The Death of the Digital Native: Re-evaluating Digital Literacy as a Class-Based Skill

Nila Sari Dewi; Ani Maghfiroh; Rian Sigit Gesang Permana

Authors

Nila Sari Dewi ITBA Dian Cipta Cendikia Author
Ani Maghfiroh Institut Agama Islam Hasyim Asy’ari Sumatera Selatan Author
Rian Sigit Gesang Permana STAI Ma'arif Kalirejo Author

Keywords:

Digital literacy, digital native myth, socioeconomic status (SES), educational equity, digital skills, technological scaffolding

Abstract

The concept of the "digital native," which posits that younger generations possess innate digital competency simply by virtue of their birth year, has profoundly influenced educational policy and public discourse since its introduction in 2001. However, this narrative literature review challenges the generational framing of digital literacy, arguing instead that it is fundamentally a class-based skill. Drawing on a systematic synthesis of literature spanning the sociology of education, educational technology, and digital equity studies, this review deconstructs the digital native myth and examines the evolution of the digital divide from physical access (first-level) to skills and usage (second-level) and offline outcomes (third-level). Findings consistently demonstrate that socioeconomic status (SES), comprising family income, parental education, and school quality, is the primary determinant of meaningful digital literacy. Furthermore, institutional reliance on the digital native assumption frequently amplifies these disparities by failing to provide explicit, structured digital skills instruction, an omission that disproportionately impacts students in underfunded schools. The review concludes that equitable digital education requires the abandonment of generational stereotypes in favor of holistic, cross-curricular frameworks that actively address the socio-cultural and economic structural barriers to digital competency.

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