[IOTD][#12] Technology shaping perspectives

Originally published on Medium on October 25, 2018 · Written by hand, Pre-AI era.

How long can you keep up with new technology?

I taught myself how to code since the age of 15, my entire career has been in nothing but tech. Yet I already starting to feel like I’m getting left behind.

My definition of computer was a bulky unmovable thing, its main purposes were for games and manage files! Today computer has become so much integral part of life, we literally do everything with computers.

As a kid growing up, I’ve already been good with anything tech: I built my own PCs, fix my computers, setup my own modem, routers, wifi, TVs, mixers, speakers, even lights, LED, … basically, anything with electricity running through it. My whole perspective on tech has been ‘easy’, or ‘common sense’. I immediately know how any new tech gadget works. Sometimes I can even ‘feel’ where the issue with the OS is simply by touching the mouse and move it around a little bit.

Within not even 1/4 of a life generation, computers has become commoditised starting as a luxury tool. I’m lucky, to have access to computers at a very early stage and early years when the mind was super curious. Hence my fundamentals on technology were baked in the blood.

One day, I overheard some kids at a cafe talking about wifi and password, it went something like “wifi is internet and you just need a password to use Google”. I was stunned, and awed by the idea. It is such an amazing perspective I have never really thought about. Of course wifi is not internet, but damn it, how do you explain where Internet comes from to a milenial! They did not witness the born of modem, LAN, routers! They would probably think that Internet has a life by itself! That might even be true when your kids grow up.

On to the next example: the Gen X-er and xellenials’ idea of a smart phone is still very much for call and text, a commucation tool. Now imagine yourself in your kid’s shoe, when your whole life, a phone always come with a camera and youtube movies. What do you think then his/her perspective on technology? A phone is an “entertainment tool”?

Against the ‘common wisdom’, I taught my 5 year old kid to reach out to me via an iPad mini, dedicated to just one Facetime app. I setup different icons on the screen for myself, his mommy, his grandparents… So for a boy who can already know how to unlock an iPhone and look for Youtube icon at the age of 3, this is no brainer. I haven’t taugh him the “hey Siri, call daddy” trick yet, but we’ll get there soon enough.

When all of these technology becomes the new baseline, when luxury tech becomes commodity, we create a whole new generation of tech savvy babies that is going to push the technology boundaries further than we can imagine… I hope!