Marc Prensky coined the term "digital native" in 2001 to describe youth who have grown up surrounded by technology. Much of his research and arguments are based on the idea that students’ brains are being rewired due to constant digital exposure. He believes this generation is naturally more tech-savvy and has a stronger understanding of the general design and architecture of technology and digital media. Prensky even suggests that digital natives can multitask more proficiently than those who did not grow up with technology.
On the other hand, Jennifer Spiegel believes this is outdated thinking. She argues that tech skills aren’t based on age, but rather on how someone actually uses technology. Early in her article, Spiegel points out that assuming students are tech experts just because of their generation can be problematic. As she writes, “The term ‘digital native’ implies that the native is both comfortable with and adept at using multiple forms of technology. This has been proven by multiple scholars to be untrue and in some cases counterproductive to the learning process” (Helsper & Eynon, 2010; Wong, 2015).
Now, focusing specifically on how both of them talk about youth, it’s very interesting to see how they each believe young people’s brains are wired. Prensky, as I mentioned previously, truly believes that students are naturally more tech-savvy and that they’ve been shaped this way simply by growing up in a world full of digital media. He firmly argues that this generation is fundamentally different from older ones. Spiegel, on the other hand, takes a different approach. She doesn’t assume that youth are automatically skilled just because they were raised around technology. Instead, she focuses on the variety of abilities students may have, using terms like “digital creator” to describe those who might be more technically advanced and who actively use technology to its fullest potential.
I’m definitely on Team Spiegel. Personally, I’m someone who doesn’t really remember life before technology. I was born in 1998. I grew up with tools like the LeapFrog learning pad, had a Facebook account before I turned 11, and got my first smartphone at 13. I’ve always had access to the world at my fingertips. But even with that background, I wouldn’t consider myself a tech expert. For example, I still don’t fully understand how to use all the functions in Excel, and I didn’t feel confident in PowerPoint until much later in my career. There are still a lot of basic tech skills I’ve had to learn as an adult. On a more personal note, I’m awful at typing, I cannot type fast to save my life. However, I rely on voice-to-text for many of my assignments and projects because my typing speed can’t always keep up with how fast my brain moves. Spiegel’s point really resonates with me: just because someone grew up with technology doesn’t mean they’ve mastered it.
