The youth and the technology*

I’m very lucky to have two nieces (aged: 11 & 5) and two nephews (aged: 13 & 1). The more time I spend with them, the more geekily excited I get about the future whilst simultaneously feeling behind the times aged 23. It’s been amazing to watch them grow up and I am always interested to see their interactions with technology, be it with a computer, a mobile phone or even a kitchen appliance (we made a grilled cheese sandwich, and I had a 5 year old instruct me on how to operate it).

What really amazes me is that the younger two are iPhone proficient (yes, even the 1 year old). Touch gestures are all they’ll ever know of mobile devices and what they’ve come to expect, and anything with buttons just isn’t cool. It creates a sense of awe for me around Steve Jobs. One man has changed the way we interact with mobiles and has influenced what we’ve come to expect of technology. What, you mean it doesn’t automatically sync, have the latest apps and can play Peppa Pig? Not interested. My nephew couldn’t unlock my HTC Desire, so he promptly gave up trying and moved on to the football next to him.

Meanwhile, the eldest is ‘so over’ the iPhone aged 13 and has moved onto a Blackberry. Why? ‘Everyone’s got an iPhone, I want to be different’. That’s the same reason I moved onto Android, and I’d count myself as an early adopter. Whilst iPhones are great, and I do miss mine at times, what is going to be the next big thing? Sure, an iPhone 5 or mini might be on the cards, but will either be a radical step from the current range? How can Mr Jobs recapture the early adopters whilst appealing to the masses? I’m not sure they can, but I’ll be interested to see any attempts…

*I realise I’ve written my first blog on Apple – slightly controversial but it won’t become a trend!