Techno Faze

My son watches a lot of TV, and I am not that bothered by it. That is because most of the shows he is watching are not viewed on the large black rectangle in the living room, but on his computer screen. He does not just flip the channels on the remote, but surfs the web to find the information he was looking for. The best part is that he did not need lessons to learn his way around the computer, its more a part of his lifestyle, his generation's culture. He is at ease with interacting with the keyboard and mouse, something the last generation trained to do. Need a quick fact, look it up on the computer; need a thesaurus, look online; need a picture of George Washington for a report, surf through hundreds of depictions. He has a limitless appliance for finding the information he seeks, not a bookcase full of outdated encyclopedias. I overhear some parent's dismay with this approach, saying "The computer makes it easy for these kids, they can not learn this way." I wonder if that argument was made when the calculator was invented, what about the typewriter?  Remember when the word processor came into popularity? Did the backspace button hinder your ability to learn? There is a theory claiming that by making these remedial tasks easier, your time is unfettered to gain more knowledge, to learn more. My son will use technology in ways I never imagined, until the day when he will question the technology his son uses to unbind his time. 

Now has anyone seen my abacus, I need to balance my checkbook?