Born Digital: Understanding the First Generation of Digital Natives

by John Palfrey, Urs Gasser

"The first generation of "Digital Natives" - children who were born into and raised in the digital world - are coming of age, and soon our world will be reshaped in their image. Our economy, our politics, our culture, and even the structure of our family life will be forever transformed." "Based on extensive original research, including interviews with Digital Natives around the world, Born Digital explores a broad range of issues, from the highly philosophical to the purely practical: What does identity mean for young people who have dozens of online profiles and avatars? Should we worry about privacy issues - or is privacy even a relevant concern for Digital Natives? How does the concept of safety translate into an increasingly virtual world? Are online games addictive, and how do we need to worry about violent video games? What is the Internet's impact on creativity and learning? What lies ahead - socially, professionally, and psychologically - for this generation?" A smart, practical guide to a brave new world and its complex inhabitants, Born Digital will be essential reading for parents, teachers, and the myriad of confused adults who want to understand the digital present - and shape the digital future.

Genres: Nonfiction, Technology, Education, Internet, Sociology, Adult, Psychology

288 pages, Hardcover

First published August 5, 2008

About the author

John Palfrey is President of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Before that, he was Head of the Phillips Andover Academy and a Professor at Havard Law School. He is coauthor of Born Digital: How Children Grow Up in a Digital Age, and author of the MIT Press Essential Knowledge volume Intellectual Property Strategy.

See also: John Gorham Palfrey

Reviews

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

PASSAGE:

“Like we teach our kids to wear a helmet when riding a bike, or not to get into a car with a stranger, or to call us anytime they face a problem while away from home, we can also ask them to follow rules and respect certain norms while surfing the Web or making connections online.” (281) Kids can be taught how to use the internet safely! As evidenced in this quote, danger lurks everywhere. As parents and educators, it is our job to alert children to potential dangers and how to cope with them when they take place.

Pornography, violence and bullying – three main concerns –take place online and in person. While these are truly areas of concern, they are not new areas of concern. The new factor is the media through which they are being obtained. Pornography worries parents the most; however, “children have access to mind-bending violence and sexually explicit images as soon as they learn how to use the television remote control.” (86) There is also no reliable data that support there is more bullying now than there was in the past.

Issues seem to be treated so much differently since they are “online issues.” The “issues” haven’t changed one bit. What has changed is the ability for adults to relate to children about the issues. Adults see the issues as different since the problems are taking a multimedia form. “Parents and teachers should not treat them as two separate worlds just because [they:] are more familiar with one of them.” (281) They should try to explore the issue through their child’s eyes in an effort to understand the digital world. “Parents and teachers need to take on a greater responsibility for helping Digital Natives make good choices about their personal information in networked publics.” (82) If Digital Natives learn how to assume responsibility for their actions, maybe they would have more access to web-based educational resources.


THEME:

This book is primarily written for an audience of Digital Immigrants to understand the current generation of Digital Natives. A Digital Native (spelled with a capital ‘D’ and a capital ‘N’ throughout the book) is described as a person who is “born into and raised in a digital world.” Digital Immigrants are simply the older generations who were not raised with digital technology. It is important for Digital Immigrants (primarily parents and educators) to understand that life is different for children who are growing up today. Digital Natives have access to a plethora of technologies that their parents and teachers have never heard of and/or have never experimented with. While parents and educators have heard of certain digital terms, many are unaware and unable to be a role model for today’s children because they don’t have experience in that area. Born Digital encourages parents and educators to explore the technology that the children are using so they can educate about proper usage.

Every picture, paragraph, posting, etc. that someone writes on the web is like making a footprint showing where that person has been. Children seem to be carefree about the images they post on the internet. Has anybody taught them that leaving something in cyberspace can “become a lot like a tattoo – something connected to them that they cannot get rid of later in life, even if they want to, without a great deal of difficulty?” (53) A thirteen-year old student entering high school will be ready to search for colleges in the next three years. What if her future college decides to look at her Facebook page to see if she is worthy enough to become a student there? Will anyone have taught her about appropriate images to post on the web?

REACT

I definitely agree with the authors points of view, and I think that educating parents and teachers is something that needs to take place sooner rather than later. It’s important not only to educate parents about cyberbullying and pornography protection, but also about copyright infringement.

I disagree with one of the statements in this book. On page 246, the authors say, “We don’t need to overhaul education to teach kids who are born digital.” If children are learning differently than ever before, multi-tasking more than any previous generation, and using hours upon hours of digital media tools, why should we continue to teach the same way? It’s obvious that Digital Natives have different needs that need to be addressed. One part of the book mentioned how children may be developing shorter attention spans because information is so quick and accessible. If this is so, how can we expect students to sit in their seats for a 75-minute lecture? “We need to determine what our goals are, as teachers and parents, and then figure out how technology can help us, and our kids, to reach those goals.” (246)

CONNECT

One of the hot debates in class is about websites that are blocked by school districts. There are oodles of educational resources on the web; however, they cannot be accessed from the educational facilities where students spend over 30 hours per week. Administrators are fearful of the unknown and the few barriers between students and harmful content. Whether or not students are blocked from a site, a filter will not prevent them from accessing the desired site. Type in “how do I get past internet filters” on Google and you will see 923,000 resources that may help children figure out how to get past the barrier.

Instead of “protecting” children, educators and parents need to teach proper usage. Parents should play the same online games as their children so they can see what their children are doing online. If our job as educators is to prepare children for the future, and Digital Natives are going to shape our future, how are we preparing them to succeed and innovate? Creativity, innovation, and collaboration are being hindered by Digital Immigrants who would rather prevent access than teach accountability.

