Old Generation vs. New Generation

One thing that resonated with me in the Visitors and Residents (summary by David White, 2014) video is when he said that “if you’re young enough to have grown up with digital technology, then you’re native to it”. This is very true. Sometimes I feel like no matter how much I explain something to my family, they just won’t get it because they are not native to it. As I think about my own experience, I realize this is also true in another way. English is not my first language. Although I speak it fluently, my native language will always be easier for me than English. You can definitely dedicate your time and teach yourself something, but for the most part, It will just naturally come easy for those who are native to it.

The Internet and Youth Culture (Mesch, 2009) was so interesting to read. The part that resonated the most with me is when the author wrote “the one internet is often used to express unexplored aspects of the self and to create a virtual persona” (pg, 5) Later down the page, the author explains that “being online not only detaches individuals from the constraints imposed by location, but also frees them from the constraints associated with their offline personalities and social roles” (pg, 5). A lot of young people thrive off of their online persona. Online, they can be whoever they want. They can pretend like they have something they actually don’t, like money, car, etc. It gives them a break from their reality. Most people act like they have it all together and figured out, when in reality they are a mess. I think most of our online persona is a reflection of who we actually want to be in our real life, but can’t at that moment for whatever reason.

The article Visitors and Residents: A New Typology for Online Engagement (White & Le Cornu, 2011) was very helpful to learn about the differences between a visitor and a resident. From what I learned in the article, visitors use the internet as a tool and they go on it to accomplish a specific task. Most of them make up reasons for not wanting a digital identity. The top reasons being privacy issues and theft. Residents, on the other hand use the internet as more of their home, creating an identity, befriending people, and spending so much time and effort on it. A lot of relationships are created, people express their opinions, and exchange thoughts with others. Looking at the differences between a visitor and a resident, it is easy to distinguish where we stand.