Ask the Children
Submitted by: Sanjay Khanna, Writer
Created: April 24, 1996, 1:22 p.m. HST
Walking around the CyberCafe, I saw two teenagers sitting together, talking.
I approached them to get their take on the conference and how they feel
about what they've seen and heard. After introducing myself to both teenagers,
I asked Lauren whether she uses a computer often. "Computers,"
she said, "are half your life. You can't forget them; teachers don't
even want you to write [your papers] by hand."
I asked Adrian what his thoughts were. "I think the hopes are too
far out. Interactivity in games," he said, pausing. "I'm not
sure what they're trying to do. They say, 'Sorry we made shitty titles.'
And then they keep making them." I looked at him, thinking he'd say
more; Adrian simply shrugged his shoulders.
Now, it's not as if these young people haven't worked on computers or been
on the Web. Though he's been on the Web for research, Adrian remarked,
"When people get lost on their computers, it's kind of scary."
True enough. Yet I was surprised by Adrian's rather mature observations.
And it leads me to wonder: Is it because these young people have had a
life more grounded in nature and community that they find talk of virtual
worlds and interactivity unimpressive?
I can't answer that; I know little about Adrian, Laurel, and their life
circumstances. What little I know is this: As children, both Adrian and
Laurel spent countless hours on Kauai's beaches, exploring their land and
environment. Adrian's a senior and will be going to the mainland to study
filmmaking; Lauren's a junior and isn't quite sure what she'll do... at
least not yet. As for what sorts of multimedia titles they'd like to see,
neither knows.
Their not-knowing amuses me. I think, Perhaps hyped notions of multimedia
and its potential to improve interaction matter less when you're part of
a living, breathing, real-reality community. When you've got a life.
--Sanjay Khanna, April 27, 1996
Photos: above right, Adrian W. Jebef, 17, Kauai High, Lauren Uyeda,
16, Waimea High; above left, Sanjay Khanna (Lauren took this photo)
