Of Assumptions, Expectations, & Surprises

I ran across this video on Julies Pictures. I thought it was adorable and that those of you who are parents would get a kick out of it.

On a more philosophical note, it caused me to ponder how deeply our expectations influence our behavior (not to mention what surprises us). It was interesting to note the assumptions that that even small children make about the rationality of others, and to observe the way they view language--as a powerful tool for shaping the behavior of others.

A New Twist on Technological Integration

So, imagine my surprise when, while looking for images that depict the way teens are integrating technology into their lives, I come across this article in the MacDailyNews about iPod underwear. Yeah, if you click on the link, you can even see a picture!

So this is what we can look forward to as tech becomes more and more a part of our lives?! I must admit that at first I was puzzled by it, but then I realized if you like to listen to music and happen to do your relaxing in your underwear, then it makes perfect sense. Oh those shifting paradigms!

The implications regarding the things that Americans value and the ways that American culture is changing as a result of those values are worth noting, and make Lowell W. Monke's thoughts on The Overdominance of Computers important to consider. I found his comments regarding the unprecedented power that is now available to even very young children and the need for strong adult guidance right on target. Just because children have technological skill doesn't mean they have the wisdom to use it wisely.

The Gap

To a child
Sprinkled exposure
Seems infinite, complete

Yet at the piece
So "large"--so small!
An adult chuckles silently

'Tis nothing more
Than crumbs to him
Having from larger tables supped

Yet for the child,
So innocent,
A crumb's more than enough!

(Cherice Montgomery, Fall 1989)