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Imagine you have no cell phone, just an old dial-controlled landline that only works when plugged into a wall outlet. No internet, just a bulky set of encyclopedias and/or a trip to your library. And when you get to the library, they have no computers either, so you have to wade through those little pieces of paperboard in the card catalogue.
Imagine you have no Google Maps or Waze on your trips; you need to unfold a map and navigate on your own. Imagine you have no calculator. You get to use a pencil and paper or slide rule. Imagine when you take pictures, you have no idea how they came out until you get the film developed and printed. Imagine the only way to buy stuff is in person, at a store, with cash — and they’re closed Sundays. And if they don’t have what you want and need to order it, it will take a week or more for it to be in your hands.
There are, of course, plenty of people still alive who don’t need to imagine any of these things, that’s how it was when they were kids. They managed well enough to land a job, and are at — or working toward — retirement.
Most, if not all, learned to use cell phones and then smart phones, digital cameras and internet search engines (though it helped to know if Lycos, Alta Vista or another offering worked best for their needs). To keep their jobs, they mastered word processing software and email, maybe Excel, Photoshop and Illustrator (after learning CorelDRAW or QuarkXPress). In short, they adapted to changes that kept coming faster and faster.
By comparison, their parents graduated high school (or may have even dropped out), got a job and made a good living with much less need to keep learning new skills.
Today’s children, on the other hand, need as much training and experience in modern technology as we can give them, as early as possible. They need to learn to adapt to big changes even as they work their way through school, and remain adaptable as lifelong learners.
This is why Wednesday’s page 1 story about a donation to the SHINE after school program from AT&T ranks way up there in both practical and symbolic value. As AT&T Pennsylvania Director David Kerr put it, “It’s about future jobs.”
With few exceptions, children today will need to master — and keep up with — rapidly evolving tech. Even as they grow up, Artificial Intelligence is shifting from dream to ubiquitous, with the imminent advent of Artificial General (or “Generative”) Intelligence sure to dramatically reshape how most of what we do gets done.
So yes, the company’s donation of 100 laptops and $30,000 for students who are most at risk of slipping behind in the digital world is important. It increases odds that AT&T itself will have a better-prepared pool of potential employees five or ten years from now. Other companies have realized the value of aiding in tech education, and those who haven’t seen this light should take a close look.
At a media event announcing the donation, Wilkes University President Greg Cant talked about how primitive his education was in comparison to what these students are getting. No smart devices, no computers, no learning software that tailors lessons to each students needs.
He evoked laughter when he predicted “a bunch of you (will) come to Wilkes University someday” — though it never hurts to start recruiting early. But he was spot on when he added that for any education journey these days, getting better online access both in school and (importantly) at home “is the beginning.”
Yes, online access has risks to children (and adults), from scams to predators to the time-wasting addiction of social media. But the days when it was merely an “advantage” are long gone. The question is increasingly: How do we make sure every student has high speed access.
Donations like this are one answer.
— Times Leader