Dan White describes that Digital Visitors and Residents “are a way of describing the range of ways individuals can engage with the web”. Visitors and Residents are at opposite ends of the spectrum.
Prensky also defined that there is a major distinction between them. Those who are considered a ‘Visitor’ are not “fully competent” with the digital environment. They go online for a reason and after leave onto something else. Where as a Digital ‘Resident’ is, as the word was imply, that are more ‘at home’ with how the digital age is running and are at “ease” with it e.g. connecting with friends and family through social media accounts by messaging or sharing information online. Visitors need a purpose and a successful outcome for what they came online to find, and if they did not succeed with their finding they would consider it to be failure as that was their purpose of going online. Yet Residents are happy to browse the Internet by sharing their views with friends and others they know online.
I would consider myself to be resident as I share and communicate online with a majority of my friends and family, through social media accounts such as Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp (to just name a few). There is constant pressure around every one of all ages to become “Digital Residents” as itis difficult to find someone who does not have at least one form on social media account. No matter the age, those as young as 11 have Instagram accounts and can stretch out to 70 year olds having Facebook, (although they have a social media accounts they would likely to generation to more Digital Visitors then Residents.)
“They learned in digital the first time around,” (Palfrey 2008 describing the latest generation.)
References:
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- White, D. S., & Cornu, A. L. (2011).Visitors and Residents: A new typology for online engagement. First Monday, 16(9).
- Digital – Learning – Culture. (2018). Visitors & Residents. [online] Available at: http://daveowhite.com/vandr/ [Accessed 9 Feb. 2018].
- The Net Generation, Unplugged, an article from The Economist (Mar 4th, 2010).
- Visitors and Residents: A new typology for online engagement
by David S. White and Alison Le Cornu. First Monday, Volume 16, Number 9 – 5 September 2011.
Natalie's Blog 
Hi Natalie,
I thought your first post was well written and covered a good range of ideas! I agree with the points you have made in this post. And I especially like how you’ve touched on the idea of people as young as 11 and as old as 70 having Facebook. In my opinion, this really sums up the shortfall of Prensky’s theory that age does not define whether you are a Digital ‘Native’ or ‘Immigrant’.
I know you mention how you identify yourself as a Digital ‘Resident’ but I was just wondering whether you feel as though you’ve gone through a transition from being a ‘Visitor’ to a ‘Resident’ and whereabouts on this spectrum you think that you are? Because although you say you’re a ‘Resident’, are there any aspects of your online life where you feel you are just a ‘Visitor’?
Overall I enjoyed reading this !
Karishma
(Word Count: 150)
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Hi Karishma,
Thank you for your comment I’m glad that you enjoyed reading it. I think that I have transformed from a Visitor to a Resident as especially our generation we grew as technologies grew. Where as now i believe that the younger generation would be residents earlier in age then we were.
Do you agree?
Natalie
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Hi Natalie,
Yes I agree with your thinking here. As technology and digital platforms grow, the younger generation seem to be more competent and comfortable in using it.
I think with most things being so easily accessible online, such as different academic and revision tools for younger school children, there is a greater need for them to become residents too.
Karishma
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