"... and I turned out okay."

Scott McLeod took some geezers to task in his post, "We didn't have [x] when I was a kid and I turned out okay".  He writes:

Here's a statement that I'm getting really tired of hearing:

"We didn't have computers when I was in school and I turned out okay. There's no reason why kids today need 'em."

I'm sure that this argument was offered in the past as well:

"Buses? We walked to school barefoot, in the snow, uphill both ways!"

"I don't want to pay for indoor plumbing for the school. We didn't have it when I was a student and I turned out alright."

"Electricity? Pshaw! Do you know how dangerous those wires are? When we were kids we had oil lamps and candles and everything was fine."

I suspect quite a few of the folks who say they turned out OK without [x] actually did turn out OK. They raised families, made a comfortable living, and contributed to their communities. And they did do so without the benefit of computers, the Internet, cell phones or even Facebook.

But I would also remind these folks who turned out OK despite not having today's technologies that there were a few other things they didn't have as well, including:

• International competition for both blue and white collar jobs.
• Automated factories and farms that require less human labor.
• Increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence on customer support lines and elsewhere that eliminate the need for "routine cognitive tasks."
• A lack of support from organized labor.
• Competition for small business from big box stores and online merchants.
• A labor market that requires post-secondary training as the entry point to a decent paying job.
• The need to establish professional networks and develop an online portfolio of work.
• Openly partisan cable news channels and thousand of online pundits.
• The requirement that one must be creative, solve problems, and evaluate sources of information in order to be a valued member of an organization.

I don't doubt the sincerity of people who believed that they "turned out OK." But I do wonder if they could make an accurate assessment of their chances for success in today's technology-infused economy (with a national 9%+ unemployment rate).

Personally, I don't hear parents or employers doubting the need for students to have access to technology in schools and good technology skills. There is certainly debate and even a lack of understanding about how one defines and how one achieves IT literacy, but the recognition for its need by parents has been around since the mid-90s at least.

Our school has a tech referendum renewal on the ballot for this Tuesday. I hope I'm right that parents and the community DO see that kids and teachers need the access to technology that these funds will provide.

Keep your fingers crossed for us.

Comments

[Scott McLeod]

Thanks for the awesome extension to my post, Doug. Well stated, as usual!

That term 'geezers' is yours, not mine. I find that a fair number of 'younger' adults feel this way too, unfortunately. But I did pick a picture of a grumpy older guy for my post...

[cmatera@asu.edu]

Thank you for addressing these types of statements. What a lot of people don't seem to realize is that the world in which they "turned out okay" in is a thing of the past. As the world changes, so do the technologies and methods of working in said world. What's potentially harmful about the "turned out okay" camp is that many of their members hold political offices, putting them in a position to cut back on education and keep things stagnated in their time while the rest of the world passes us by. Let's hope someone takes this argument to those individuals.

[J.]

Hey Doug - Love the new advertising posts. How much are you charging for it ;)

@ Scott - I read your post on your blog and on Downe's blog too. You really stirred it up with that. I'd chalk it up to human nature. Everything sucks right now. Ten years from now, right now will have been the "good ole times". I see this in music and art as well. Hell, Socrates thought books would ruin education.

[Gwen Martin]

First let me say, congrats on passing the levy. As a bonefide member of the geezer generation, I look at what high school students are doing, I KNOW I couldn't keep up. When I was in high school, the "not college bound" boys would say, "Oh I am going to be a mechanic." Last tie I took my car in for repair, there were more computer driven pieces of equipment than in a business office. Times have changed. So must we.

[Nathan Mielke]

I think I quoted you once in a tech plan regarding why you don't use referendum for tech - "you don't take a 30 year mortgage out on a car" or something along those lines. Did I miss quote you or have you changed your tune?

[Doug Johnson]

Hi Scott,

Thanks for the inspiration! My personal definition of geezer has less to do with age than attitude. I know some pretty young geezers!

Doug

Hi M. Matera,

I expect the "someone" who takes the message of a changed world to policy-makers will need to be all of us.

Thanks for your comment,

Doug

Hi J,

The blog spammers are sneaky and fast. It's a little like playing Whack-A-Mole to keep them eliminated from appearing in the comments. Some days they are just a hell of a lot faster than I am.

Doug

Hi Gwen,

Yeah, I am not so sure how successful I would be myself if I were 18 years old now and looking at making a career. The world may have been a kinder place to slow thinkers like myself in the past (thank goodness!)

Doug

Hi Nathan,

The referendum question needs clarification. There are two kinds of referendums (in MN anyway): operating and building/capital improvement.

The first type is for a number of years for a set amount of money each year to help pay general costs of salaries, supplies, etc. This is the kind of levy referendum our tech levy is.

The second type is a one-time shot of funds to pay for new buildings and other major capital improvement projects. It's this kind of levy when used to pay for one large infusion of technology that I think is dangerous since it provides for no means of providing continuing support or replacement.

Hope that helps clarify,

Doug

[Hannah]

It is unbelievable the amount of individuals who see technology as optional. Technology is no longer optional in the work force. It is no longer simply a perk. Today's society lives, breathes, and depends on technology. In order for today's children to be successful members of society, they must have adequate exposure and experience with various types of technology. Years ago I am sure someone's grandfather said, 'Well, I did just fine without a car. Why do you need one?" This is the same concept. Times have changed!