Physical and Perceptual Changes

(The name of the main character in the story has been changed to protect her identity.)

L Tompkins came to me for help in preparing a DVD for viewing. I rolled my eyes and called her a "n00b" in my head. If you've ever: asked your child how to email, typed "http://" before the web address, thought the CD ROM was a cup holder, or claimed to have "baked" or "cooked" a CD you've undoubtedly seen this look before from your child, or anybody that knows anything about electronics.

Back to the story. I followed L Tompkins to the DVD player...

(Lawyers have brought it to my attention that the identity of L Tompkins has not been properly protected. To correct this we will now refer to her as Linda T. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused for said person.)

I placed the DVD in the tray and pressed a few buttons on the television remote to get it to the proper feed as she desperately tried to follow so she could later mimic these steps in hopes of a similar result.

What Linda T did next would forever change my perception of technology. Linda T reached her arm out and began tapping the television screen; the part of the television that read "Play". I sat still on the couch watching intently as confusion began to cross her face. She tapped the screen again this time gently dragging her finger from "P" to "A".

She did not waste much time going from gently and soft to a stern poke, quickly followed by forceful stabs. I continued to sit quietly on the couch as to not spook her. I was in fact watching an event I had never seen before. I had heard stories of older people's encounters with new technology but you never think you will get to see one happen right in front of you.

I watched her confusion turn to audible frustration comprised of grunts and disgruntled breathing patterns. She looked at me with the eyes of a truly innocent child. I found myself in bewilderment at what Linda T thought was possible. To her the DVD did more than change the format in which she watched her movies. It had made possible a physical change to occur to the television, like adding yeast to bread.

In her mind the television, close to 15 years old at the time, had been transformed by the DVD player into a interactive screen. She-like all before her-had been tricked by what the world had told her to expect from technology. That it could physically change things in this world.

What she taught me was that technology will never directly cause change in this world. It can only change how we choose to change the world.