CONCLUDE

I give this book five stars because I honestly did not want to put it down. Since I am interested in educating administrators and parents about the power of digital technology, I gained useful information for how to introduce the subject matter. The website, www.digitalnative.org has links to other projects and studies associated with the subject matter.

If parents or educators read this book, I think they will gain a better understanding of the role of Digital Natives in society. I hope that they would be more open-minded about seeing all of the positives of the internet versus focusing on how to limit children’s access. While readers will not gain specific ideas on how to educate students about proper usage, they will learn the importance of becoming familiar with Digital Native’s media outlets. Once parents and teachers see how children are using digital media, they will be able to figure out what needs to be taught.

[Alison · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't get through this. I found it to be very dry, which was strange considering how much interest this topic holds for me. I think my issue lays in the fact that the book was written for an audience that's older than I am and really not engaged with the online world at all. So, a lot of what was covered was stuff that was nothing new to me, because I am interested in this stuff and use it myself. But even the intro chapter about how kids born now will have all kinds of digital flotsam & jetsam following in their wake (everything from medical records to baby photos), and how they will have zero control over most of it, didn't really grab me. So, I was a bit disappointed.

[TheSaint · Rating 2 out of 5]

Melvil Dewey formulated Dewey Decimal Classification. Not John. Melvil. Lost a star just for that failure to fact-check. Now, sorry, everything these authors say is suspect.
Other than that, this book was not as compelling as I'd hoped. The first few chapters seemed slow and plodding, but then I got to a couple I was really interested in, and I was able to engage a little more.
So I'm thinking that Born Digital is a book that need not be read cover to cover. Just pick out your particular interests and leave the rest be.

[Shannon · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm sorry. I take offense when a book is not well-written or well-crafted but still released into the world for people to purchase at the tune of $25 a pop. This book contains an overwhelming amount of repetition, and if that isn't enough, each time a topic is repeated it is "reintroduced" as if I the authors did not spend several previous paragraphs telling me exactly the same thing, albeit using a slightly different combination of words. Sure it has good facts and some interesting points, but all this is prone to get lost under the sheer volume of redundancy. You'd think they could have at least employed a decent editor - of course then the book would be about 3/4 shorter, (and probably therefore couldn't pull in so much money).
Anyway, this leads me to my final point about books and authors discussing the topic of media and its effects on society and culture in the 21st century. Sure everyone wants to put their two cents in. But, for heaven's sake, whether the "medium is the message" or not (a phrase that everyone in this discussion is apt to bring up), the least you could do is respect the medium. If you want to get information to digital natives who skim instead of doing a deep reading, don't, I repeat don't write a book. Write a blog. Create a website. Make a facebook page. If you're trying to write to non-digital natives write a book. But actually write something worthy of the medium. Don't copy-paste your blog onto a linear document and ship it off to a publisher. Respect the medium.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Since someone asked if the book were really worth only two stars, I decided to post my thoughts.

I didn't even bother finishing this; I flipped through the last section quickly because I needed to turn it back in at the library. I felt like the book was rushed into publication and needed more editing. For example, education reformer John Dewey (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Dewey) was credited with the invention of Melvil Dewey's (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melvil_D...) library classification system.

There were also sections of the book that seemed repetitious, as if the authors were trying to stretch limited material into chapter-length writing. It appeared that the writers were in a hurry to produce a book on a timely topic. I would have preferred to wait for a more thoughtful tome.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Courtney Lynch
ITS 650
27 June 2011

Book Chat

Born Digital: Understanding the First Generation of Digital Natives
John Palfrey and Urs Gasser

There are two main passages that stood out the most for me in Born Digital: Understanding the First Generation of Digital Natives. The first occurs in the introduction to the book:

“There is one thing you know for sure: These kids are different. They study, work, write, and interact with each other in ways that are very different form the ways that you did growing up. They read blogs rather than newspapers. They often meet each other online before they meet in person. They probably don’t even know what a library card looks like, much less have one; and if they do, they’ve probably never used it. They get their music online – often for free, illegally – rather than buying it in record stores. They’re more likely to send an instant message (IM) than to pick up a telephone to arrange a date later in the afternoon. They adopt and pal around with virtual Neopets online instead of pound puppies. And they’re connected to one another by a common culture. Major aspects of their lives – social interactions, friendships, civic activities – are mediated by digital technologies. And they’ve never known any other way of life” (Palfrey & Gasser, 2008).

This passage stood out to me for two different reasons. The first is that I think it gives a good description of the students we are seeing in our classrooms today. It compares what they are doing to what perhaps the typical reader would have done. This book is geared towards Digital Immigrants rather than Digital Natives. The second reason this passage struck me is that I am considered to be a Digital Native. According the book, Digital Natives are born after 1980; I was born in 1986 and I found myself scratching my head at a few of the differences mentioned above. I did have a library card and used it quite frequently. I used to go to record stores with my cousins to purchase CDs and I don’t download my music illegally – anymore. But for the most part, the rest of the passage is a very apt description of the life I have experienced growing up, yet I did know another way of life. I remember before we had a computer in my house (we got the Internet when I was 8) and I remember calling friends to make plans. There are, however, students nowadays who do not have the experiences that I do and who have experiences with technology that I never had.

The second passage that stood out for me came towards the end of the book in a chapter titled “Learners”:

“Schools and libraries should start by putting the learners first. Teachers and administrators need to get serious about figuring out how kids are learning, and they must build digital literacy skills into their core curricula. Librarians should embrace the crucial role that they can play in guiding Digital Natives through the increasingly complicated world of digital information.

