Teens react to 90s internet

It does surprise me these days how quick kids are on the uptake tech wise, my nephew even at the age of 2 would tell the difference between a real phone and even a fairly convincing looking toy one and was fascinated by my projector even before it was turned on. At almost 4 he is now fully capable of using basic functions of an android tablet unassisted. I doubt at that age (30 years ago) I'd be even close to having that understanding.

Some of my other relatives in the ~7-16 age range have demonstrated they can get past any run of the mill content filtering on the internet connection with ease (probably fairly common knowledge that has gone around at school due it in use there) if I wanted to prevent them having full internet access (as other older relatives requested) it would take a far more comprehensive and managed/monitored system.
 
GodAtum said:
If you brought an ipad back to the 80s and asked a 5 year old to use it they would have no idea.
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I wonder if you're right? No way to know I suppose, but I suspect not. There's something very intuitive about touchscreen controls which seems to make them easier to pick up for kids.
 
Saw a great cartoon recently (think someone had put it on linked in) of an adult holding a floppy disk saying to a child that they probably hasn't seen one of these before and the kid replying "wow, you made a 3d model of the save icon!"
 
Rroff said:
It does surprise me these days how quick kids are on the uptake tech wise, my nephew even at the age of 2 would tell the difference between a real phone and even a fairly convincing looking toy one and was fascinated by my projector even before it was turned on. At almost 4 he is now fully capable of using basic functions of an android tablet unassisted. I doubt at that age (30 years ago) I'd be even close to having that understanding.

Some of my other relatives in the ~7-16 age range have demonstrated they can get past any run of the mill content filtering on the internet connection with ease (probably fairly common knowledge that has gone around at school due it in use there) if I wanted to prevent them having full internet access (as other older relatives requested) it would take a far more comprehensive and managed/monitored system.
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My 11 year old neice is quite adept at programming after watching her brother doing some coding work, (second year comp science student). I still struggle with basic use of windows at times lol.:o
 
It's just a basic ability of the very young, they pick up whatever is around them. Look at the children of any expert musician, sportsman or academic. They tend to pick up what their parents do. Language is a good example and up until around double figures can be completely forgotten and a new one acquired. As they say youth is wasted on the young! ;)
 
Used a computer first time age 6 at a school fate, this was 1979 and it was a kit computer running on a black and white TV. Year later had an Atari 400 16k with BASIC and began programming. Not much information back then, computer magazines did not exist and you purchased electronics magazines with new computer sections added on. Had to teach myself everything, no one to ask.

Stuck with computers, finished Software Engineering degree in 1997. Worked in software since, mainly large enterprise projects, worked at lead developer / architect level.

Kids today are no different, just far more information, and computers / devices are much cheaper. They would complain with the old technology today, but 35 years ago saving your first program to tape I found fascinating.
 
I don't think kids are more intelligent, it's more that modern technology is more intuative compared to old technology and that home electronics is now commonplace.
 
Kids have access to technology at ever younger ages, it's nothing to do with kids being smarter these days. our generation(s) would have been just as adept if we had the same technology around during our younger years.
 
james.miller said:
Kids have access to technology at ever younger ages, it's nothing to do with kids being smarter these days. our generation(s) would have been just as adept if we had the same technology around during our younger years.
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Yep, agree 100%. There is an argument to say we may have been better in our younger days. Most tech was difficult to get your head around when we were younger, but we did it. Clocking for instance, took time, patience, and a lot of understanding of the tech at the time. That's not the case nowdays.
I'm pretty shure though that modern youngsters would still be able to do what we did..................................how many of them would have the patience though, is a different matter ;)
 
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