It's a fact that we all communicate our ethnicity, usually without thinking about it. Your accent, skin tone or politics can all reveal where you come from.

And, now we are learning that how people absorb digital information also separates the natives from the immigrants.

Digital natives, those who grew up with the internet, absorb information differently to immigrants, those who did not.

Natives sail through online information somewhat randomly. They scan web pages for photos and video and read text only when the images capture their attention.

In contrast, digital immigrants tend to be more methodical. They prefer to read text to absorb information efficiently and will only invest time clicking on a video link if it will really add value to the story.

So, what is the best way to organise your web content to cater for this 'digital divide'?

Do you lead with a compelling headline or use a captivating image? Is it possible to design a site for two audiences at the same time or is it conceivable to have a transitional period without alienating either group?

The folk at The Guardian are now trying to address the issue. They have just redesigned their home page in an attempt to appeal to digital natives.

Editor-in-chief Emily Bell explained on her blog: 'We have placed a greater emphasis on the visual elements of the site, with pictures, interactives, graphics and video destined to play a much larger role in our future.

'The wider pages allow us to feature more news and different, dramatic layouts as the news agenda changes throughout the day. We will not be wedded to the fixed story and picture positions of more conventional sites and we want to offer users the best possible gateway into the full depth of our award-winning content.'

Creative editor Mark Porter explained the redesign in the context of serving the needs of digital natives.

He said the new site provides an 'opportunity for more serendipitous browsing in the vertical stack of picture-led links'.

I think what he is trying to say is that the site has been redesigned to meet the needs of the MTV generation, whose image-led surfing behaviour will be enticed by the new, visual format.

It is worth noting that the shortened attention span isn't strictly a digital phenomenon.

British Red Tops, or 'the popular press' as they are known in some circles, have always relied on articles, supplemented with lots of pretty pictures, that don't require readers to turn the page to finish. Now they, too, are finding it harder to turn a profit as many readers find they can get all the pictures they want without all that bothersome text — online.

The fact of the matter is that we now have access to more information than ever before. Plenty of 'cool' social networking tools make it possible to share content easily too.

This has its benefits, but there are downsides as well. Cyber-slamming, the deliberate spreading of misinformation and rumours online, directly targets digital natives who are more likely to be drawn in by such subterfuge.

These are the people who have made YouTube, MySpace and Twitter a hit and these sites are often the focus of slammers.

Thank goodness we can still trust the gatekeepers of respected news websites such as The Guardian and iomonline.co.im

The team at Isle of Man Newspapers has recently bolstered its web presence by increasing the number of picture links, adding video features and harnessing user-generated content by posting special focus blogs and reader photographs — making the move towards creating digital native appeal.

What does this mean for companies? It means they are going to have to figure out how to communicate with employees and customers who consume information in vastly different fashions.

They need to get a web designer who understands how to appeal to folks on both sides of the immigrant/native digital divide. An internet professional will help figure out how to make video work and stay on top of trends, while still keeping the focus on core business objectives.



>>Sherrilynne Starkie is the managing partner at Douglas-based Strive Public Relations, a virtual communications consultancy serving the Island's tech sector.

She provides her views on business and technology, and the business of technology, each week in Tech Talk. Visit her business blog, Strive Notes for frequent updates.

www.strivepr.com