After conferring with Dr. Schirmer and thinking on the earlier feedback, I’ve decided I’m still going on with the topic of the Digitally Naturalized Citizen, but I will change the way I discuss it. For the background on the topic, see the next blog entry below this one or see the entire paper here. First, I’m going to ruminate further on what I think define a DNC, and maybe it will resonate with some of you and maybe it will contrast – I look forward to feedback.
Thinking of myself as a DNC brings up the following ideas. Think of them as the way a DNC expresses his or herself:
I still tend to think and write online in whole thoughts and in whole words. In Twitter, for example, I tend to max out the 140 characters. This is not because I have more to say, but because I tend to avoid fragmentary thoughts or abbreviations as much as possible. I found myself deleting and rewording so I can get a whole thought in without abbreviating. I don’t think of such writing habits in Twitters as deficient, however – i.e., I don’t care if someone tweets in that way, assuming it doesn’t occlude meaning. Example: My recent tweet of “Protip: liquids should not be independently symmetrical. Notable exception: leftover gravy prior to reheat.” I’m sure that could have been more succinct, but that’s just the way I think, that’s just the way I talk, therefore it’s just the way I tweet. Is that a product of a life started devoid of tech, no matter how immersed I am now?
I don’t think this makes me sound like the worst sort of Digital Immigrant, but l want to tread lightly here. I cannot comprehend the tweets and status updates regarding the most mundane stuff. I’m not trying to be the old man shaking my fist at the skateboarders from the front porch – I don’t begrudge them their very existence. Would a DNC, unlike a Digital Native, boggle at oversharing/overconnection, but not in the way of the Digital Immigrant’s lamentation that these are the Four Tweets of the Apocalypse?
I’d like to note that I’m aware that I am making generalizations in the above points. I know that not all Natives are overconnected and that not all Immigrants are paranoid.
I’d be happy to extrapolate further on the DNC idea if anyone would like, but for now, any reactions from readers?
Hi Roger: I think your approach will work rather well. I like how you develop a third aspect of Prensky's terms of Digital Native/Immigrant. I also think it's important that you do stand your ground, that you're conscious of who you are in relationship to certain technologies, and that you're not opposed to the ways others approach communication. In my presentation I, too, mention my Twitter "frustration" at tweets that I can not decipher, all the while promoting an aspect of it that I admire. I can't wait to watch your presentation.
ReplyDeleteI think it's important to keep in mind that we're talking about two related things here: content and style. What we relate to others online and how we relate it might be further revealing of differences between natives, immigrants and DNCs. This, in turn, relates to overall purpose. For instance, what are our motivations for using social media, for creating/maintaining accounts on Twitter, Second Life, etc.? Personal branding? Self-indulgence? Professional networking? Motivation and purpose might be other areas of some significant difference among natives, immigrants and DNCs.
ReplyDeleteI like your approach. I am interested in the development and evolution of different identities online. What affects and causes people to change and what are those changes. How are people impacted by offline influencers in how they adapt to online technology. The overall growhth and how perceptions change is interesting to me and maybe something to discuss. Also, what Dr. wrote is interesting as well, not just how you portay yourself but how you perceive others. Great start.
ReplyDeleteThank you everyone for your comments. With our presentations only a few days away, I'm wondering if it'll come together nicely or not.
ReplyDeleteMy real question is in whether or not I can get enough mileage out of this idea of a DNC - is there enough material? We'll see.