Digital Mapping

 How Engaged are You with Social Media?

Hello!  Well, here I am, at the age I am, taking graduate classes, thinking, I have become one of those students that is probably the oldest in the class and at times older than the instructor!  It is definitely showing in the assignments.  I am not a millennial, I am Generation X (Gen X'er) and if I did not read Millennials as Digital Natives: Myths and Realities by Kate Moran (2016), I would buy into a couple of the myths mentioned, such as multi-tasking and exhibiting more confidence with internet interfaces.  

     Source Image:  Martin Novak/Shutterstock.com

There is new terminology as explained in this video of keynote speaker, David White, who distinguishes between visitors and residents, that may be taking the place of the phrase digital natives.  Not to be thought of as two separate categories, but meant to be on a continuum of 'modes of engagement' while searching, surfing, or interacting socially in certain spaces within the internet.  In visitor mode individuals do not leave any social trace online, White likens searching for a task or goal online to going into a garden shed, grabbing the tool needed, and returning the tool once task completed (White / Le Cornu post, 2011) .  When in resident mode the individual is going online to connect to, or to be with, other people having a social presence as defined from the same blog post. White and Le Cornu liken the residents thought of the web as being a place, like a park or building, in which there are clusters of friends or colleagues with whom they can approach and share information about their life and work (2011).  So, have you ever put down on paper (oops, that would be a Gen X'er or older first go to) or plotted digitally by "mapping" how often you use an application or website?

These are some examples of Visitor and Resident mapping process coined by David White (no year indicated).  When mapping your time and sources on this map, it's not about how much or how often you visit a site or use an app, it is more about how much are you engaged in a task or how socially present are you within the internet?  An example of my mapping is as follows:

                                                                Image Source:  Author

No surprises here.  There is a question I have always had in the back of my mind when it comes to social media or using the internet in general.  Who has the time?  And why don't I?  For me, there is just so many other things I have to do.  On rainy or cold days, I could spend more time than usual online, however, there has to be a useful purpose.  I am just not checking off my to do list by sitting and surfing on a device.  I suppose most individuals may disagree with me, but I guess I am not there yet with social media.  I hear it from my long-distance friends when we see each other once a year, "Why aren't you on Facebook?"  Maybe one day...I'll get the itch to join.

Currently, my digital status is focused around the university courses.  Researching for assignments, utilizing Canvas, Blackboard, or D2L for learning management systems, and most recently, blogging, which may get the best of me.  Learning how to navigate through the applications or websites is taking  longer than what I would have expected, although, it is somehow getting done.

The apps I frequent most consistently are browser searches, I have tried others besides Google, like Duck, Duck, Go, but somehow, I feel like it's not enough information retrieval with the Duck.  Google maps is accurate most of the time and one of the smarter apps ever created.  It's great for driving to my kids sport games especially when in unfamiliar territory and not often enough to know the area.  Color Note is my digital long and short term memory part of my brain!  Holding much data that I don't have to clog my brain with trying to remember details of metainformation!   It took me awhile to use the  calendar and color note apps within the phone.  Totally a Gen X'er with not letting go of the (paper) sticky notes!  One day I will catch up to those of you who are a wiz at internet use, re-unite with long-distance friends or maybe not.  I still prefer face-to-face conversing, a physical printed book, and my desk at work is full of sticky notes at almost every corner.

Please comment for any questions / concerns / complaints...Bye for now!

     

Works Cited

https://daveowhite.com/vandr/  (blog)

https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1dEn22ztkgTSKYlE5MLAx-zL6y5YVwLAZ6NliM7eDCrw/edit (map)

https://elearningindustry.com/digital-natives-digital-immigrants (image article)

https://padlet.com/daveowhite/visitors-and-residents-maps-ruwxw2krnf 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUH-FrPyBqc