年轻一代 | 都是数字神童吗？

India’s youth: Hit hard by the pandemic

人们自然而然地认为，出生在数字时代的年轻人理所应当可以更好地掌握使用新技术所需的技能。抛开这种老生常谈，现实情况其实要复杂得多。年轻人掌握数字新工具的能力，在很大程度上取决于所处的社会经济背景和家庭环境。

©️图为联合国教科文《信使》杂志2021年第2期，点击文末“阅读原文”可免费阅读本期数字版。

苏·贝内特 Sue Bennett

澳大利亚伍伦贡大学艺术、社会科学和人文学院及教育学院院长，教育领域信息和通信技术专家

教育顾问兼作家马克·普伦斯基（Marc Prensky）首次提出了“数字原住民”的说法，认为年轻人是“数字原住民”。20年前，这个词一经出现便风靡一时。此外，年轻人又被称作“网络一代”或“智能手机一代”，这些不同的说法有着同一主旨——年轻一代由于大量接触技术，已经与从前截然不同。 

据说，年轻人能够更加轻松地多线工作，注意力持续的时间较短，青睐视觉图像和互动，也更喜欢使用技术。因此，为了避免落后保守的观念和制度限制青年发挥才干，必然需要大刀阔斧地进行改革。 

问题是，起初，这种观点大多源自观察所见和趣闻轶事，几乎没有确凿的证据支持。但这很快就引起了研究人员的注意，他们很想知道上述说法能否成立。约从2005年起，人们开始在世界各地开展研究，分析年轻人在教育和日常生活中使用技术的情况。 

研究人员进行了大规模调查，询问年轻人可以接触到哪些设备，使用哪些应用程序和平台，以及使用它们的频率。同时，还在大中小学的课堂上，以及家庭和社区环境中开展了更为精细的小规模调研，观察年轻人使用技术的情况。

数字鸿沟

这些广泛而细致的调查工作反复得出相同的结论——“数字原住民”的标签看似整齐划一，但要给年轻人分门别类，并非易事。事实上，他们使用和思考数字技术的方式极其多样化。此外，通过比较几代人的情况，并未发现有证据表明年轻人具有先天优势。上了年纪的人同样可以自信满满地熟练使用相同的技术，他们也确实是这样做的。

更重要的是，社会经济因素对年轻人的影响至关重要，决定着年轻人是否有机会掌握技术技能和知识。这些因素还影响着他们的教育机会、工作出路和社交圈子。

例如，2007年对英国1500名9至19岁的青年进行了研究，发现家庭收入高，网络连接的质量会更高，使用频率也更高，由此可以增强人们在运用技术时的自信心和熟练度。2008年对美国18至26岁群体进行研究发现，受教育程度越高的人越有可能开展有助于提升自我修养的线上活动。

2015年经济合作与发展组织（OECD）报告，《学生、计算机与学习：建立连接》注意到这种模式正在不断延续。报告指出，通往技术的物质门槛降低了，但出身背景较为优越的年轻人可以利用上网时间学习，掌握更加全面和有益的技能。由此揭示出，能够增强自身能力，有效利用技术来实现预期成果的人，与那些不具备这种能力的人之间始终存在“数字鸿沟”。

©️ Shutterstock/greenaperture

打破成见

在年轻人和技术的问题上，我们不能一概而论，也不能仅凭假设。的确，我们总是希望在一代人身上找到一些共同的特点，我们身处的时代也决定着我们的面貌。但这种观点忽视了影响个人成长和人生机遇的背景差异，而这种背景差异恰恰是更为重要的因素。依据年龄来判断特点会产生误导，并会导致人们忽视障碍和不平等问题，实际上可能有害无利。

从更加细致入微的角度来看待这个问题，便可以深入探究社会经济环境在使用技术方面起到了哪些作用，熟练且自信地运用技术可以为我们创造哪些机会。

接下来重要的一步是要认识到，人们接触技术的方式多种多样。随着购买成本的降低，有更多年轻人用上了各种设备，而且往往是属于他们自己的设备。但是，智能电话的功能显然不同于笔记本电脑，有限的移动数据接入和高速宽带在质量上也有显著的差异。设备完善的家庭可以轻松实现向居家学习和居家办公的过渡，而设备不足和网络连接受限的家庭则会遭遇重重困难。由于疫情限制了人们的活动和能力，许多年轻人享受不到免费的公共无线网络，也无法使用大中小学或工作场所的高速网络。

无处不在的屏幕

我们还必须认识到，社会背景决定着人们使用技术的情况。这包括家庭、教育工作者、朋友和社区将技术用于学习、工作和娱乐的方式。社交往来决定了年轻人如何看待技术在生活中的各种可能性。由于 COVID-19 大流行迫使人们保持社交距离，我们比以往任何时候都要依赖技术。因此，更便捷的网络连接和更丰富的社交网络，体现出明显的优势。

早在疫情暴发之前，技术对于教育成绩、工作生活、社会参与和休闲娱乐的重要性就在与日俱增。而非常时期之下，向远程教学、居家办公和在线社交的快速切换，只会加速这一趋势。

归根结底，所谓年轻人“天生具有数字能力”的说法突显出长期存在的数字不平等现象。受此鞭策，我们应深入审视这些差异，并采取行动，努力建设适应各个年龄段群体的、更加包容的数字化社会。

相关链接

《Z世代自述》

联合国教科文组织《信使》

https://unesco.exposure.co/z?source=share-UNESCO

《重塑学校的机会》

联合国教科文组织《信使》

https://en.unesco.org/courier/2020-3/opportunity-reinvent-school

远程学习中令人担忧的数字鸿沟

https://zh.unesco.org/news/yuan-cheng-xue-xi-zhong-ling-ren-dan-you-shu-zi-hong-gou

OECD Students, Computers and Learning Report

https://www.oecd.org/publications/students-computers-and-learning-9789264239555-en.htm

©️ Shutterstock/Rick Neves

Are all young people digital whiz-kids?

