Kids Today React to The Nintendo Game Boy.
When I was a baby, my parents took pictures of my first Christmas morning. In the unwrapped presents there is a Colecovision. For those of you who do not know what it is, it's a video game console that was Atari's big rival in the beginning of the 1980s. It had the original home version of Donkey Kong and a few other fun games like Mouse Trap, that was kind of a rip off of Pac-Man, but I personally like it better than Pac-Man. Anyway, I played it as a little kid, and it was like the coolest thing ever.
When I was five, for Christmas, Santa brought me the original Nintendo Entertainment System. Probably my very favorite invention during my life so far. I loved that thing to death. When the Nintendo Game Boy was released, I got one for Christmas, which was also amazing. As the years have passed on, I have bought other video game consoles, and consider me to be a "gamer", although I do have other passions in life that I do.
Anyway, I came across the Youtube video that I linked to above, and saw how kids today reacted to the Nintendo Game Boy. Most of the comments were negative. I still have my Game Boy and actually like taking it with me on car trips and still play those old school games. There is something remarkable about old technology to those who can look back and appreciate it.
Earlier today in fact, I showed Elliot my record collection. He didn't know what to make of it. I told him that is how we used to listen to music. Still, with Elliot being three years old, he didn't understand, but I decided to make it a point to teach Elliot while he is young about technology by letting him use old technology first, for the most part, and helping him see what came before so that he can appreciate modern technology and understand the past.
It's funny. Every single time I use my iPod, I think of how music was recorded from the first phonograph all the way through now. I think back about how when I was eight, I would get tape cassettes of new albums, then of course, CDs came along. Now, I have my whole music collection on one little device. With in an instant, I can press a button and BAM, there it is. No rewinding tape cassettes, no more CDs with scratches that skip.
My passion, Film, has come a long way as well. I remember going to movies and the reels would be scratched and sometimes they would burn, (We went to the dollar theater a lot when this would happen). Now, digital projectors make every single showing of a film in high definition in clear picture. I love film history, and I actually love old films that have been transfered over from old film. Like the crackles and pops from an old vinyl record, the scratched film that has seen better days holds a special place in my heart.
They always say that we must remember the past to make a better future. I whole-heartedly believe that statement, and it is very true, even with entertainment technology. Now, if you will excuse me, I am going to go turn on my old box television, turn on the Colecovision, and have a blast from the past!
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