> I had high hopes with our generation but looks like most of the people in early twenties are not much better.
I know a 12 years old who can't watch photos on a usb stick or a cd-rom if the windows dialog "what do you want to do ?" doesn't show up when inserting the disc or the stick on the computer. But he has mean fingers to send a gazillion sms per minute.
I know adults who seem unable to grasp the concept of resolution as they keep adding 4000x4000 pixels images in their powerpoint. And they seem to forget as soon as I tell them where the "shrink images" function is.
My outlook on this is that things haven't changed since the 90's (when I was a teen): some people want to know how computers work or make them work "better" and some just want stuff done. The first are more technologically literate (more like jack-of-all-trades) than the second but I am not convinced they are automatically better set for life as a result or that what they do with the computer is more appreciated.
Nah, the other half is just stupid or lazy. It's the same kind of people who will ignore screwdriver and will try to pry the bolt out with pliers unless they have been shown the benefits of using the proper tool in the past 15 minutes.
I work at a large library and the smart, non-tech people are genuinely interested in improving their and their peers' effectiveness and are willing to learn. I frequently chat with a friend who can make shoes, design and construct electrical devices, build small buildings, survive in nature and anonymously watch things he's interested in on the Internet. He frequently asks about relevant things and gives advice from his fields of knowledge.
I know a 12 years old who can't watch photos on a usb stick or a cd-rom if the windows dialog "what do you want to do ?" doesn't show up when inserting the disc or the stick on the computer. But he has mean fingers to send a gazillion sms per minute.
I know adults who seem unable to grasp the concept of resolution as they keep adding 4000x4000 pixels images in their powerpoint. And they seem to forget as soon as I tell them where the "shrink images" function is.
My outlook on this is that things haven't changed since the 90's (when I was a teen): some people want to know how computers work or make them work "better" and some just want stuff done. The first are more technologically literate (more like jack-of-all-trades) than the second but I am not convinced they are automatically better set for life as a result or that what they do with the computer is more appreciated.