Page 161 - AC/E's Digital Culture Annual Report 2015

Impact of technologies on the cultural landscapeHugh Forrest, @Hugh_W_ForrestToys of all stripes, flavors, shapes and sizes entertain my four year old son. These toys are like an ever-expanding living mass and their home has significantly expanded from what started as small corner of the family room. We now have small cars, building blocks, model trains, monster trucks, marbles, stuffed animals, balls, and train tracks in every corner of the house except the bath room and the laundry room. But I expect those two outposts will be colonized in the coming weeks.But for all this expansion, one category of toys remains relatively underrepresented in their quest for space in our quickly-shrinking house. These are the various art-related toys. Yes, we have a few color pens ands markers, as well as several paint sets. There’s also a dry erase board where Little Hugh can practice writing letters and numbers. An old fashioned hand-cranked pencil sharpener1 he received for Christmas has also become very popular in the last few weeks.Does my son have less of an interest in artthan his various classmates and friends? Not really. Does he have less interest in drawing and painting than four-year-olds from previous generations? No, that assessment rings equally untrue. On the contrary, the main reason we have less space in our house delegated to art-re- lated toys is that most of this activity occurs in the virtual realm. Like many other tech-savvy toddlers, he prefers a computer Tablet2 over paper when sketching or doodling.Little Hugh’s evolution to on-screen canvas reflects a pattern seen by millions of other families around the world during the last 40 years. But, witnessing this virtual transformation in my own home helps reinforce many of the advantages of today’s technology. On a tablet, the art he designs is easier to access, easier to create, easier to store, easier to manipulate, easier to change, and easier to distribute (when we want to share with grandpa) than in any