By Charlotte Kemp, Social Media Strategist

What a useful term to describe how some of us feel about technological changes!  We all know friends and family who have emigrated and commented on the customs, accents and local insider knowledge of their new home that it takes them so long to get to know.  While they are learning, they feel a little lost, bewildered, on the outside and afraid that they might be missing out on something crucial because they are unaware of an essential piece of knowledge that they didn’t even know they were supposed to have.  That is always the concerned of the immigrant; the outsider. 

Digital Natives are people born inside of, or since the advent of the technological age.   It is a term coined by Marc Prensky in 2001 and refers loosely to people who are comfortable with technology because it has always been part of their world view.  Digital natives are people who will be comfortable with an online presence, virtual worlds and electronic proofs while a digital immigrant will still need a hard copy (something printed out).  I wrote about one of these digital natives who is my daughter, and how she automatically thinks in terms of technology even while she is learning what it is about. 

While this may often be demonstrated on generational lines, I have just as often come across two people of about the same age in one of my courses, where one grasps the concepts and is itching to learn more and the other suggests that I should start with the basics because that was too confusing.

Knowing these terms is useful because they give us a handle, a reference to hold onto.  When we are feeling bewildered in a strange country we know we feel that way because we are either visiting as tourists or because we have immigrated.  We don’t feel jealous or intimidated by the natives.  We turn to them as guides to assist us in settling in so that we feel more at home and enjoy our stay and want to return.   In the digital world, there are guides too – many people who are very willing to take the time to show you around and explain things, although most of them are younger than you. 

Niche Training has a number of courses designed to show you how to use Social Media for the benefit of your business, and we can recommend service providers for other computer training.  We will also be introducing a Facebook 101 course very soon by popular demand.  Please see our site on www.nichetraining.co.za for more information.