NEW YORK, June 14, 2006
Teens Use Tech, But Can They Make It?
Digital Dan On Teens, Technology And The Fate Of America
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Play CBS Video Video Relying On The Computer CBS News Technologist Digital Dan Dubno discusses how teens are improving their computer skills, but are losing their hands-on skills.
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Video Young Immigrant's Achievement Steve Hartman tells the story of a young man whose triumph in the field of robotics offers a very different perspective on the immigration debate.
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Student at the FIRST Robotics Championship. (Dan Dubno)
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Science Skills High School's FIRST Robotics Team (Dan Dubno)
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Brooklyn Tech's Team and their mentor (who happens to be my brother Mick!) (Dan Dubno)
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SCIBORGS of Bronx High School of Science (Dan Dubno)
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Interactive GenTech In Depth An interactive look at the wiring of teen America: the trends, talk, realities and more.
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Video Channel GenTech Wired teens tell the camera how far technology has engulfed their lives.
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Interactive Inventing History See a timeline of inventions of the past and revisit predictions of the future.
They do not know what the inside of a radio looks like because it is just cheaper to buy another imported one than to fix the old one. How can you design the products of tomorrow or create the innovations that will keep the country advancing if you don't learn how to make anything?
Last year, at a luncheon for the Office of Naval Research's chief project officers, I asked the room full of inventors and doctorates: "How many of you here hold a patent or have been closely involved with one?" Most of the several hundred scientists raised their hands.
But what gave them the "permission" to invent? "Since this place is clearly full of inventors," I asked, "how many of you blew stuff up when you were kids?" Nearly every hand in that audience — an audience filled with the nation's leading innovators — shot up.
This is not to suggest we unleash a nation of pyromaniacs. But youthful experimentation is a clear prerequisite to invention. However, you can no longer buy a decent chemistry set. The neighborhood electronics store no longer sells parts or science kits teenagers can assemble. Our teens are losing the skills, tools and society's encouragement to invent.
Still, some things are working:
Although our teens are heavy consumers of technology, they are not being educated or trained to be producers of technology. It will take some courage to allow our teens to learn to build things again. To do that, they'll have to take things apart, use real tools, and tinker even if someone might "poke an eye out."
The only downside is we'll need more fire extinguishers as more will set their kitchens on fire, as I did, experimenting as a kid. But it's all for a good cause.
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