A research proves that ‘digital natives’ don’t exist: digital natives, generations X, Y, Z and now alpha, are a recurring theme on the net and within the media. Okay boomer! I do know. Yet info are stronger than fiction.
Research Reveals That ‘digital Natives’ Don’t Exist
Digital natives have been a recurring theme at Visionary Marketing for years. A research of the ECDL (European pc driving licence) basis sheds extra mild on this.
Since I’m bored with listening to that younger people who find themselves good at IT and the aged are pc illiterate, I’m sharing this analysis with my readers and I hope will probably be helpful to you.
Prejudice In Opposition To Generations Is Age Discrimination
Suffice it to say that, as a digital advertising trainer for greater than 20 years, I’m a robust believer within the collaboration between generations. I see any prejudice in opposition to any technology as ageism, which is a type of racism.
Coming again to digital natives, info and figures contradict this fable. Digital natives do not exist.
An ECDL research debunks the parable.
Regardless of the technology, with totally different levels of precision, the premises are the identical. Digital natives (technology Y, Z, Alpha, and so forth.) are pc literate.
The remainder of us are “digital immigrants”.
Prensky Coined The Nickname “digital Natives”
Marc Prenskia digital native himself, got here up with this wacky terminology.
I discover the time period “digital immigrant” significantly offensive. Especially if you’re an IT veteran and an web pioneer.
This is doubly insulting, each to all dinosaurs over fifty (together with Prensky himself), and to immigrants no much less human than those that populate the lands to which they migrate.
Infographics and clichés abound on the net. Anecdotes too, however none of them move the examination.
It’s time to place issues proper, because of this analysis from ECDL, which highlights the pressing must digitally practice younger individuals.
As a coach on this discipline, my expertise is that even in digital advertising courses there may be nonetheless an extended solution to go.
The analysis reveals how illiterate a number of the so-called digital natives are. In some international locations, Austria for instance, greater than in others.
The Affect On Society And Enterprise
As the ECDL research reveals, misconceptions about Generation Y/digital natives have critical penalties.
Impact of society, training and enterprise.
By the way in which, as I’ve already identified, ageism has a main affect on individuals’s lives. In Europe, the place seniors are requested to work till they’re 67 years outdated (for instance in Italy), age discrimination makes it tough for a lot of of them to remain in enterprise.
In France, not more than 30% of individuals over 60 have a full-time job. And getting an interview in case your resume reveals you are over 50 is an unattainable activity. Unless you might have sure abilities.
Age Discrimination Is Dangerous
Not to say the generational stress inside firms.
All that is very dangerous and goes in opposition to the required and wholesome cooperation between the totally different generations. And all of us want individuals round us, some youthful, some older, to problem one another’s factors of view and promote range.
Exchanges between generations promote concord, private and collective enchancment and, above all, enterprise effectivity.
An Investigation Into The Misperception Of The Time Period ‘digital Natives’
I seen one thing else. The extra enterprise leaders are out of contact with digital, the extra they may reward the “digital natives”.
I ask myself why. Is it to nook younger individuals as “nerds”? Does this imply they aren’t eligible for administration positions?
Anyway, the idea of “digital natives” doesn’t stand the check of time.
The ECDL research goes in opposition to the grain.
It concludes that the shortage of coaching of younger individuals in digital abilities poses a hazard. EExposure to expertise, even from an early age, does in no way imply that one can use it properly. Let alone, sensibly.
Advanced Customers Are A Minority In Australia, Austria And Elsewhere
In Australia, for instance, in accordance with the ECDL survey, a minority of younger individuals could make superior use of data expertise. No greater than 15% of the coed inhabitants. While solely 45% of those college students have rudimentary abilities on this space.
This is a 2015 research. I really feel like issues have gotten worse as a substitute of higher since then.
An Training Catastrophe
In Austria the numbers are even worse. A mere 7% of 15-29 12 months olds are thought of to have good pc abilities. Thank god, I imagine they need to be good at giving ChatGPT3 prompts although.
In Italy the outcomes are even larger disastrous.
Yet One Other Research On Digital Natives: ICLS
According to a research by the International Center for Language Studies (ICLS), performed over a big cohort, solely 2% of scholars have crucial considering abilities when trying to find info on-line.
Anyone who teaches is aware of the scourge of plagiarism and copy-paste. The danger, the ECDL factors out, is excessive.
ChatGPT3 and the like will undoubtedly take all this to the subsequent degree.
However, the state of affairs isn’t hopeless. Not all international locations are that unhealthy. In the Czech Republic and Denmark, younger individuals’s pc abilities are barely higher.
Do me a favor and skim the remainder of the ECDL analysis earlier than you be part of the throng of worshipers of the so-called digital native tribe.
Yann Gourvennec created visionarymarketing.com in 1996. He is a speaker and writer of 6 books. In 2014, he went from intrapreneur to entrepreneur when he based his digital advertising company.
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Yann Gourvennec is a creator of visionarymarketing.com in 1996. He is a lecturer and writer of 6 books. In 2014, il est passé d’intrapreneur à entrepreneur en creant son agence de advertising numérique.
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Source: visionarymarketing.com