Google Dictionary defines a digital native as, ” a person born or brought up during the age of digital technology and therefore familiar with computers and the Internet from an early age”.

As far as the term “produsage” I am not ashamed to admit I went straight to Wikipedia for that one (that’s okay for a blog, right?). Wiki defines this as, ” user-led content creation that takes place in a variety of online environments, open source software, and the blogosphere. The concept blurs the boundaries between passive consumption and active production”.

Ok, hopefully I’ve set myself up for success here and a better week than last… Until next time….