This claim has come up many times in the past few years in regards to today’s kids catching on quickly to technology. They grew up with it, so it comes naturally. …or does it?

I came across a video on Instagram from Mike Holston @therealtarzann with one of his friends, Sugriva (who is a chimp!), looking at Instagram. Well, he wasn’t just looking at it, he was USING it! He was watching specific videos, scrolling the feed, going back and forth, and reacting to what he was seeing! It was incredible! See the video and post here:

View this post on Instagram

Every night I go to bed thinking how I can help change the world and inspire people to love our beautiful wildlife and ecosystems! I’d legit take a bullet for any animal at any day and anytime that’s just how much I care for them ! Idk what kind of fire god set in my soul for animals but the love is deep and real ! I was placed on this earth for 1 thing and that’s exactly what I’ll do for the rest of my life ! Let’s all love one another and save the planet together as one ☝️ 🌎 @kodyantle TAG A ANIMAL LOVER ❤️

A post shared by Mike Holston (@therealtarzann) on Apr 20, 2019 at 5:36pm PDT

Umm, crazy, right?!

So that got me thinking again about these “kids as digital natives” thing. I think they are not digital natives, but they’re more apt to take risks from observation, just like Sugriva. They’re constantly watching adults using technology and they mimic our use of tech, so they are more likely to dive right in when given the opportunity. 

Others are also questioning and fracturing this idea further. This article from ParentInfo.org and Netlingo.com seem to throw the idea out since it infers that all kids are familiar with all things tech and digital. Instead, it suggests that kids are fluent in social media, but have a rocky understanding of how Google works.

Finally, this article by Alexandra Samuel from Ideas.TED.com breaks up the term “digital native” into three subgroups, the “orphans,” the “exiles,” and the “heirs.” This seems more accurate and obvious when talking about pretty much anything. You have those who have limited access (orphans), those that have access, but little guidance (exiles), and those that have access and training (heirs). 

What are your thoughts on kids as digital natives?