Consumidores digitais: um olhar sobre nativos e imigrantes digitais nas plataformas de redes sociais

• Ano de defesa: 2026
• Autor(a) principal: Xavier, Alice Melo
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Tipo de acesso: Acesso aberto
• Idioma: por
• Instituição de defesa: Universidade Federal de Santa Maria; Brasil; UFSM; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Comunicação; Centro de Ciências Sociais e Humanas
• Palavras-chave em Português: Comunicação; Nativos e imigrantes digitais; Plataformas de redes sociais; Letramentos digitais; Consumo midiático; Communication; Digital natives and immigrants; Social media platforms; Digital literacy; Media consumption; CNPQ::CIENCIAS SOCIAIS APLICADAS::COMUNICACAO
• Link de acesso: http://repositorio.ufsm.br/handle/1/38450

This dissertation aims to analyze the differences in social media platform usage between digital natives and digital immigrants, based on criteria such as technological familiarity, autonomy, and adaptation strategies. The research stems from the original concept proposed by Prensky (2001) and is supported by the critical review conducted by Evans and Robertson (2020), which identifies four theoretical phases in its evolution: conception, reaction, adaptation, and reconceptualization. The theoretical framework further encompasses the digitalization of communication processes, digital and media literacies, and media consumption in digital environments, seeking to understand how these factors influence user behavior. The study adopts a mixed-methods approach, comprising structured questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, allowing for an integrated analysis of practices and perceptions regarding digital technology use across different generations. Based on theoretical and empirical analysis, a proprietary categorization was developed to reconfigure the concepts of Digital Natives and Immigrants by integrating socio-educational and ethical variables. These variables define distinct profiles of consumption and circulation within platforms, while also considering the integration of digital technologies in the Brazilian context. Results revealed significant behavioral nuances, indicating that digital fluency on social media is not merely generational but results from daily use associated with specific knowledge. The findings suggest that different trajectories of technological inclusion shape distinct views on consumption, directly impacting the construction of social ties and privacy management. The study concludes that the digital consumer's role is reconfigured within the logic of social media platforms, requiring literacy levels that range from the naturalized exposure common among Digital Natives to the cautious and pragmatic filtering characteristic of Digital Immigrants.