This week, faculty, students, and parents were treated to a great talk by David Pogue, the founder of YahooTech.com and the former personal-technology columnist for the New York Times.  Pogue discussed emerging trends in technology and demonstrated the tremendous computing power that we all have on our smart phones. He made clear how software developers are leveraging the computing power of our phones to change the way we interact with the world and one another. One groundbreaking app that allows users to "augment reality" is Word Lens, where one can use the camera on a phone to translate Spanish and other language text to English. (I wish I had this app when I was in school.)  He talked about the world of Web 2.0, namely, the massive shift to audience-generated content on websites like Wikipedia, Facebook, Flickr, or YouTube through which people become connected by common interests.

 

The crux of Pogue’s talk was about the implications of this technology on human relationships. We have a generation of children born after the invention of the Internet and whose entire lives have been lived in a tech-laden world. He predicts that we are about to experience one of the biggest generation gaps in history, where the lives of our children’s generation and our own are more radically different than any two generations in history.

 

Children that have grown up with smart phones and instant access to the web have been shaped by a "real time" perception and expectations of the world.  Everything is “on demand”: their TV, their books, and their music.  Everything must be available instantly, no matter where they are, and they must be able to access it while also doing other things.   Pogue says today’s generation is far more willing than their parents to trade their privacy for access to products and services that give them these real-time experiences.  

 

Pogue emphasized that this radically changed world requires that we teach children lessons about ethics and morality. In my view, this is about how we treat one another and about knowing the potential dangers and risks of technology. Pogue talked about the need to explain to young people the permanence and very public nature of Tweets, Facebook posts, and texts. We are creating a digital footprint that will last forever.  He talked about the need to teach kids about security and safety online. Finally, he emphasized how critical it is to help kids discern fact from fiction on the Internet and to teach them the need for accuracy and credibility.  (Check out snopes.com if you want to learn more.)

 

I urge you to check out David Pogue's blog at https://www.yahoo.com/tech/author/david-pogue.  His current post is titled "Why are People Such Jerks On-line?"  It is a great piece that captures the humor and insight that we got to see during his visit to our campus.  Thanks to David Pogue for visiting CA.