What is the Meaning of Digital Native Generation? This is the Explanation and its Grouping

What is meant by the digital native generation? (photo: Thomas Park/unsplash)

YOGYAKARTA - Children born in the 2000s are classified as digital native generations. Digital native itself refers to a generation that grows up in the midst of digital technology or in the era of information technology. In relation to this, digital natives are a group of generations born in the digital world and grow up with advanced technology. For more details, see what is meant by the digital native generation below.

What is the Meaning of Digital Native Generation?

Quoted from the book Digital Natives' Digital Library Practice (2022) compiled by Endang Fatmawati, digital natives in the context of librarians are people who have known technology from an early age and are accustomed to using information technology in accessing information in their daily lives.

Digital natives are people born in 1980 and later, who often use new technologies, such as mobile phones, the internet, video games, and all equipment in the digital era.

In contrast, the generation born before 1980 and not born in the digital world is called "digital immigrants".

In the results of the research revealed by Prensky in his writing entitled "Digital natives, Digital Immigrants, part II: Do They Really Think Differently?", it is explained that digital natives can be called a generation that lives in the digital world. With another explanation, they were born in the midst of the rapid growth of computers and the internet. He explained, digital natives can also be called a generation that has a dependence on technological devices.

Digital natives are very attached and cannot be separated from their gadgets, so they can also be called readers who were born in the digital age.

What are the characteristics of digital natives?

Taken from the book Spiritial Skill, Best Practice, Digital Generation (2016) compiled by Dicki Agus Nugrono, if viewed based on year of birth, digital natives can be divided into generations X, Y, and Z. Generation X (born in 1965-1980) is the generation that first used personal computers (PC), video games, cable TV, and the internet.

Next, Generation Y (born in 1981-1994) is known as the millennial generation or millennium. They use a lot of instant information and communication technology such as email, SMS, instant messages, and social media such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. In addition, they also have entertainment in the form of online gaming.

Those born in the 1980s (generation Y) have already used technology in accessing information in the library space, but they are still getting a form of library space that is still traditional. Meanwhile, Generation Z (born in 1995-2010) which is called the net generation, has similarities with Generation Y. However, Generation Z is more able to apply many activities at one time.

For example, tweeting using a mobile phone, browsing with a PC, listening to music using a headset, and other types of activities related to the virtual world.

So, since childhood, this generation Z has been familiar with technology and is familiar with advanced gadgets which indirectly affect their personality. Interestingly, Generation Z is the generation that is the fastest to have the ability to learn with online media.

That's the review of what the digital native generation means. Hopefully useful. Visit VOI.id for other interesting information.