Yahoo.com’s tech page recently reported that 50 million tablet computers, the vast majority being Apple’s iPad, are estimated to ship in 2011. Combine these numbers with those on the ever-expanding smart phone market and it becomes increasingly clear that a trend is developing in technology. More and more people are turning to mobile devices for their portability and ease of use. Instead of shunning this new wave of portable technology, it’s critical that students embrace it so they do not fall into the trap so many of the older generations fell victim to—the trap of willful ignorance leading to an inability to function in modern times.
Perhaps you can recall your parents’ initial feelings about personal computers. Many people of our parents’ age were intimidated by computers or so uninterested they either never learned how to properly operate one or are still bordering on clueless. This sort of reaction by the established generation was one that was to be expected to a certain degree. Learning a new technology with nothing to base your knowledge upon is a difficult process, especially as an adult.
When learning something completely new, it requires a certain amount of unlearning old information. As a member of a generation that was raised on computers, it’s critical that we meet the new technology as it becomes available and not fall into the trap of ignorance many of the previous generations still suffer from today.
Looking at the members of our parents’ generation most profoundly affected by the great recession, the specific group that cannot be ignored is former skilled manufacturers. So many of these people earned an honest wage for years before seeing their jobs eliminated or shipped overseas and are now seemingly without hope because of their lack of any sort of computer skills—skills that are required in most careers capable of generating a middle class income in the modern economy. It is critical that we learn from their mistakes.
With the rise of mobile devices like smart phones and tablet computers, people in their early 20s are witnessing the first great shift in computing technology in their lifetimes. Rather than relying on a mouse and keyboard, these new devices call for users to familiarize themselves with touch-screen interfaces and executing specific tasks through a variety of specialized mobile applications.
The technology is expanding rapidly with over 100,000 downloadable applications now available in the Apple iTunes store. Some people have brushed off the concept of something like an iPad, saying it will never catch on and comparing its name to a feminine hygiene product. As funny as the name might be, the technology is here to stay and now would be a good time to start making peace with it.
Rather than naysaying mobile computers as so many of our parents did personal computers, it’s critical that our generation learn their intricacies so we do not fall behind. This is not to say that buying a brand-new iPad 2.0 is going to land you an awesome job in the city of your choice, but perhaps a day will come when such knowledge will help to make it a possibility. It’s possible that smart phones and iPads could very well be replaced by something better and brighter in the near future. But if the past generation has taught us anything, it’s that we should not simply assume this new wave to simply be a passing fad, or we too might fall into the trap.