Our children find information in digital formats and are processing it in ways that those who came before them could only have imagined. This information is sometimes surrounded with far less context than in the past, while at other times, it is surrounded with far more. Our challenge is to help them make sense of these new contexts and new meanings, and to think synthetically and critically, rather than letting them lose their way. Digital Natives may be able to lead us into these new environments and show us how they work, but parents, teachers, and librarians still need to teach children and students who to interpret the signals they pick up with such perception.

We find ourselves in a period of transition. Digital tools will find their place in schools and libraries. We have managed transitions of this sort before. The hard part, during the transition, will be to discern what to preserve about traditional education and what to replace with new, digitally mediated processes and tools. Sometimes, this will mean teaching kids to use computers; sometimes, computers will have no place in the room. We need to get much better at telling the two apart. Only then can we exploit what we know about how kids are learning in the digital age” (Palfrey & Gasser, 2008).

To me, this passage recognizes that we have to make changes but we need to do it in an effective and efficient manner. It also acknowledges the role that educators have in this era of change. We, as educators, are still needed to help guide our students and the idea that teachers are becoming obsolete is not ever entertained. If anything, we are needed now more than ever to help facilitate the transition.

If teachers and administrators accept that students are different, they can start to make positive changes to continue educating them. If teachers are willing to change, they will find it a lot easier to connect with their students. We cannot stand in front of a classroom and preach Internet Safety or claim to understand what students are going through if we are unwilling to experience what the students do on a daily basis. The authors speak a lot about having credibility with the students, “it is difficult for parents and teachers who have no online identity to be credible, particularly if their children or students are Digital Natives” (Palfrey & Gasser, 2008). The ideas presented in this book will have a great positive impact on students and learning if teachers and parents are willing to accept that students today are different and they are the ones that must adapt to meet their needs.

Before reading, as I was researching some background on the book, I explored the website for it: http://www.borndigitalbook.com. The book is a product of the Digital Natives Project. “The aim of the Digital Natives project is to understand and support young people as they grow up in a digital age” (Palfrey & Gasser). This statement sums up the theme for the book. The authors cover topics from identities, privacy, and safety to the creativity and innovations of Digital Natives. They discuss the implications on the quality of products created by Digital Natives (e.g. Wikipedia) and the overload of information students can experience. The whole purpose of the book is to inform Digital Immigrants of the world in which Digital Natives live, but at the same time to explain the role of parents and educators in their development.

Students today have large digital footprints but they are also, for the most part, very aware of what is accessible about their lives. It does fall to parents and educators to teach them about safety and privacy but at the same time, “the answer is not to keep chasing them away from safe spaces into more remote zones” (Palfrey & Gasser, 2008). We need to have open lines of communication with students rather than trying to completely limit what they are able to do online. Modeling is key to help students learn to use the Internet safely and to protect themselves. Again, the idea is that Digital Immigrants need to be credible when talking to the Natives, “there’s no way to share the knowledge and common sense that we have if we’re not credible about the topics Digital Natives are struggling with” (2008).

The book offers practical suggestions for parents and educators who are Digital Immigrants trying to work with and reach the Natives. Digital Immigrants should not alienate the Natives simply because they are different, instead they need to learn to adapt their teaching styles and educate themselves in what the younger generations are experiencing.

Aside from the discrepancy mentioned in the beginning, I absolutely agree with everything the authors have said. I only find fault with their categorization that anyone after 1980 is a Digital Native but then go on to say that Digital Natives have never had experiences with other ways of life. “Digital Natives don’t think in terms of recorded music in the form of LPs, eight-tracks, cassette tapes, or even CDs, purchased at a record store; music, for them exists in a digital format they can download from the Internet, move around, and share with their friends and relatives” (Palfrey & Gasser, 2008). While this statement is true for how I think about music now, but I remember falling asleep to cassette tapes and that I got an Ace of Base cassette for my 8th birthday! It was a big deal when I got my first CD and I saved all my money for the ones that followed. But aside from that point of contention, I think the authors accurately portray the students we see in classrooms today. I also really respect that the authors realize we are just entering the digital age; it is hard to keep up with the rapid evolution of technology. There is no one answer for how to effectively integrate technology and we will constantly need to evaluate and adapt our methods of instruction.

As previously discussed, the book directly addresses many of the current educational issues. One in particular that hits home for me is cyberbullying. The authors contend that “there’s no reliable data to support the argument that cyerbullying is anything more or less than an extension of bullying into the converged environment of online and offline life” (Palfrey & Gasser, 2008). I would have to agree with them but as they say, “The lesson is that we ought to redouble our efforts to stop harmful bullying, wherever it occurs, using strategies that get a bullying both offline and online” (2008). I feel in my experience that many Digital Immigrants will hear terms associated with technology and shut down. In reality, they have the knowledge and tools to make an impact but need to get over the fear of the technological aspect. The bottom line in how this book connects to current educational issues is that Digital Immigrants need credibility with the children and they need to keep the lines of communication open. Digital Natives are not going away, in fact they clearly outnumber the faculty in schools, therefore, Digital Immigrants need to get on board with the changes that are happening and continuing to develop in education.

I give this book a 5-star rating. It is an excellent first step for Digital Immigrants to take in order to better understand and support Digital Natives. Perhaps surprisingly to some, it was a very insightful read for a Digital Native because it gave me a different perspective for dealing with colleagues. I now have practical advice I can offer both parents and educators regarding our students’ technology use. I think this book should be a part of new teacher education as well as professional development for current teachers because there is so much to learn and understand about our students that is often overlooked. The book also helps to put all of that information in one location, broken down into meaningful, easy to read chapters with anecdotes about real students and experiences. Anyone who will be working with Digital Natives should read this book.

