Weekly Reflections

 This week, I spent a lot of time thinking and learning about how smartphones and the internet have changed the way we live, who we rely on, and how we rely on them. Although I’m technically a digital native, I’d say I’m on the cusp, in the gray area. My early childhood home did not have a computer. None of my little friends had computers at their homes, either. My family got a computer and the internet when I was about ten. I got my first cell phone (one of those big Nokias) after I got my driver’s license. The first iPhone was released when I was a junior in college. The world is very different today than when I was young, that’s for sure. I now have a seven year old son, and I’m excited to see what kind of technology will be available when he graduates from high school.

Before I sign off this week, I have to mention one thing that did not sit right with me from this week’s reading. Prensky (2001) used an extended metaphor about language learning to discuss young people’s relationships with technology versus older people's. Young people are referred to as digital natives while older people are termed digital immigrants. The message was clear: Native = good, immigrant = not as good. This negative connotation with the word immigrant is surely hurtful. 

Prensky (2001) discusses his views with the assumption that digital immigrants should strive to be native-like in their technology use. However, this is where the metaphor really breaks down, in my opinion. As a TESOL student, I have learned that native-likeness is not always an appropriate goal in language learning; some scholars even believe it’s an unfair goal. I’ll spare you the details, but the gist of it is that being non-native like in a language isn’t necessarily a bad thing. As long as you are able to communicate and accomplish your goal in the target language, you shouldn’t worry too much about the rest. If we extend this line of thinking to Prensky’s argument, maybe we ought to give the “digital immigrants” a break.