A digital native refers to an individual who has grown up using technology and is considered a “native speaker” of electronic media's digital language.

Students who are labelled “digital natives” are said to have a “natural affinity with technology, and seemingly, are able to effortlessly adopt and adapt to change in the digital landscape” (Waycott, Bennett, Kennedy, Dalgarno, & Gray, 2010, p. 1202). This generation of learner multi-tasks efficiently, works quickly, and favours interactivity while learning (Prensky, 2001a; Tapscott, 1998). A digital immigrant is someone who was not raised in a digital environment but still uses and adopts many aspects of technology (Prensky, 2001a). These terms gained significance in education when Marc Prensky (2001a) made claims that educational systems were not meeting the needs of digital native students.
Emerging research is starting to question the digital native phenomenon on a number of fronts. Claiming a lack of empirical and theoretical evidence, researchers are beginning to question Prensky's assertions, pointing to an urgent need for more studies (Bennett, Maton, Kervin, 2008; Guo, Dobson & Petrina, 2008; Wolf, 2008).
In 2009 Prensky, himself, reconsidered and questioned the relevancy of the distinction between the digital native and immigrant. He introduced an alternative term, digital wisdom which transcends age. The digitally wise person not only understands how to use technology but is able to use it to enhance cognitive processes. ( Prensky, 2009). A less polarizing distinction was made by David White and Alison Le Cornu (2011) who use the terms visitor and resident as opposed to digital native and immigrant citing that the spectrum between visitor and resident evolves is not static or based on generational differences.

Digital Natives and Immigrants. (2015, February 9). ETEC 510, . Retrieved 17:00, September 27, 2015 from http://etec.ctlt.ubc.ca/510wiki/index.php?title=Digital_Natives_and_Immigrants&oldid=62390.