Technology Changing to Suit Us or Us to It

Trey Brown

12:45

2/6/09

Lim Ding Wen, a Nine year old Malaysia boy living in Singapore, has really nothing that sets him apart from any of the other hundreds of thousands of children around the world accept for one thing, he read write computer code. He first used a computer at the age of two, discovered programming at age seven and has written 20 different programming projects and knows six different programming languages. Most recently he wrote a paint program for Apple’s iPhone that he called “Doodle Kids”. It allowed children to “paint” on the iPhone’s screen with their fingers and then shake the I Phone to erase. He is quoted as having said he made it with his two younger sisters in mind, ages 3 and 5. Wen’s “Doodle Kids” has been down loaded over 4,000 times in only a span of two weeks. He originally made it for his home computer and modified it for the iPhone. Wen said he wrote the program in only a few days.
Not only does the advancement of technology give us the means to solve complex problems and make our lives easier. It shapes our society and pushes the limits of what we are capable. Only 4 or 5 decades ago and the majority of people had never even seen a computer. Now with the constant access in certain areas around the world it is sparking talent in not just adults but children as well. It is doubtful anyone would have considered computer programming a kids vocation back in the silicon boom of the 80’s and 90’s either. To say that the technology we are developing to change our world is also changing us would not be an overstatement in this instance at all. It make you ask how might we change in the future to suit or constantly evolving technology?

Nine-year-old writes iPhone code