References

Palfrey, J, & Gasser, U. (2008). Born digital: Understanding the first generation of digital natives. New York: Basic Books.

Palfrey, J., & Gasser, U. (n.d.). Born digital: Understanding the first generation of digital natives. Retrieved from http://www.borndigitalbook.com/resour...

[nhi]

I choose not to rate this book because it is a required reading for a class in which I will be writing an extensive review.

When first reading this book, I noticed immediately that it was not written for me. Don't get me wrong, it doesn't mean that I couldn't read it or that I didn't enjoy it, but the audience was not me. Rather, I am the subject, the generation born in the digital world. The entire reading became much more interesting after that, once I realized that the people was about people my age.

However as the book says, the contents are somewhat obselete. It was probably that the moment it came out, but it is doubly so in 2022. A lot of the technology and companies mentioned are ones that I am not privy to, or are perhaps no longer as popular as the book proclaims. The authors often have a similar solution—education of the young people—as a means to solve each problem they present in the chapters. I do agree that it is a good solution and would fit a lot of problems, so not much complaints there. It just felt like a lot of repetition as the book went on, though the point is to reiterate the point and drive home that the problems presented are not as scary as parents and teacher make them out to be.

Overall, the book was interesting, though not a whole lot of new information for someone like me who is part of the "born digital" that this book is about.

[Sara]

Review/Rating will be posted soon

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Born Digital is a phenomenal book written to educate digital immigrant parents and teachers about their digital native children and students. The book, written in independent chapters, takes the reader down a road that not all have traveled and shows the reader the world through a digital native’s perspective. Two concepts within the book stood out most for me. The first was the concept of creating an identity of self in the digital age. As the book states, “…identity formation among digital natives is different from identity formation among predigital generations in the sense that there is more experimentation and reinvention of identities, and there are different modes of expression, such as YouTube and blogging…Among the many changes in what it means to form an identity in a digital age, two stand out as likely to have the most impact over time: instability and insecurity.” This hit me hard because we as teachers need to be aware that students create their identity and then can chance it in seconds online. It is also important to point out that other people can easily add, alter, or subtract from one’s identity though the Web. Another concept that stuck out for me was how the book addressed the way digital natives learn and the impact of technology on learning. Born Digital suggests that technology should not just be thrown in because it is “cool,” but because it has a pedagogical place in the lesson. It also addresses the fact that the digital learner learns in shorter spans, multitasks, and very rarely gets information in printed form.

In Born Digital, each chapter addresses the differences between a digital native and a non-digital native. The concepts touched on include identities, the gathering and processing of personal information, safety while online, learning, and the impact of learning in a different way. Each chapter shares the way people used to do things, and the way the world has changed because it is becoming more and more populated with digital natives.

It was very interesting to read this book, because according to the book, I am technically a digital native because I was born after 1980. Therefore, I feel as if I have one of the first perspectives of adults who grew up with AIM and email, but who is now teaching all digital natives. I would agree with almost all of the ideas addressed within the book, as I could relate to many of them from both sides of the spectrum. Being a bit younger and a “digital native” myself, I thought that I had a handle on the way kids grow up today, however, this book gave me much more insight to a whole world I, in fact, knew very little about. It was comical in the last chapter, because it addresses the fact that if a digital native was to read the book, they would probably just “skim” and not read the whole thing.

In the “Learners” chapter, it can be connected to today’s education because it addresses how schools should approach the new styled learner within their walls. It addresses that schools should just use technology more within the curriculum, but that it should be used more effectively and that no matter what, there will always be a place for the teacher to actually teach, without the help of technology, and the student to actually learn something still. It also addresses the idea that schools really need to encourage team-based learning, because that is how students, whether considered digital natives or not, learn.

I would recommend this book for its intended audience, which is for teachers and parents of digital natives. I would also give it 4.5 stars.

[Helen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping to get some insight and information about working with students who are part of the Digital Native generation from this book. It was a real struggle to get through this book, which seemed repetitive and rather dry. I almost stopped reading when I was about two-thirds of the way through the book and read about "John Dewey and his famous decimal system". It seems that somewhere in the editing process of this book, someone would have pointed out that John Dewey was an educational reformist and the Dewey Decimal System was created by Melvil Dewey, a librarian. I kept hoping to find answers to the problems of how to teach with technology, but most of what I got was more questions. What I did get from this book is that the Internet and related technologies will continue to change and grow and we must help our students with tools to recognize the good and discard the bad.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, Born Digital should be required reading for anyone born before 1985 who has a management or teaching position that deals with the after-1985 set. The authors provide a very good overview of the perspectives the digital generation have and the kinds of issues that their world is going to create, or is creating, as it intersects with and supercedes the pre-digital world. At times the authors use a pretty broad brush and/or a superficial analysis of what's going on, making some of their conclusions suspect. In part, this weakness may be because they weren't born digital, and are therefore limited by their prejudices. However, this book can serve as a great basis for starting to understand the new world and its inhabitants, instead of just condemning them.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

certainly written by academics, and already tremendously out of date.

