If my son plays his cards right, he will eventually see his first white male president. The fact I may have to one day explain how white men are qualified to run this country too, is mind boggling to me.
I recently watched a video online in which kids were given a cassette tape and struggled with the task of correctly placing it in a Walkman. I don’t ever remember it being that challenging.
My son probably wouldn’t know what to do with a VHS tape, a telephone with a cord attached (let alone a rotary), or a video game as archaic as Oregon Trail or Pong. The idea of needing film to take a picture will be completely foreign.
I’ve written about the digital vs. analog idea, and technology advancements before.
Whether the change is social (as in the presidency) or technological (as in an iPhone), sometimes it’s more difficult to gauge the full impact in real time.
Today’s high school students won’t have any concept for life before Sept. 11, 2001. Time marches on. What passed as modern history – what we saw thousands of times on television – will need to be read and taught. I’m sure it’s the way our parents felt about the Kennedy assassination. Again, change.
On the technological level, I didn’t have a cell phone until college. I distinctly remember telling people if I left the house I am OK with not being reached. Now, forgetting your phone is tantamount to forgetting your pants – it leaves you feeling naked and vulnerable.
How many versions of flip phones, phones that only called people, and Blackberries did we go through before we got to that point? It wasn’t really noticeable in the moment, but pretty soon not being able to check Facebook or email every 10 minutes left us feeling alone and disconnected. With technology, the standards changed.
I’ve brought Jamie into the basement a few times while I put a record on the record player, and we listen to “Bumpa’s” (Grandpa’s) music. There is something pure about the crackle of a record – music that has not been remastered and cleaned up. Sure, portability and durability are great. But so is listening to music the way it was meant to be.
I’m not really sure where I’m going with any of this. Sometimes I need to step back and look at the world the way a child now sees it. There’s so much that’s new, and there is so much that will change. There are people other than black men, white women, or Hispanics who are capable of being president.
I’m hopeful there will be more tolerance and more understanding. I am hopeful that we find ways to address the things we’ve totally screwed up, such as the prohibitive cost of higher education.
I am sure the technology will be astounding. What do we have now that he will laugh at? My CD collection? My film cameras? MP3’s? DVR’s? I want to know where the joke is. I mean past Internet Explorer, floppy disks, Myspace, and Windows. What else will be laughed at as it is improved upon?
If you like what you read, please vote for me by clicking the Top Daddy Blog Link below or sharing on social media. Thanks!
Facebook
Twitter