Holden's World

the other night, i watched in fascination as my newborn son, Holden Michael, stared aimlessly at my computer screen as i worked. i began to wonder what he could see and what kept his attention. according to our pediatrician, he can only see outlines of objects that resemble shadows. however, we know that he is getting his vision in right now because he returns a smile when you smile at him. in reference to his first computer interaction, i could only imagine what these colors and movements might seem like to an unassuming brain. do they stimulate or do they overwhelm? do they add illumination to his formative stages or do they blind him from connecting meaning? what will the world of technology have to offer him when he is old enough to handle a macbook?

all these questions are easily translated for so many digital natives that are making their first jump into the digital realm. as media designers and technology gurus, we have an obligation to view them in the same way that an infant views the new visual world. there is so much in this realm we refer to as media that more attention should be paid to helping young people and digital natives organize this digital realm instead of teaching more methods to communicate and express themselves. communication is great, but it is aimless unless newcomers have some sense of how to use it and can apply the right program/application to the right environment...