[CTEP]

This month I read John Palfrey and Urs Gasser’s “Born Digital: Understanding the First Generation of Digital Natives”. I am not sure I would recommend it, but I would definitely encourage reading and reflecting on the topic. I have been curious about the affect technology is having on younger generations. Generations who will not remember or know life before the Internet. This interest was sparked after perusing the TIME article “Person of the Year 2010: Mark Zuckerberg”. And thinking about how my generation will be the last to tell stories that begin: “Back when I used to have to pull the encyclopedia off the shelf…”

I found the chapter on privacy to be quite riveting. The authors discuss how public information becomes when shared and stored on the Internet. They analyze the idea of the “digital footprint” and how little control younger generations have over their own. The digital footprint is a human’s recorded trail on the Internet. For example, some people’s footprint can begin before they are even out of the womb. Excited parents are posting pregnancy photos to Facebook and e-mailing them as attachments to family and friends. I can’t blame them! It will be interesting to see what happens in the next 20 years with Internet privacy. Can you imagine having all of your old family albums or baby book posted to the web? This could be a recipe for disaster while growing up, if it gets into the wrong hands. I think there will need to be more emphasized education on web safety. Schools are a good starting place for this, but big tech companies like Apple, Microsoft and Google could also be better advocates for the issue. Where does all of that info end up- even if we remove or delete it?

In addition to privacy, I also found the chapter on overload to be worth reading. There’s a good quote at the beginning which states there is no beginning and end with the Internet. The Internet is designed to suck us in until we decide to stop, similar to shopping at Target. This chapter discusses how access to overwhelming amounts of information is affecting youth. Growing up I remember my subscriptions to Highlights magazine and TIME for kids. Each month I would get my new issue, and happily read that month’s topics. There was little pressure with how much info I was responsible for seeking out, because it came to me in monthly increments. The downfall, I was often limited to the perspective those magazines gave. I realize there is good and bad with this method of accessing information. In the book the authors write about high anxiety issues and low concentration capabilities with younger generations, due to the Internet. Doing one simple Google search can lead to a never ending chain of articles, websites, blogs etc. What it boils down to is moderation and setting limits.

[Buchdoktor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Digital Natives wird die Generation der nach 1980 Geborenen genannt, für die Internet, Mobiltelefone und MP3-Player seit ihrer Kindheit selbstverständlich waren. Digitial Natives bilden über Ländergrenzen hinweg vernetzte Eliten; sie lernen neue Freunde häufig zuerst online und erst anschließend persönlich kennen. Digital Immigrants haben erst spät Zugang zu neuen Technologien gefunden und müssen sich Kompetenzen im Gegensatz zu den Natives erst Schritt für Schritt aneignen. Palfrey und Gassner wenden sich mit ihrem Buch an Eltern, die den Medienkonsum ihrer Kinder angesichts einer unkontrollierbaren Informationsflut skeptisch beurteilen, die sich um die digitale Privatsphäre sorgen und Jugendliche vor Aggressionen im Netz wie Cyberbullying schützen möchten. Eltern befürchten Computersucht, eine abnehmende Aufmerksamkeitsspanne und mangelnden Schutz ihrer Kinder vor Pornografie aus dem Netz.

Ausführlich setzen die Autoren sich mit der digitalen Akte auseinander, der Summe aller Informationen, die eine Person über sich selbst veröffentlich oder die andere über sie ins Netz stellen. Wechselseitige Rituale in sozialen Netzwerken Jugendlicher verpflichten zu persönlichen Auskünften. Die Verknüpfung des eigenen Profils mit möglichst vielen Profilen anderer Internet-Bekanntschaften ist Voraussetzung für das Funktionieren dieser Vertrauens-Netzwerke und entscheidet über das eigene Ansehen. Jugendliche denken heute noch nicht daran, welche digitalen Fährten sie legen und welche Probleme ihnen später einmal Informationen bereiten können, die andere über sie veröffentlichen. Die Entscheidung zwischen Komfort und Kontrolle der eigenen virtuellen Identität fällt gerade jugendlichen Nutzern sozialer Netzwerke schwer, da nur einen Bruchteil der Daten zu sehen ist, die dort über eine Person gespeichert sind. Der soziale Raum dieser Communities erscheint Jugendlichen geschützter als er tatsächlich ist. Eltern und Lehrer sehen sich in der Rolle der Warner, doch mangelt es ihnen bisher an Kompetenzen, um von jugendlichen Mediennutzern als Gesprächspartner ernst genommen zu werden. Die Rollen von Eltern und Kindern haben sich beim Thema neue Medien offenbar umgekehrt. Die Autoren wollen Eltern in die Lage versetzen, ihre Kinder im virtuellen Raum ebenso vor Gefahren zu schützen wie im realen Leben.

Stärker als durch einzelne kriminelle Nutzer sehen die Autoren Jugendliche durch deren eigenes mangelndes Urteilsvermögen gefährdet. Digital Natives lesen zum großen Teil keine Zeitung mehr; sie sind überzeugt, sie könnten sich in allen Angelegenheiten auf Informationen aus den Internet verlassen. In der digitalen Welt kann nur bestehen, wer die Seriosität von Informationsquellen beurteilen kann - genau darin sind Jugendliche mangels Erfahrungen Erwachsenen noch unterlegen. Untersuchungen unter Grundschülern haben ergeben, dass Kinder und Jugendliche Informationen umso kritischer bewerten, je erfahrener sie selbst in der Internetnutzung sind. Wenig-Nutzer sind für falsche Informationen also anfälliger als Internet-Nerds. Obwohl Eltern zum Ruf nach staatlicher Kontrolle neigen und sich gern auf Kindersicherungs-Software verlassen, sollten sie die eigene Medienerziehung nicht vernachlässigen, fordern die Autoren. Wer stets das Gespräch über Interesse der eigenen Kinder suche, schütze sie mit seiner Offenheit zuverlässiger als jede Kontroll-Software.

