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 By Jack Lepiarz Dec. 25, 2005 I remember being three years old and playing a game called "pong" on a tiny black and white Macintosh in my mother's room. A couple years later, my family ditched the old computer (which I have since inherited and do most of my writing on, transferring files via floppy disk) in favor for a newer, faster one. At only three years old, I knew how to turn on the computer, open up folders and files, and even knew how to save and change settings on it. I'll take a stab in the dark and say that most of the writers on Useless-Knowledge have a pretty decent knowledge of computers. But I could be wrong. My generation is probably the first to have widespread teaching on how to use a computer. At my high school, there is probably a computer to every seven or eight students, which is a pretty good ratio. With six or seven rooms devoted completely to computer use, and at least one computer in every single classroom, Madison High School has taken large steps to keep up with the rapid advancement of computer technology. They begin to teach students how to type as early as third grade, and by sixth grade, many students are able to pound out over 50 words per minute. In middle school, students are introduced to the internet and are forced into classes (I say forced for a reason) on how to research a topic. By the time that we enter high school, we are expected to know the inner workings of the internet and a computer by heart. That's generally not a problem. In this new age of video games, the internet, and digital music, technology is hardly a threat to my generation. In fact, we see it as something new to tinker around with. Looking up satellite images of our hometown on Google, joining "myspace" or "facebook," or just sitting in front of the new Xbox 360. Teens are hardly daunted by technology the same way that older generations sometimes feel. To this day I still have to show my father how to open files from e-mail (or even how to send one), print pictures, or how to type something up. Technology is something that we simply live with. If we don't know how to use it, we fail our classes. Researching topics on Google, creating Powerpoint presentations, or changing the backgrounds on computers to something that the school doesn't appreciate, is all something that teens find out how to do very quickly. With high school courses in programming, web design, and other computer related subjects, many teens quickly learn how to manipulate computers with ease. Some use this to help themselves get better grades, some use this to cheat--and get better grades, and some use this to get through the school firewall program and send out e-mails and articles to Useless-Knowledge.com. Guess which one I fall under. From a teen's view, technology moves at almost too slow a pace (as shocking as that may sound). My experience is that computer concepts are relatively simple once one understands the basic principles behind it. Creating folders, uploading files, etc. Kids are already able to pick stuff up so quickly as it is, technology is just another concept for us to learn in order to be successful. ------------ About the author: Jack Lepiarz is a senior at Madison High School. Born in Waco, Texas, he lived with the Big Apple Circus for much of his early childhood, eventually moving to Madison, New Jersey, where he now resides. Although he is often described as stubborn and egotistical, he tries to keep an open-mind towards new ideas and treat people the way he would like to be treated. Email: Jackwuzhere42@aol.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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