A few weeks ago I was subbing at the high school. We had finished the lesson and I was chatting about music with a student. I made a reference to The Beatles and he asked "That was a band, right?" WHAT! I explained to him that that was not A band, it was THE band. Good lord, I'm getting old!
My book club, The Book Snobs, is reading Pat Conroy's The Water is Wide this month. As I was reading today I picked up on a reference to the lack of telephones on Yamacraw Island where he taught for two years. I instantly wondered if no one had a cell phone on the island. Then I realized that the book is set in the 1960s. Duh!
In light of both of these facts, I started thinking about the world Our Little Princesses will know. Here's what I've come up with.
They will never have to drag the telephone extension into the closet to have a private conversation. Phones won't have coiled cords that you can twist around your fingers while you chat. In the rare event that they actually pick up a land line, they will probably think something is wrong with it. Their phones don't have dial tones. They will also never know the satisfaction that comes from slamming down a telephone handset in anger. Pushing a button just is not as fulfilling somehow.
Written communication is primarily written via email or text message. It's entirely possible they'll never mail anything using "snail" mail.
It won't be far-fetched to think of a person of color holding the office of President of the United States.
Women will always have been members of the Supreme Court.
Books will always come in electronic format.
It's entirely possible they will not learn to write cursive at school.
The Space Shuttle program won't be advanced technology. It will be obsolete.
They'll know who Princess Kate is, but not Princess Di!
They'll check the time by looking at their cell phone, not their wrist watch.
Video phones are not futuristic. All you need is a computer with a webcam and you can see and talk to anyone anywhere.
Cameras don't need film and pictures don't have to be developed.
Every year I look forward to Beloit College's Mindset List. It's a list they publish every fall to bring their professors up-to-date on what the incoming freshman class has experienced and what their mindset might be. I've linked to the list for the Class of 2014.
So what do you think. What else will be different about the world our grandchildren will grow up in?