Die beiden Internet-Experten nehmen die Sorgen der Eltern-Generation sehr ernst. Zwar halten auch sie die virtuelle Kommunikation für aggressiver als die reale, sehen in der digitalen Welt jedoch nur die Fortsetzung bekannter Probleme des realen Lebens. "Ein neues Medium für altbekannte Missetaten." Ausführlich gehen Palfrey/Gassner auf die Bedenken von Eltern ein, die das Internet in erster Linie als Gefährdung ihrer Kinder betrachten. Während Politiker sich meist auf die Forderung nach Kontrolle und Reglementierung beschränken, liegt die Medienerziehung bisher allein in der Verantwortung der Eltern. Die Forderung nach Verboten sei ein ganz normaler Instinkt, erfahren wir, doch müsse zusätzlich zu Schutz- und Kontrollmaßnahmen das Urteilsvermögen der Kinder gefördert werden. Die Trennlinie zwischen öffentlichem und privaten Leben habe sich deutlich verschoben, das Bewusstsein für angemessenes Verhalten und für die "digitale Privatsphäre" müsse sich erst neu entwickeln.

Palfrey/Gasser sehen das Internet grundsätzlich positiv als einen Raum, in dem sich Kreativität und neue Ausdrucksformen entfalten und Teilnehmer sich weltweit vernetzen können. Mit dem Paradebeispiel Wikipedia zeigen sie den Übergang vom unkritischen Konsum zum selbstständigen Gestalten auf. Ausgewogen und kritisch setzen sie sich mit Fragen des Urheberrechts auseinander, mit Spielsucht, Flucht von Jugendlichen aus der Realität, aber auch mit dem Netz als Ort der Verherrlichung spektakulärer Straftaten. Lehrer, die eine Copy- und Paste-Kultur befürchten, wie Professoren, die Studenten mit zu geringen analytische Fähigkeiten bemängeln, halten die Autoren für ebenso typisch, wie Multitasker, die am PC parallel arbeiten, lernen und telefonieren. Auffällig ist, dass zwar von den Pflichten des Staates zum Schutz Jugendlicher und den Erziehungsaufgaben der Eltern die Rede ist, aber kaum von der Aufgabe der Schule, Jugendliche zu kritischen Mediennutzern zu erziehen.

Die Autoren (* 1972), die selbst Digital Natives unterrichten, vermitteln in ihrem Buch, wie Eltern zwischen ihren Befürchtungen und dem, was ihre Kinder tatsächlich gefährdet, differenzieren können. Einige Beispiele (Eltern, die ihr Kind mit RFID-Chip versehen oder den Aufenthalt ihrer Kinder online verfolgen) wirken auf den deutschen Leser als typisch amerikanische Auswüchse sehr fremd. Positiv fällt an "Generation Internet" auf, dass die Autoren die Kluft zwischen Arm und Reich, zwischen Nutzer und Nicht-Nutzer wahrnehmen und die Folgen dieser so genannten Partizipationslücke analysieren. Ein sachliches, ausgewogenes Buch für interessierte Eltern, das das Leben im Zeitalter des Web 2.0 kritisch zu charakterisieren versteht. Einige Wiederholungen hätten gekürzt werden können. Wer es gern kürzer und praxisbezogener hat, kann zu Handyknatsch, Internetfieber, Medienflut: Umgang mit dem Medienmix im Familienalltag greifen.

[Giovanni Dall'Orto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Questo libro parte dalla constatazione che, calcolo delle date alla mano, è ormai arrivata alla maggiore età la prima generazione nata quando esisteva già la Rete, e che quindi non riesce a pensare a nessun momento della sua vita in cui la Rete col suo caldo abbraccio non ci fosse.
Il mio pensiero corre a quando io, piccolino, ero nato con la TV e il telefono in casa, mentre giravano ancora vecchiette che "il telefono no, uh, mi fa paura", e molti - magari profetici - vedevano nella tv solo il Diavolo. A me bambino, invece, sembravano cose molto carine e "ovvie", ed era del tutto impensabile vivere in un mondo che ne fosse privo... Erano gli adulti che ne avevano paura, che mi sembravano strani, e non quelle tecnologie...

E' insomma ovvio che la generazione dei "nativi digitali" abbia verso la Rete e le tecnologie digitali un atteggiamento del tutto diverso da quello delle generazioni che l'hanno preceduta, e che hanno memoria di un tempo in cui la musica era, per definizione, un disco, e la posta, un foglio di carta spedito o un fax, e l'informazione, qualcosa che si otteneva a ore fisse dal TG o andando in edicola... e così via.
La tecnologia ha cambiato il loro modo di vedere il mondo. Io ho appena traslocato e nel sistemare la nuova casa non trovavo mai spazio a sufficienza per metterci tutti i miei CD di classica e non, e così chiesto ad un mio amico quasi-nativo che è andato ad abitare nella mia vecchia casa: "Ma tu come hai fatto a gestire tutti i tuoi CD?". Risposta: "QUALI CD? Non ne ho". "Come, 'quali CD?' E la musica dove la tieni?". "Nell'Ipod"... Eh già, ero io a non essermi accorto, pur avendo l'Ipod, che ormai la musica è "liquida", viaggia senza supporti... legalmente o non, qui non importa saperlo.

