iGeneration
how Internet-savvy they are and how fast their smartphones
navigate cyberspace. But each and every kid acted like this
practice was commonplace.
A few days later, I had another enlightening experience. A
colleague’s 7-year-old son, Mikey, has his own iPad courtesy
of his grandpa. A week ago, he was visiting our lab and
wanted to print something from his iPad. His dad said that
he would have to wait until he got home because although
our new printer had Bluetooth access, nobody had yet figured
out how to make it work. Mikey got to work and had his
© BEN WELSH/DESIGN PICS/CORBIS
document printing in 10 minutes.
My colleague told me that when the family decided to
upgrade the computer operating system at home, Mikey
volunteered to do it. In an hour, all the laptops in the house
had the new operating system. I could go on and on about
Mikey’s prowess, but his dad assures me that he is just like all
his friends; although he’s smart, his comfort and ease in using
technology are nothing special.
One last story, about an even younger child. I was at a
restaurant the other night and watched a mom hand her
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