Computers With Generation Next Kids

Until a few weeks back if someone would have asked me to teach computers to illiterates, those who even don't know alphabets, then the first thing I would have said, "You are kidding!" but I am a changed man now. My 2 years and 4 months old son has made me realize that indeed it's possible.

Recently while my son was viewing his photos on my laptop, he started Winamp and played a song. I thought it was accidental. To confirm, I asked him to change the song to another one, which he likes too. To my surprise, he immediately clicked on the open button, selected the corresponding song from the file listing and played the song. Now I was really thrilled. I asked him to change few more songs and he did all correctly. A 2 year and 4 months old kid doing all this amazed me. He can't even read but he knows what is where, thanks to the people who invented GUI computers.

Although it's not new to see him using computers. He has been doing so since he was one and half years. At very early age he learnt to control the mouse. Until lately he only used to browse his photos and play his own videos by doing a double click. Over the time he had learnt about "My Computer", "My Documents" and "Photos". But his ability to identify the songs from file listing without knowing alphabets surprised me. It was his practice of playing songs that he knew what is where.

He made me realize that there is no prerequisite to use and learn computers. I started learning and using computers at the age of 22 and later I started my profession as a software developer. I wonder where these next generation kids, who have started using computers even before knowing alphabets, will take the future computing.