The Digital World

Wesley Fryer (one of those folks whose Moving at the Speed of Creativity blog should be securely fastened into everyone’s RSS Aggregator) just posted a great article that builds upon the concept of digital natives/digital immigrants (as put forth by Marc Prensky).

His idea is that there are more than two layers of people and their comfort level with technology. Fryer suggests that the world might be split into Natives (young people fully immersed from birth into tech); Immigrants (those who are finding their way into tech possibilities); Refugees (those who see tech and don’t want to touch the start button); Bridges (the sort-of undecided about whether tech is good or bad, but keep a toe in the door); and the Undecided (really perplexed about tech).
Here is his concept map to help explain these ideas in a very cute way:

Our Digital Landscape

(from http://www.infinitethinking.org/2006/10/digital-refugees-and-bridges.html)

Peace,
Kevin

2 Comments
  1. I found this post really interesting because I have really been struggling with technology lately. I gues I am sort of an Immigrant on the Bridge who’s Undecided about what to do with it all. In my little pond, I am someone others look to for tech answers/ideas, but as I swim amongst the people who are really innovators, like the TL’s of the NWP, I realize how little I really know and do. I just can’t figure out how all of you do what you do – how you have the time. I’ve got two young children and am a business partner in my husband’s company along with being a teacher who gets up at 4 AM to get to the gym and crashes by 8:30 PM, but we’re all busy, I know. So how do you do all of this wonderful work? I am awestruck and perplexed.

  2. hi Diane
    I don’t know how we do it, either 🙂
    I have three little ones of my own and I guess it is my interest and imagination and wonder about the world of tech that keeps me going on some of these projects. And … how it can help my young writers become more fluent with language and stories.
    Thanks for your comment!

    Kevin

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