Indigenous to Instagram. Natives of the net. Generation Z appears to be the most tech-savvy population in the United States.
Born into an age of clunky home computers and flip phones, this tribe grew and adapted to use tools such as smartphones, tablets, and smart watches. They now pack together, huddling around the warmth of a Netflix original series played through a Fire TV stick. Their social media walls are painted with stories, images, and a special pictographic language called “memes.” Participating in and sharing the sacred ritual of TikTok dances with thousands upon thousands of others, this people group is one of the most highly connected to ever exist. They pass down the old oral traditions, keeping dead applications, like Vine, alive in their collective memory. Hunting and gathering food recipes on Pinterest, Gen Z has learned to survive in an increasingly tech-reliant environment.
Due to their growing success in the digital world, other generations frequently view Generation Z as having a natural advantage, like some kind of evolutionary trait or special genome.
Often, Zoomers are expected to approach digital technologies with the inherent ability to use them. It is assumed that Generation Z either knows how to use every form of digital technology or has a mystical gift that enables them to figure it out within moments. Despite appearances, Zoomers can still face struggles and challenges when tackling a new digital technology.
Gen Z students, like any other group, cannot be generalized either. Their technological savvy can vary widely based on geography, socioeconomic background, being neurotypical/divergent, and multitudinous other factors. This is one of many faulty assumptions that educators and faculty make about their students all too easily.
Another such assumption is that Generation Z is likely to believe just about anything they read on the Internet.
Yes, the ease with which users can now publish information online through free websites like social media has made circulating false information easier than ever. However, Generation Z has also used their connectedness to the internet to search and verify published “facts,” expressing conscientiousness about fake news.
Then there’s the ever-irrational fear of a literacy crisis, fueled by the flames of growing digital literacy, asking questions like “Does Gen Z have the attention span to read?” and “Does Gen Z understand proper English grammar?” A revealing interview with College of Charleston student, Anna, allows us a glance through the windows of local classrooms.
Anna is a cautious user of digital technology.
True to what her professors might assume about her, Anna is well-informed on digital technology. She’s familiar with using Zoom for her classes and completing assignments on iPads and laptops alike. She’s used Google Hangouts as a social platform. Contrary to what her professors might assume about her, Anna takes the increasing use of digital technology and the rise of internet culture very seriously.
Opting for analog methods when she can, Anna is mindful of the time she spends on technology and aware of its inevitable distractions. She is concerned about the validity of information she reads on the internet, especially when it comes to taking care of her beloved cat.
Anna considers digital literacy, in both academic and social settings, important. Interestingly, she does not value in-person interactions over digital ones, or vice versa. Rather, Anna believes that each has their time and place. She admits sometimes the digital barriers can obscure meaning, but other times they enable more articulate expression.
This interview with Anna demonstrates that while some assumptions about Generation Z, the natives of the net, might be true, it is important to consider students on a more individual level.
Rachel: So tell me, what does digital literacy mean to you?
Anna: To me, digital literacy is mostly about the ability to navigate technology, understand its unique differences with regular literacy, and use it in a functional, convenient way.
Rachel: Can you describe one of your first experiences with digital literacy in an academic setting? What thoughts did you have, how did it make you feel?
Anna: In the 9th grade, my school started allowing the use of iPads in class for note taking and writing. Not all the teachers allowed it, but I thought it was a really cool idea at the time and I couldn’t understand why some of the teacher’s wouldn’t allow it. It made me feel organized and put together. I understood their perspective when I started getting distracted and writing short stories in class, but I did that before the iPads.
Rachel: Can you describe one of your first experiences with digital literacy outside of an academic setting?
Anna: My best friend and I started using Google Hangouts to talk outside of school. I typed how I talked, so it wasn’t always grammatically correct, which was odd to me at first. I always felt a teacher would be waiting to correct us if we were texting back and forth at school.
Rachel: How do you think one or both of these experiences have impacted you?
Anna: I still type how I would speak, so that habit has never gone away after years of going uncorrected. It’s something I need to be mindful of when writing for class assignments. Also if it is allowed, I don’t always use technology in class if I know I’ll zone out easier.
Rachel: Do you think digital literacy practices as you described are important or not? Why?
Anna: I do, one helps me strategize for how best to function in a classroom setting while the other shaped how I talk through a digital medium.
Rachel: Can you describe one of your most recent experiences with digital literacy in an academic setting?
Anna: Zoom meetings are an obvious choice for me. Though I’m not proud to admit it, I conduct myself differently in a Zoom class than an in person class. Multitasking of some kind is almost always happening.
Rachel: Can you describe one of your most recent experiences with digital literacy outside of an academic setting?
Anna: Just today, I was researching how to better care for cats. Finding a balance between what seemed like people with genuine advice and people with odd advice that happened to work for them was difficult. For instance, someone would say cats don’t respond at all to negative feedback while others claimed their cat might have stopped behaving poorly when they ignored it, punishing the cat by giving it no attention.
Rachel: When you connect with others using digital literacy practices, do you consider this social participation? Why or why not?
Anna: I do, seeing as how two people can still have meaningful discussions and interactions over a digital medium.
Rachel: If you do consider this a social activity, do you think it is more or less genuine or authentic than in-person interactions?
Anna: Adding to my last answer, however, I will admit that it is fairly easy and common for meanings to become lost in translation without a facial expression to back them up. Digital interactions are not less valid than in-person interactions, however they can occasionally be more difficult to decipher.
Rachel: Do you ultimately feel more connected with others when you take part in more or less digital literacy practices?
Anna: Typically for me, I feel more connected with less digital barriers between me and the people I care about. Being able to see faces and touch is important for me. However, there are also times when barriers can help, such as when I have something sensitive to say and can’t find the words to do so.