all know that kids say the “darndest things,” but sometimes they also ask
questions that make us scratch our heads.
A few months ago, through
our relationship with the Perot Museum of
Nature and Science, we had the privilege of speaking with kids about technology and
how it impacts their lives. We started with the basics of using earthly materials
in everything we make. It quickly moved to communication and ended with a
discussion about those electronic mobile marvels most of them carry. They know
their smartphones work. They know they can surf the web, download stuff,
share messages, pictures, and videos with their friends using smartphones. However,
even the technically savvy kids really have no idea how it actually happens.
During their visit, we suggested
the kids take a picture, using their phone, of the museum’s visitors in front
of a CommScope/Perot Museum banner hoping they would tweet about their day to
their friends. Many of them did, and that drove questions about how the
picture actually gets out to the web around the country and the world.
This is a simple question,
but it does not have a simple answer. It always amazes me how quickly children
can grasp information when they naturally relate to the matter at hand. It’s
not something you can force, but when you recognize it happening, it’s a great
opportunity. It becomes a test—a test of your ability to explain a complex
topic in a simple and engaging way. You must discuss it without relying on
techno-babble to impress or confuse your audience. Not an easy thing to
do. Go ahead. Try it. Answer the question--how does your tweet “automagically”
get around the world?
So, I started to think about
how we could show the core technology that enables the world to
communicate. I chose PowerPoint—my media of choice, despite my daughter’s
assertion that I should use interpretive dancers per a recent TED-Talk—and
our digital marketing team turned it into this wonderful video, “Twacking Your Tweet.”
This is a gift to all the
parents out there who get asked simple questions about how stuff works and
struggle for simple answers.
We may take the technology
for granted as the kids do, but we should never take the kids and their ability
to learn and inspire for granted.