Digitalnative

Digital native is a term used to describe people who were raised in a world saturated with digital technology—such as personal computers, mobile devices, the internet, and social media—and who are presumed to have an intuitive facility with digital tools and online environments. The concept is often contrasted with digital immigrants, individuals who adopted digital technologies later in life and whose skills may lag behind those of younger cohorts.

Coined by Marc Prensky in 2001, the phrase has influenced discussions in education, media studies, and technology design. It is generally used to indicate generational differences in familiarity with digital interfaces, information-seeking, and multitasking. In practice, the boundaries of who qualifies are fluid, since access to technology, socioeconomic factors, and cultural context shape individuals' digital competencies.

Critics argue that 'digital native' can overgeneralize abilities or ignore disparities within age groups. Proficiency with consumer devices does not guarantee digital literacy, critical thinking, or software development skills. The term risks stereotyping and can obscure the ongoing need for formal instruction and inclusive technology access.

In contemporary discourse, the label informs approaches to education, product design, and policy, encouraging designs that assume user familiarity with digital environments while also supporting diverse levels of literacy and access. Some scholars advocate replacing the notion with more precise concepts such as digital literacy, digital fluency, and attention to digital divides and cultural context.