Purtroppo, e questo spiega le sole tre stelle del mio giudizio - il punto che mi ha un poco deluso di questo saggio denso e ben scritto, dal tono semplice, piano e didattico, è che non mi dice nulla che io - digitale per nulla nativo, avendo 51 anni - non sapessi già.
Il target per cui è stato scritto - ed è, sia chiaro, un target assolutamente legittimo - è quello dei genitori travolti da figli più o meno adolescenti con la testa completamente nelle nuvole tra Facebook, Emule e iTunes, Twitter, Wikipedia, Youtube, giochi online, e tutto il resto ("resto" che nell'età del picco ormonale include per forza di cose i siti porno! Ennò, eh?).

Il problema è che io di questo target non faccio parte, quindi sentirmi descrivere per pagine e pagine e pagine cosa siano e come funzionino cose che uso già tutti i giorni, alla lunga mi ha annoiato, e molto. Per essere certi che un lettore potenzialmente "analfabeta informatico" capisse i concetti, infatti, gli autori si sono dilungati a spiegare per filo e per segno tutto, ma proprio tutto.

Ripensando però a mia sorella che ha una bambina di dieci anni che la vede andare su Facebook e che quindi ha voluto avere (pur sotto stretto controllo) un profilo anche lei, capisco che il libro ha una vasta platea di lettori potenziali. Costoro, come mia sorella, sono molto attenti e sensibili ai rischi potenziali che un minore corre ad essere lasciato da solo con queste tecnologie - dai pedofili agli spammer.

Una volta l'epoca giusta per ricevere il primo orologio era la Prima Comunione (ricordate?): era una sorta di rito consolidato, un rito sociale di passaggio. Ma oggi, l'età giusta per avere un cellulare in grado di chiamare oltre che di ricevere (mia sorella il cellulare solo-in-ricezione lo usa già come cercapersone, anzi come cercabambina, se per caso è in ritardo), qual è? A che età è ragionevole introdurre alla Rete un adolescente che, lo sappiamo benissimo, se venisse bannato fino alla maggiore età troverebbe cmq i modi per andarci lo stesso, e subirebbe un handicap sociale e di apprendimento non da poco?

Sono domande serie, che gli autori affrontano in modo ragionevole, anche se a volte tendono, a mio parere, a prendere un po' troppo sul serio certe minacce e certi pericoli un po' astrusi - ma a un cuore di genitore non si comanda, e fa bene a preoccuparsi: è il suo mestiere. [Così come quello dei figli è riuscire ad ingannare la sorveglianza genitoriale... :-) ].

La parte che ho apprezzato di più è quella, minoritaria purtroppo, in cui gli autori si chiedono quale sarà il modo di vedere il mondo che avrà questa generazione di giovanissimi quando sarà adulta e lo governerà lei, il mondo. Mi ha per esempio divertito la discussione del problema del "multitasking" nelle università Usa, che hanno fatto ogni sforzo per avere il wireless "always-on" e ovunque, e che ora hanno il problema degli studenti che badano a facebook invece che alla lezione...
Il punto è però che sembra riescano a fare tutte e due le cose assieme...
Da un discorso come questo nascerebbero interessanti interrogativi sulle capacità della mente umana di concentrarsi e apprendere - e dopo tutto, scarabocchiare e istoriare di faccine i bordi di un quaderno, come facevamo noi durante una lezione noiosa, equivale a chattare, dal punto di vista dell'attenzione: è solo meno geek.
Ma, ripeto, questa parte è tenuta un po' sullo sfondo, mentre io speravo che fosse il tema principale del libro, ahimè.

Concludendo: se anche voi pensavate che questo fosse un libro sul cambiamento che la cultura della Rete ha causato alla società, ai modi di relazione, alla comunicazione, all'apprendimento, diciamo che non troverete nulla di più di ciò che sapete già se siete utenti abituali di questi strumenti.

Se invece siete un poco alle prime armi con la Rete, e soprattutto se siete un genitore alla prese di minorenni alle prese con la Rete, allora troverete un libro ricco, diligente, documentato, scritto dal punto di vista di chi genitore è - oltre che docente - e che discute in modo equilibrato i rischi della Rete vs i rischi che correrebbe un ragazzo tagliato per eccesso di zelo fuori da una società ormai Rete-dipendente.
Se quindi rientrate in questo secondo gruppo e non siete smanettoni, questo libro è decisamente molto utile e molto consigliato.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great read. Palfrey and Gasser look into the first generation of digital natives in a must read for teachers and parents alike. Topics touched on include; information overload, as well as all the key players in this digital world we live in. One of the more interesting aspects of this book was the discussion of public vs private and how those lines are blurred with the internet. This book is merely the beginning of a long conversation about how we will use the internet as the years go on. Each new generation comes with new beliefs, norms, and morals; how will that effect our world in the coming years? I will refer back to this book for information and guidance as my daughter grows up and technology inevitably becomes a major part of her life.

[Mukit-Ul Islam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This books provides evidence based information from the perspective of individuals who are relatively new to the era of the digital landscape.

It is an excellent holistic read that talks about various challenges, issues about the internet as well as the feats and it's role in reshaping the world we know today.

For parents and teachers who are looking for practical approaches in dealing with various issues such as privacy, safety and understanding this new global phenomena, the book provides a good easy to understand text with definitions, too.

However, being born into this digital era, there has been a lot of repetition in the book which could have been written more succinctly.

[Rena Barlow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Truth be told, I read the updated version printed in 2015. While this book may have been helpful in educating and demystifying the internet in 2008, the 2015 version could have been adapted to also address the fact that many of its readers were "born digital" and therefor did not need the "what is this whole, scary, internet place?" question answered. It was very well organized and the advice spot on, however, I found it to be a little hard to read given that much of it was outdated (probably within six months of being printed). Take this conversation to a podcast or blog and it holds much more value than a dusty old book about the internet. That's my two cents

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is no question that today's young people are in a world that is very different from those of us from previous generations. They don't remember a world without cell phones, computers, and the Internet. This ability to be constantly connected has changed the way they view the world and the way they operate in it. It also provides them with so many different opportunities and dangers that they need to be prepared for if they are going to be successful.

