If you want to know what future technology could look like, it might be a good idea to ask the people that are going to be using it. With this in mind, Latitude Research and ReadWriteWeb conducted a study asking children (ages 12 and under) to describe their ideas for new technologies. The results have just been released in a report yesterday.
The key findings include;
Digital, Meet Physical : 38% of children’s innovations called for more “immersive content experiences” particularly the seamless integration of digital and physical spaces.
Intuitive Interaction : The majority of children (83%) wanted “anthropomorphic technologies”-devices that offer human-level responsiveness.
Look, Ma, No Hands! : 37% of children’s technology concepts did not include the traditional keyboard/mouse interface, with 12% incorporating touchscreen features, 8%, visual controls, and 4% used telepathy!
The Social World is Growing and Shrinking? : The report explains “For kids today, the world, ironically, feels smaller and more accessible -just as their awareness of its size, diversity, and possibility is increasing.”
Confidence Through Creation & Creativity : 31% of technologies proposed by children were a tool for creating something, with artistic design rated close to gaming.
The report is described on ReadWriteWeb in more detail, Part 1 and Part 2.
’38% of children’s innovations called for more “immersive content experiences” particularly the seamless integration of digital and physical spaces’
While digital spaces have substance in their own right, we created them to enhance our experience in physical space. Funny how we forget this. Thanks for pointing out the study.
Thanks for the feedback John. And congrats on the Guardian article about your book!