Digital Visitor or Digital Resident?

Online literacy is a large spectrum. From people feeling confident in their internet skills to not knowing how to open a browser. Originally, in 2001, this spectrum was split between digital natives and digital immigrants. Marc Prensky had originally proposed that digital natives had grown up with these digital tools and were inherently digitally fluent, while digital immigrants were essentially learning digital tools as a new language and would never be considered digitally accomplished. David White updated this concept with new categories for online literacy: visitors and residents. Anyone can shift between being a digital visitor and a digital resident, regardless of age. Digital visitors are not interacting socially online, or in simple terms, they aren’t leaving a trace of their time online. Visitors are not posting or liking anything. They’re using digital tools to check on something and end the interaction without responding to an email, sharing an article, posting a comment, liking a post, and so on. Digital residents are connecting with people and or the community. They’re engaging in a Reddit conversation, posting a status, or liking an Instagram post. In other words, you can track their time using the digital tool. Visitor or resident status can change if the digital tool is being used for personal use or professional use.

My Digital Space Map

        While reflecting on my own digital status, I created a digital space map to see how I interact with different digital tools throughout my daily life. I took note throughout a couple days of all the digital tools I used and if it was personal use, professional use, or both. I currently work part-time at a library, part-time at an elementary school, and I am taking 3 graduate courses this semester (I know…I keep busy). Generally, I considered any digital tools used for work or graduate courses to be on the professional end of the spectrum.

        

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        One of the first things I thought of was, of course, email. At the library we use Microsoft 365 and it is constantly being used throughout my workday so that is in the professional resident quadrant. Whereas, for my grad classes we use Outlook and I only check that periodically to see if professors have tried contacting me. Outlook is in the professional visitor quadrant. I very sporadically check my personal Gmail so I placed that in the personal visitor quadrant. I am constantly listening to Spotify while I am driving or studying so I put that deeply in the personal resident quadrant. Netflix and Hulu are also deeply in the personal resident quadrant because a large portion of my decompressing time. So when I do have time to decompress, it is almost always binge watching something on Netflix or Hulu. Sierra, Aspen and Gimlet are all deeply in the professional resident quadrant because I use those applications and sites consistently throughout my shifts at the library. Google Drive and Canvas are also in the professional resident quadrant because I use all the time as a student while doing my course work.
        While creating my digital space map I realized that it would have looked very different 2 years ago. Essentially the entire professional resident quadrant would be blank. Instagram and Snapchat would be flipped with Spotify but I have been successfully spending significantly less time on both of those applications because I was very much addicted to them. The digital tools that we use are very much dictated by your work life and your hobbies or interests. 2 years ago I had not even heard of many of the tools included on my digital space map.