Why Members of Gen Z Aren't Digital Natives
People will say students today are "digital natives" who should navigate school software and web platforms with east. They are so wrong. Today's students aren't "digital" natives, they are SMARTPHONE natives. They know their social media, and can pop a snarky gif reaction into a group chat with astonishing speed. But unlike Millennials, who were the first generation to be named digital natives, they have never loved their laptops. Millennials first interacted with the internet on computers, and it was their window to a wider world. As kids, they saved their schoolwork onto floppy disks. Later, they burned their own CDs, and saved their papers on thumb drives. They knew as routine chores such activities as updating their drivers and reinstalling their operating systems. They used word processors with practiced ease. My Gen Z students feel like their phones are an extension of themselves. Their laptops are just a tool they use for school. A lot of my stud