You are correct. But with a good number of people shifting from using traditional format computers to just their smartphones, there is a kernel of truth in the statement. Perhaps you sit at a desk and stare at spreadsheets or terminals to write code. I think this causes a certain bias among the tech cognisante in believing that everyone still owns a computer-- and many people still do. But there is a very great number of people that no longer own a traditional computer and don’t even want/can’t afford one. And many of them just own an iPhone for their basic everyday needs.
What I find scary that when I spent 4 years teaching math at my local school, many couldn’t use a mouse when faced with traditional computing tasks. And I needed to spend a class period teaching them how. If it doesn’t have touch screen they didn’t want to use it.
That’s just intellectually lazy, like not wanting to use a flight joystick or a ddr mat. Touch isn’t superior in all ways, it’s just a different way. For example, with a mouse, it’s wildly physically efficient, you can just rest your arm and wrist on the table and barely move and get tons of stuff done, quickly and PRECISELY, and virtually never get tired.
What age group(s) were the kids you were teaching? Were they gen alpha?
9-year-olds through 13-year-olds. So gen whatever we’re up to these days.
You need to understand that they start with iPads as young as 5 and use those until they are about 11 years old. And by 5th or 6th grade they get a smartphone. All touchscreen all the time. By 6th grade they get a Chromebook with a touch screen and touchpad. So by the time I needed them to use mouse, they not only had never used one, but a shocking number had ever seen one in real life, there was always one or two. That ain’t their fault. They quickly learn how to use one, but that didn’t mean they liked using one. They had spent short their life just not needing one. And for no small number of them, they won’t need one or ever need one unless they have a job that requires its use. It’s like if I handed you a space mouse and was upset you didn’t already know how to use it and program it. You probably don’t spend a good portion of your days at work using 3D CAD to design tooling up to complete manufacturing lines.
We get hung up on tech in this space and are shocked and surprised when we run into people that not only don’t share our love of tech, but really don’t much care. They got what works for them and don’t want anything more.
They’re children. You can’t say if they’ll need a mouse or not. This is the math argument all over again: “I’m never gonna use __ ever”. That’s just bad logic. That you were/are a teacher and honestly presenting me with this level of argument is actually shocking.
Some of those kids are going to need to be engineers or writers or programmers or teachers or editors or whatever other productive members of society and not just ipad consumers.
Yes, systems will change. Yes, technology has so far enabled a lot of people to get by with only touch input. But even though a lot of stuff will change and the need for i/o like mouse and keyboard will shrink, unless we make some serious breakthroughs, there will still be a need.
“Why need a mouse when you have no need” the ape refuses fire because it has not needed it so far.
You are correct. But with a good number of people shifting from using traditional format computers to just their smartphones, there is a kernel of truth in the statement. Perhaps you sit at a desk and stare at spreadsheets or terminals to write code. I think this causes a certain bias among the tech cognisante in believing that everyone still owns a computer-- and many people still do. But there is a very great number of people that no longer own a traditional computer and don’t even want/can’t afford one. And many of them just own an iPhone for their basic everyday needs.
What I find scary that when I spent 4 years teaching math at my local school, many couldn’t use a mouse when faced with traditional computing tasks. And I needed to spend a class period teaching them how. If it doesn’t have touch screen they didn’t want to use it.
That’s just intellectually lazy, like not wanting to use a flight joystick or a ddr mat. Touch isn’t superior in all ways, it’s just a different way. For example, with a mouse, it’s wildly physically efficient, you can just rest your arm and wrist on the table and barely move and get tons of stuff done, quickly and PRECISELY, and virtually never get tired.
What age group(s) were the kids you were teaching? Were they gen alpha?
9-year-olds through 13-year-olds. So gen whatever we’re up to these days.
You need to understand that they start with iPads as young as 5 and use those until they are about 11 years old. And by 5th or 6th grade they get a smartphone. All touchscreen all the time. By 6th grade they get a Chromebook with a touch screen and touchpad. So by the time I needed them to use mouse, they not only had never used one, but a shocking number had ever seen one in real life, there was always one or two. That ain’t their fault. They quickly learn how to use one, but that didn’t mean they liked using one. They had spent short their life just not needing one. And for no small number of them, they won’t need one or ever need one unless they have a job that requires its use. It’s like if I handed you a space mouse and was upset you didn’t already know how to use it and program it. You probably don’t spend a good portion of your days at work using 3D CAD to design tooling up to complete manufacturing lines.
We get hung up on tech in this space and are shocked and surprised when we run into people that not only don’t share our love of tech, but really don’t much care. They got what works for them and don’t want anything more.
It’s like… Ironic luddite.
Yeah, maybe. But they might be the smart ones. What do you need a mouse for if you have no need?
They’re children. You can’t say if they’ll need a mouse or not. This is the math argument all over again: “I’m never gonna use __ ever”. That’s just bad logic. That you were/are a teacher and honestly presenting me with this level of argument is actually shocking.
Some of those kids are going to need to be engineers or writers or programmers or teachers or editors or whatever other productive members of society and not just ipad consumers.
Yes, systems will change. Yes, technology has so far enabled a lot of people to get by with only touch input. But even though a lot of stuff will change and the need for i/o like mouse and keyboard will shrink, unless we make some serious breakthroughs, there will still be a need.
“Why need a mouse when you have no need” the ape refuses fire because it has not needed it so far.