Computers: A Family Evolution
I went to a public seminar at gameCODE yesterday afternoon which addressed results from an ethnographic study on internet usage for kids between the ages of 7-17 (might be a little off on the age range)
For the most part, the quotes used from the children to make her point about perceptions of the internet, mp3 sharing and the 'dangers' lurking online were comical but rang true - as a mother of two (8 & 12) internet using children.
In a connected house such as ours - half of our double living room is dedicated to a network of three computers and a laptop on the wireless network - computers and the internet is the most common form of entertainment, communication and academic tool. After Leslie Shade's talk, I started thinking about my beginnings in computer usage, and how, with each generation the perception of the virtual - being connected - becomes blurred into what i see with my girls as part of their daily reality. They understand the idea behind the virtual and the tangible, but it is so much part of their lives, that there is little seperation between the two - if any at all.
I think about my father, who was always up on the latest technology, had the home computer introduced to him in his early thirties, I think of myself, where my first home computer was in my early 20's, my oldest daughter was 4 (i think) when we bought it, and my youngest daughter was born into the house that had a computer...
I remember having to create a simple (asc11 i think) program in grade 7 on our schools commodore 64's...simple "if x = y then goto" type lines that ran the user through a series of jeopardy type questions.. and I look at the type of things my children use the computer for .. homework, MSN with schoolmates, surfing the net (instead of the channels) when bored...
Getting a chance to touch the computer was such a novelty for me when i was young - and now i think about the fact that my girls have their own today ... I guess I'm just starting to feel a little old seeing how far technology and childhood has come ... heh
I went to a public seminar at gameCODE yesterday afternoon which addressed results from an ethnographic study on internet usage for kids between the ages of 7-17 (might be a little off on the age range)
For the most part, the quotes used from the children to make her point about perceptions of the internet, mp3 sharing and the 'dangers' lurking online were comical but rang true - as a mother of two (8 & 12) internet using children.
In a connected house such as ours - half of our double living room is dedicated to a network of three computers and a laptop on the wireless network - computers and the internet is the most common form of entertainment, communication and academic tool. After Leslie Shade's talk, I started thinking about my beginnings in computer usage, and how, with each generation the perception of the virtual - being connected - becomes blurred into what i see with my girls as part of their daily reality. They understand the idea behind the virtual and the tangible, but it is so much part of their lives, that there is little seperation between the two - if any at all.
I think about my father, who was always up on the latest technology, had the home computer introduced to him in his early thirties, I think of myself, where my first home computer was in my early 20's, my oldest daughter was 4 (i think) when we bought it, and my youngest daughter was born into the house that had a computer...
I remember having to create a simple (asc11 i think) program in grade 7 on our schools commodore 64's...simple "if x = y then goto" type lines that ran the user through a series of jeopardy type questions.. and I look at the type of things my children use the computer for .. homework, MSN with schoolmates, surfing the net (instead of the channels) when bored...
Getting a chance to touch the computer was such a novelty for me when i was young - and now i think about the fact that my girls have their own today ... I guess I'm just starting to feel a little old seeing how far technology and childhood has come ... heh
posted by Kelly at
10:30
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