There are a number of myths surrounding young people’s use of technology which are largely assumed to be true in today’s society. The myth of the digital native, an individual born after 1984, as someone who is inherently adept at technology permeates the portrayal of young people in society (Kirsher & De Bruyckere 2017). This portrayal however, is based on the assumption that what children learn through tinkering with popular digital media, such as Facebook, can be applied universally to all digital technology. This assumption ignores the fact that technology systems and social media have different operations and aims.
Despite this, there may be a small piece of truth in the myth of the digital native. Akçayir and Dündar argue that an individual only has the opportunity to become a digital native if they have access to various types of technology (Akçayir & Dündar 2016). Increasingly, digital technology is being taught in classrooms, exposing young people to technologies and allowing them to become digitally literate. From an education perspective, the use of technology in the classroom represents both an educative tool and a necessary skill for children to learn (Greenhow, Robelia, & Hughes 2009). Greenhow, Robelia and Hughes make the argument that technology offers new teaching methods alongside an essential learning of digital literacy (2009). These opportunities for exposure to different types of technology in young people offers the possibility of a real generation of digital natives in the future.
That is not to say that young people’s use of technology does not come with its challenges. Another myth surrounding the digital native is that of the multi-tasker. Along with the assumption that people born after 1984 are naturally gifted at technology, there is the assumption that these people are able to perform multiple tasks at once. The truth is, rather, that ‘multitasking’ is the ability to quickly switch between tasks, as opposed to completing them at the same time (Kirsher & De Bruyckere 2017). The expectation that individuals can easily swap between tasks is simply untrue, with the outcome being that all tasks are completed at a subpar level. The degree to which young people multitask is extraordinary, with many individuals constantly completing multiple tasks at the same time. The prevalence of digital technology within people’s lives in the form of smart phones, tablets and laptops puts individuals in a position where there are distractions, ultimately leading to the desire to put play alongside work.
Sources:
- Akçayır, M., Dündar, H. & Akçay, G. 2016, ‘What makes you a digital native? Is it enough to be born after 1980?’, Computers in Human Behaviour 60, pp. 435-40.
- Greenhow, C., Robelia, B. & Hughes, J.E. 2009, ‘Web 2.0 and Classroom Research: What Path Should We Take Now?’, Educational Researcher, vol. 38, no. 4, pp. 246-59.
- Kirsher, P.A. & De-Bruyckere, P. 2017, ‘The myths of the digital native and the multitasker’, Teaching and Teacher Education, vol. 67, pp. 135-42.
- Selwyn, N. 2009, ‘The digital native- myth and reality’, Aslib Proceedings, vol. 61, no. 4, pp. 364-79.
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