Palfrey and Gasser take a look at the various aspects of living in a digital world and what it means for our kids and teens as well as what it might mean for their (and our) future. Each chapter is designed to focus on a certain aspect of the digital world, how it relates to young people, and what we as adults (parents, teachers, businesses, and the law) should be doing to help optimize the experience. Each issue is explored with related research, examples from the field, and discussions about the current popular sites, platforms, and interfaces. Surprisingly, while the book is a couple of years old, much of the content is still quite current and relevant, including a discussion about how the Internet may drive attempts to strive for democracy and freedom in more oppressive societies.

The authors start with an introduction that presents the idea of the Digital Native and the characteristics related to them because of their totally interconnected lives. Once that is defined, they progress into a full definition of what that means not only for them, but for the rest of us in society.

The other chapters explore the following issues:
*Identities - From the moment we are born at the hospital, various organizations, businesses, and other groups start compiling information about us. While some of this information is compiled with our assistance, much of it is not, and it is also information that we have little control over as we don't own or maintain it.
*Profiles - These are compiled by all of the interactions we do on social networking sites and other interactions we do online from our searches at search engines to our clicking on links.
*Privacy - This is a logical exploration based on the earlier two chapters. It also explores how young people today are taking a different approach to privacy and what we should and shouldn't share.
*Safety - The media has done a wonderful job of exploring the dangers of our increasingly digital world from cyberbullying to identity theft to stalking/kidnapping. The authors take a close look at whether the media attention is overblown and indicate that the dangers are pretty similar to the real world. The digital element is just an additional format, and the root problems are the same whether the bullying (or other issues) are online or in-person.
*Creaters - This wonderful chapter highlights how blogging sites and video sites like YouTube have provided all sorts of arenas for people to show their artistic and creative talents.
*Pirates - The authors explore the case history of the music and film industry lawsuits against those who pirated content and provide suggestions for better options.
*Quality - This includes a great comparison of the quality of Wikipedia versus Encyclopedia Britannica and highlights that not all online resources are of limited quality
*Overload - We have all heard stories of people who have become so addicted to being online that they stop their classes, work, or other aspects of their lives.
*Aggressors - This is a great discussion of whether exposure to violence online, primarily through gaming or videos, contributes to a higher level of violence in real life. Much of the theory ties in to previous discussions of violence on TV and in films
*Innovators - Starting with the great examples of the founders of Facebook, Napster, and other sites/resources founded by young entrepreneurs, this chapter really highlights the opportunities for young people to make it big on a global scale because their innovations have broader exposure.
*Learners - You would think this would focus more on how Digital Natives are big multitaskers with short attention span. That is a part of the discussion, but it also highlights how teachers and instructors should not just totally change how they are teaching because of online tools. Teachers should become familiar with such tools and cherrypick the best ways to use them while holding on to some of their existing tools that are already working. This is an additional toolset ... not a replacement one.
*Activists - This chapter does a great job of highlighting how the Internet is really spurring young people to be politically and socially active all around the world. This includes a growing involvement in the American electoral system as well as reaching out to make a difference in areas of global concern, such as Darfur.

The authors really do a great job of exploring these issues, but they also highlight that they realize the book is just a starting point. As the Internet is constantly changing and evolving, what is being talked about and how to deal with it will also continue to change. As a result, they have set up a wiki site at borndigital.com. This allows the authors and the rest of us to continue the discussion.

I really did like this book and the way it approached the topic. I would say it is a must-read for those of us working with young people.

[Angigames · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sinceramente mi aspettavo molto di più da questo saggio.
Mi ero autoconvinta che gli autori, esperti di Nativi digitali, del web e di tutte le possibili variabili, affrontassero l'argomento in modo molto approfondito e in maniera precisa.
Per carità, il testo scorre molto bene, ma alla fine della lettura sono rimasta insoddisfatta.
Questo libro tocca tanti argomenti, ma lo fa in maniera per niente approfondita, non dice molto più delle cose che si sanno già...
Io speravo di aver trovato il saggio di svolta, invece NIENTE :(

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting aspects to ponder regarding digital users that are still relevant today. However, many of the points are redundant and fresh observations and arguments seem to be lacking in this updated edition.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was highly enlightening. I would recommend for reading. As the growth of technology increases, some references within the book were already outdated, but the general information and insight provided was extremely eye-opening.

[Gary Bourke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good. Especially enjoyed the 'Identity' and 'Learners' sections. Many valuable questions asked.

[Marcos d Ornellas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Outdated. It should be read in 2007 and not in 2017.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Born Digital" has some decent insight but as a 2008 publication it's grossly outdated.

[Rawan Adawi · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book is outdated. I didn't continue reading :)

[Elina Sprude-Nesenberga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Noteikti iesaku tiem, kam tas aktuāli. Brīdinājums: šī nav grāmata ko darīt un nedarīt vecākiem, bet vairāk digitālās pasaules un dažādu tās izpausmju izpratnei

[Paula Knihs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interessante alguns tópicos e útil se você precisa de pesquisas.

[Alfarajrayed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Demonstrates the bridge between baby boomers and “digitally native” generation

[Jennifer Cody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for understanding our children's idea of reality in a digital age.