Digital Natives

Digital natives are informally defined as youth who have grown up with the Internet. The term was originally coined to describe how youth seemed more comfortable and engaged with digital media (e.g., Internet, social media, video games) than their parents. The phrase has become widely used to analyze how youth respond to advertising, are being integrated into the work force, develop relationships and share information online, and pose challenges for educators at all levels of the educational system. The phrase is sometimes used synonymously with the millennial generation, referring to people born between 1980 and 2000, but since Internet usage became widespread in the 1990s, and there are many youth who have been born since the turn of the 21st century, this comparison ...