Photo Credit: © Can Stock Photo Inc. / jovannig
For a while in the 1990s, the Internet was referred to as the “information super-highway.” Society was bombarded with new terms like “RAM,” “gig,” “apps,” etc. Those people on the cutting edge thought that was great, but some older people were frightened to death. Young children happily watching Arthur on PBS and Barney videos were suddenly encouraged to interact online, email a pen pal halfway across the globe, and stop collecting DVDs because the same movies could be purchased using an Xbox. Those children were actually being weaned on technology. You don’t believe me? How many families have given their toddler an old television remote (with the batteries removed) because there is nothing the kid likes to play with more than that shiny black device with all those colorful buttons--the same buttons Mom and Dad press madly every night, like frustrated Jeopardy! contestants who just can’t ring in on time and gain control of the board.
As time passed, miniature Steve Jobs and Bill Gates replicas appeared, and suddenly CEOs under 25 years old were all the rage. Some people warned that Big Brother was watching, and former fantasy toys like Dick Tracy’s telephone-watch became real. Even options in a new car were more electronic than mechanical; it was no longer impressive for a car to be equipped with heavy-duty suspension; rather, buyers were seeking Bluetooth and MapQuest capabilities.
The desire for “flashy things” became a mainstay of operation over substance. Do you want proof? During the same period, a man not even 50 years old was elected president. We bought into the newest, freshest, state-of-the-art items and chose a leader many knew nothing about, but who fit into that “new wave,” plus he looked really nice in a suit. And he talked about wanting better things.