TechnoToddler

For most of his very young life, our son has had a serious fascination with technology. It's been a part of his daily existence for a while now and it's interesting to witness. My wife and I did not grow up with computers or cell phones (no one in our generation did, at least not early on) and so it's bizarre to think that such items will just be a normal, regular part of our son's life, from his earliest memories.

Weird.

I still remember my life before e-mail and the years I spent without owning a cell phone. They're so commonplace now, so entwined with how I conduct my life, that it seems unfathomable they weren't always here. But they weren't. Although they will be for my son. I wonder how old he'll be when he gets his first cell phone. Probably not that old. Or his first computer. Of course, there will probably be something even more futuristic than the iPhone at that point. Hologram phones or something, I suppose. Like a palm-sized RD-D2.

"Help me, Obi-Wan. You're my only hope."

He always wants to "play" with our cell phones and the TV remote and the DVD player (yes, the tray goes in and out, please stop pushing the button). We got him a toy cell phone, but with its flashing lights, cartoon voice, and oversized buttons, it's clearly an impostor and he's onto it. It rarely holds his interest as much as the real thing does.

And I'm not sure what people did before Google Images. I'm convinced now that cave drawings were early cave people attempts at entertaining their offspring. Although, our son gets antsy when it takes a few extra seconds for a web page to load, imagine waiting to see pictures chiseled out of solid rock. He's also discovered the magic of YouTube, in particular videos of Elmo from Sesame Street. We showed him that old "Menahmanah" segment from The Muppet Show, but it didn't quite have the same effect. But Elmo, singing his song about the ducks? The kid can't get enough of it. "Muh muh," he implores, meaning more, wanting us to repeat the video ad nauseum.

What about a good episode of Pigs in Space, buddy?