Marc Prensky developed an idea of “digital natives” and “digital immigrants” in 2001.[1] “Digital natives” are people who grow up with technology, and highly adapt to technology. “Digital immigrants” are people who born in baby boomers and generation x, y etc. These people are not that technology-savvy, but some digital immigrants surpass natives by learning and adopting like studying a new language.
David White changed the model into “Digital Visitors” and “Digital Residents”. In David’s model, age is not a predominant issue to decide whether a person is advance in technology and social media. Visitors and residents is a model to assess individuals like their attitude towards the Internet, how frequent they use Internet and social media and the different features in these two type of people.
“Digital Visitors”
The Visitor is an individual who uses the web as a tool in an organised manner whenever the need arises.[2] The visitor is a group of people who use the Internet when they need it, like use Google to check train ticket, check Wikipedia for the information you need or read daily news from Yahoo!. There is no necessary to register an account for it, Internet makes everything more convenience.
“Digital Residents”
Residents, on the other hand, see the Web as a place, perhaps like a park or a building in which there are clusters of friends and colleagues whom they can approach and with whom they can share information about their life and work. A proportion of their lives is actually lived out online where the distinction between online and offline is increasingly blurred. WHITE AND LE CORNU (2011)
The people who counted as residents also use Internet as a tool, but they put more effort into it. Skype is a software that you can contact others free through Wi-Fi. According to David’s V&R map, Skype and blog are being used more frequently by residents.You build your profile on these software, and contact your relatives or have a meeting. I always visit Seth Godin’s blog, he will update it everyday. He is an author, technology changes the way writers work, and he is a digital resident with his real identity. I used to play game online, you actually can create a different sex character and no need show real identity.
Discussion
I think residents are facing higher risk than visitors, addict to facebook is no difference with addict to online game. Internet is a great part in our life, sensitive information should share with trusted people. Different people have different attitude towards Internet, and that leads to a visitor or resident. Keep a balance between work and life, and have a healthy lifestyle. [words 450]
Reference
1. Marc Prensky, “Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants”, http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf
2. Tall Blog, http://tallblog.conted.ox.ac.uk/index.php/2008/07/23/not-natives-immigrants-but-visitors-residents/ 3. http://journals.uic.edu/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/3171/3049
3. First Monday, http://firstmonday.org/article/view/3171/3049
zling002 
Hi Miss Ling! *winks*
I think you have shared something about in which I share the same sentiment; on how to keep our sensitive information offline while still managing our online identities. You mentioned about Seth Godin and out of curiosity I checked his blog out. On his recent post titled ‘A three-step marketing ladder’, he wrote:
“Awareness is when someone knows you exist. The knock-knock part of the knock-knock joke, the person who has another interest and trust to want to know more.
Awareness is sexy.
You don’t need to be known by everyone (or even most people) merely the right ones.
Awareness probably isn’t as much of your problem as you think it is.
Awareness-seeking is addictive (and easy to measure).”
From this, I suppose we have to make a choice whether to keep a clear line between work and personal life, or like what you have mentioned in your post, let the line between online and offline lives blurred. I guess some people can pull off the professional front most of the time, but wow I don’t think I can do that.. As for me I would like an online space where I could be myself to friends whom I have already known offline. Since we don’t have to be known by most people, one suggestion I thought of is we could keep some accounts open (LinkedIn or WordPress) for awareness purposes as we are in the marketing line, and we could keep some accounts closed within our own friends/family communities (Facebook or Instagram). I guess this puts me in between of digital visitors and and residents.. *chuckles*
What do you think? If you have any thoughts I would like to hear it!
xoxo,
/ novina ✿ ladyskorpios /
References:
Godin, S. (2014) A three-step marketing ladder. Available at: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2014/11/a-three-step-marketing-ladder.html (Accessed: 28 November 2014)
LikeLike
Dear Novina,
Like you quote “Awareness is when someone knows you exist.”, I think visitors are exist and not being awared, residents are being awared. I tend to think awareness brings responsibilities. When you build a real identity online, the cause of origin is to extent relationship with people you knew. Free and convenience social platform is an advantage of Internet, but you need to aware that sharing personal interest should only open to your circle or the whole world.
Different platform designed for different purpose, Linkin is more professional and Skype can be used to interview. I have a lot of accounts, but I try to make them look like the reason why they being created at first place. Google search engine kind of neutral between visitors and residents, and Yahoo portal seems designed for visitors. Residents take responsibilities for online activities, and there is no going back.
LikeLike
Hi Ling Zi!
Thank you for your post. It has brought another perspective to what I have been reading up on and I really liked the model that you provided in your post and found it helpful in summarizing the differences between the two terms. I too, used to be quite a gamer and I completely understand what you mean when you play online and you can be a “boy” and no one will really know who you really are! There are also many instances where guys act as “girls” as well and it really scares me now that I think about it as the online friends that I have made, I will never know if they are really who they are!
I also agree that residents may be more prone to dangerous activities on the internet since they are putting themselves out there and if privacy is not taken care of, can be easily exposed to dangerous activities.
Just to ask you a question, as a gamer yourself, where do you think gamers stand in terms of digital residents and digital visitors, or can they be both at the same time?
Other than that, great post! Keep up the good work! 🙂
Charmaine
LikeLike
Dear Charmaine,
Actually I don’t know where a gamer should stand. The thing is like I also like online shopping, and I browse products, using my own identity and make comments on the products after purchase. Where a buyer should stand. 🙂 However, I think the visitor and residents mapping is more focus on social media and changed from natives and immigrants. There should have a lot mixed-blood hybirds stand in between.
Residents are feeding visitors in someway. Residents create blog and visitors take what they need. There is a difference between the natural of these platform. Not all online games are free, hourly paid gamer needs player friends to have fun. I am a native visitor, I have social media accounts, but I am not active.
I think people’s attitudes towards Internet important, immigrant residents and native residents could fall into very different age group. Most of people should belong to grey area in different scenarios.
LikeLike
Pingback: Reflection 1! – ‘Visitors’ & ‘Residents’ | ladyskorpios
Pingback: Reflection Section Collection! (Topic 1) | charmaine