" What, sir, would you make a ship sail against the wind and currents by lighting a bonfire under her deck? I pray you, excuse me, I have not the time to listen to such nonsense."
- Napoleon Bonaparte, when told of Robert Fulton's steamboat.
We live in a time of constant innovation. Technology surges forward at speeds previously thought unimaginable. Science continues to open the doors to new ideas, new inventions and new ways of life. To parallel this continual enlightenment, it can be said that never before in the history of mankind has technology and science been so accessible to the common man. Consider for a moment the numerous modern miracles that we use on a daily basis; the cars we drive in, the radios and ipods we listen to, the cell phones that so easily connect us to friends and family, the internet that interweaves all nationalities, creeds and ideologies, the personal computer that allows any individual to compute and execute programs and algorithms at speeds that fifty years ago were simply theoretical.
Of course the list goes on; it is perhaps tiring to contemplate all the ways we are connected now, all the social networks that exist, all the devices that tie us together. On a similar note, it seems almost impossible that there are yet things to be invented to improve on what we have now. Our parents might have faced the same dilemma as they looked at their world: how can we ever improve on this? To provide a personal example, I remember having a picture book as a child that illustrated a car phone, and I remember thinking that that was the most amazing concept! The idea to have a phone built straight into your car was so unique, so fantastic, I dared to dream that one day I would have a car with that. Did I ever imagine the cell phone, or even the internet? Of course not, in my mind the world was perfect where it was, I wasn't looking for solutions because I didn't see the problems . .. or perhaps the potentials.
At this point in my life I quickly embrace new ideas, new concepts and certainly new technology! In my mind I see the world as an ever shrinking globe; new places, fresh ideas and opportunities to expand one's horizons are constantly opening in our time. It's exciting and something that I am eager to see continue. But a persistent and perhaps unsettling whisper in the back of my thoughts often slithers to the surface saying "you won't always be this way, some day you will grow to despise change". While it may seem trivial, or perhaps even juvenile, this thought is slowly becoming one of my deeper fears. I look at some of the older generation shunning the new and clinging onto the old. They turn a blind eye, and it some ways resent any of the new conveniences I personally enjoy. Why am I so concerned about all this, why does it frighten me?
I am afraid that I won't be able to speak to my children.
Now let me explain why I say this; for my generation I feel safe to say that we speak a different language then our parents did at our age. We speak in text, we speak in tweet, we speak in post, we speak in wall, we speak in comment, we speak in status. We network like never before, we communicate like never before, we connect like never before. There is a way to speak to us that is both unique and precious to our generation. It is becoming a common reality that a well crafted text message at the right time is just as precious to us as a hand written letter. These are our outlets of creativity and emotion, if you want to know who we are you have to speak our language.
That's why I become so concerned when I hear parents, or teachers or any adult with responsibilities to a youth say that they refuse to text, or e-mail or network. They lament that the youth "just don't know how to communicate anymore", that the old ways are the best and that they are sticking to them. Oh, if they only knew how much they lose when they so defiantly attempt to gain! Not to say that every member of my generation or those of the rising generation use technology equally for communication, not to say all of the youth are completely plugged in, but if your child is and you refuse to be, then you have lost more than you have gained in your crusade.
Along that same vein, I applaud the parents, teachers, leaders and advisers of youth who have decided to learn the language of their charges. They have reached out, stayed afloat of new technologies and have utilized them for their purpose: to enrich the lives of those they are responsible for. Perhaps it takes a little time, a little training, maybe even stepping out of one's comfort zone to do it, but the resulting relationships that can be created are more than ample reward for the effort. I hope that I will be able to be one of those sort of parents, that I will never lose the ability to talk to my children in their chosen language due to my own pride or stubbornness. I hope we all can make a similar commitment: to continue to seek out and embrace the good this world has to offer. Not only for us, but for generations to come.
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