Saturday, September 29, 2012
Visitor or Resident?
The concept that some people are visitors on the web and others are residents is an interesting perspective on the use of the web. Dr. White discusses that this difference in the use of the web, is not based on technical skills or age but more tied to a person's motivation and culture. I do think this is the case. My grandparents are very interested in technology and using the web, so they are motivated to learn more. They own a desktop, two laptops, an iPad, and Kindle Fire. They are constantly doing something on-line. Now on the flips side they are definitely visitors on the web. They use the Internet to do what they need to but do not have an on-line profile. The web and creating an on-line profile can be a powerful learning tool but as Dr. White explains making a case fore why a tool is needed for learning could be important for students that are hesitant to build that resident space on the web.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I agree that age is not a fair predictor of a person's adeptness and interest in technology and I have many family members that break this stereotype. However, I do think that people who do not grow up in the "age of the internet" are more likely to be wary of becoming a resident of the web--your grandparents being a case and point.
ReplyDeleteAlso in agreement that it's not age but more attitude. My former boss is 62, got an iPhone4S earlier this year, and is super into social media. I have other colleagues in their 20's and 30's that are anti-FB/Twitter/online presence.
ReplyDelete