Digital Age Education: A Bibliometric Review of Digital Natives Across Two Decades

Abstract

Digital natives are a generation that grew up using technology as their main means of communication. Despite the relevance of the topic, there is still a lack of comprehensive bibliometric studies linking the concept of digital natives to the educational context. This work analyzes academic production on digital natives in education between 2001 and 2023, highlighting recent trends. Data from the Scopus database and the VOSviewer software were used for bibliometric analysis. Authors such as Bennett, Antón-Sancho, and Fernández-Arias stood out, and the most cited article was “Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants Part 1” by Prensky (2001), a central reference in the field. The research identified five main thematic lines: computational education, social networks, digital age, educational training, mobile technologies, and e-learning. The most relevant terms for future investigations include digital competence, smartphone, application, gamification, educational technology, and digital age. The study stands as a reference in bibliometric studies on digital natives in the educational context, emphasizing the importance of future research on teaching technologies and the role of citation networks and emerging subthemes. Finally, it highlights the need for educational institutions to adapt their methodologies to the digital age, promoting innovative practices aligned with contemporary demands.