Digital Natives: This is going to get really annoying

Over dinner the other night, my friend Robin told me about a goofy work meeting where the boss asked everyone born since 1977 to stand up. In a deep-voiced, boss tone, she mimicked her boss’s announcement, “Ladies and gentlemen, look around. These are our digital natives.”

Now, I understand that digital natives is a useful way to describe those born into digital technology and I’m sure that has some sort of important effect on “getting it” when it comes to technology. However, as this term enters the mainstream, I’m already starting to see it take on some cop out undertones by those who want an easy out for their inability to “get it” when it comes to technology.

I just have two things to say on this. One, I may have grown up with a PC, but I spent a lot of time surfing, troubleshooting and gaming instead of watching King of Queens. Two, the people I know who “get it” most were born before 1977.