I remember clearly the first time I heard someone (seemingly) talking to themselves as they walked down the sidewalk.
And I remember later hearing two DIFFERENT people at the same time and wondering if they were talking to each other!
A year or so later, when I got my first Nokia phone, I was totally hooked like a teenager. My children took a video of me laughing so hard I could barely speak as I recorded my own voice saying, “Your phone is ringing! Answer your phone!” I wanted to use it as my very own ring tone and thought it was hilarious!
Oh my, how time colors things differently.
But the memory is still funny to me. I recall the pure delight of technology’s possibilities. Yes, time and technology has changed childhood….
Can you grasp that our children grow up with such a symbiotic gadget relationship that their understanding of the concept of “Alone” probably has GPS as a default. People are so connected to one another these days, it feels odd to not be truly unreachable.
Also, do you think your self concept would be different if you knew EXACTLY what you looked like from every conceivable angle and in every light? Taking and sharing selfies has become as familiar as looking in the mirror. Children these days know what they look like from other’s perspective with little or no wondering at all.
I won’t even mention the games. There are endless flat worlds to explore.
I used to tell my kids to live a day that someone would enjoy watching. Sitting in a room in front of a screen, it’s just not enough.
Gadget, gadgets and glowing screens…
With Niilovilla, I want to offer you and your children something that uses your thumbs and fingers differently. The itsy bitsy spider comes to mind. But that is just a begining.
It is my hope to gently nudge my students into three dimensional problems solving or find a corner of their imagination which is not just wired for digital but open for belly laughs.
I still love my phone. I understand it’s allure but what a thrill it is to share an hour or two creating something concrete next to someone friendly.
I welcome you, I welcome your kids, I welcome your relatives and friends… Come, let’s make something from a lump of clay .. and i’ll sing you a song while we do it.
Warmly,
Suzanne
Niilovilla Studio 