Reply to "Digital Natives'..and us?"

I think an interesting point was raised in respect to defining who can be a “digital native” and who is a “digital immigrant”. As stated at the end of Constance Steinkuehler’s article “The Mangle of Play” the video gaming field (like most technology) is a rapidly evolving field where even those who were born in the 2000’s may struggle to understand the technology that the next generation create. In this way, those distinguished as current “natives” might be outdated by “post-natives” who have an even further advanced understanding of technology. Similarly, digital immigrants may struggle to understand the logic and mind-workings of digital natives and therefore make irrational conclusions.

This is always interesting to think about in relation to violence and video gaming and their correlation as portrayed by the media. Many people controlling the news stories in the media are currently “digital immigrants”. They are aware of how to use technology but didn’t grow up in the technologically saturated environment we find ourselves in today. In this way, perhaps a misunderstanding or “outsiders looking in” approach has been taken on by the (immigrant-controlled) media with respect to not only the stereotyped characterisations of “gamers” but also the relationship of those who play violent games and those who commit crimes and violent acts in real life. Immigrants may not understand that natives who play games more easily synthesise themselves when playing a game to the game’s world (for example, natives can more easily become unconscious to the fact that they are watching a screen) and this is perhaps because natives (unlike immigrants) have been around such screens their entire lives. This easy synthesising is not however a valid translation for gamers “confusing” the game world for the real world and then committing a crime. For example, killing someone in a game involves selecting a gun and then hitting the ‘X button” repeatedly until the victim’s energy bar decreases from green to red. The equivalent outcome in real life is achieved by markedly different actions. A more reasonable justification for criminals who happen to play games can be realised by examining one’s social, parental, cultural backgrounds (as mentioned by Kevin in the lecture). The divide between immigrants and natives seems to be growing, we can only wait and see what irrational assumptions we will start making about post-natives.

- Priya