It is easy to believe that young people, born in the digital age, would naturally be better equipped with the necessary skills to use new technologies. Beyond the cliché, however, the reality is much more complex. The ability of the younger generation to master new digital tools depends very much on their socio-economic backgrounds and family environment.

Sue Bennett 

Head of School, Faculty of the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, and at the School of Education, University of Woolongong, Australia, with an expertise in information and communication technologies in education.

The idea of young people being ‘digital natives’ – a term coined by education consultant and author Marc Prensky – first became popular twenty years ago. They have also been referred to as the ‘net generation’ and ‘smartphone generation’, seeking to capture the same central idea that younger generations are fundamentally different because of their exposure to technology.

It was claimed that young people could multitask more easily, had shorter attention spans, preferred visuals and interactivity, and liked using technology more. As a consequence, a radical change would be needed to ensure that old-fashioned ideas and institutions did not limit the capacities of these young generations.

The problem was that much of this early commentary was based on observations and anecdotes, with little hard evidence to back up these claims. But the idea soon began to attract the attention of researchers who were keen to investigate whether the claims stacked up. From the mid-2000s, studies were done around the world to look at how young people used technology for their education and in their everyday lives.

Researchers conducted large-scale surveys asking about what devices young people had access to, what apps and platforms they used, and how often. Detailed, smaller-scale studies to observe technology use were also carried out in school and higher-education classrooms, homes and community settings. 

Digital divides

The results from this extensive and careful work have repeatedly pointed to the same conclusion – that young people are not as easily categorized as the ‘digital native’ label suggests. They are, in fact, very diverse in the ways they use and think about digital technology. Also, comparisons between generations have not provided evidence that younger people have an inherent advantage. Older people can and do become skilled and confident using the same technologies.

Even more importantly, within the younger generation, socio-economic factors were found to play a major role in the opportunities young people have to develop technology skills and knowledge. These affect their opportunities for education, work, and social connection.

A 2007 study in the United Kingdom of 1,500 9- to 19-year-olds, for example, found that higher-income households had better quality of access, allowing more frequent use – which allowed them to develop greater confidence and proficiency with technology. And a 2008 study in the United States of 18- to 26-year-olds found that those with higher levels of education undertook online activities that were more self-enhancing.

The continuation of these patterns was captured in the 2015 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) report Students, Computers and Learning: Making the Connection. It suggests that while material access to technology has increased, young people from more advantaged backgrounds spend their time online doing activities that develop more comprehensive and beneficial skills. This reveals ongoing ‘digital divides’ between those who have been able to develop the capabilities to use the technology effectively to achieve their desired outcomes, and those who have not.

Breaking away from stereotypes

We must resist making generalizations and assumptions about young people and technology. There is an undeniable attraction to generational traits, and there is no denying that we are all shaped by the times we are born into. But that overlooks much more important contextual differences that influence our development and shape our life chances. Ascribing characteristics according to age is misleading, and may actually be harmful because it causes us to overlook barriers and inequities.

Taking a more nuanced view would allow us to delve deeper into how socio-economic circumstances play a role in technology use – and the opportunities that being skilled and confident with technology provide us.

Appreciating that technology access is variable is a next critical step. As the cost of purchasing technology has come down, more young people have access to devices, and often devices of their own. But there are distinct differences between what can be accomplished on a mobile phone compared to a laptop, and between the quality of limited mobile data access and high-speed broadband. Well-equipped homes made the transition to learning and working from home fairly easily. It was much more challenging for households with limited devices and connectivity. And as the pandemic restricted movement and capacity, many young people lost access to free public Wi-Fi, or fast access at school, college, university or workplaces.

Omnipresent screens

We must also recognize that social contexts shape technology use. This includes how families, educators, friends and communities use technology for learning, work, and play. These social contacts shape how young people see the possibilities for technologies in their lives. With the Covid-19 pandemic keeping us physically apart, we have become more dependent on technology than ever. As a result, better access and richer social networks are distinct advantages.

Even before the pandemic, technology had become increasingly essential to educational attainment, working life, social engagement and leisure. The rapid shift to emergency remote teaching, working from home, and socializing online, has only accelerated the trend.

Ultimately, ‘digital as default’ has brought the digital inequalities that have long existed into sharp relief. This should provoke us to further scrutinize those differences, and to act to create a more digitally inclusive society for people of all ages.

©️该文章及图片版权归联合国教科文《信使》杂志所有

部分图片来自 Shutterstock

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