Visions and Views: How Much Multimedia Does a Modern Family Need?

As a researcher, the author was eager to see and contribute to the latest developments in multimedia. She enjoys thinking about new technology and interaction models. As a mom, however, she has to admit that she has become more selective about what she would really consider relevant and helpful. Are these roles in contradiction? She doesn't believe so. This observation is rather a reflection of the fact that new technology has not always reached a state in which it's really necessary or helpful in certain scenarios. This reality leaves a lot of room for development and research. Some future developments no doubt will leave us, as parents, dumbfounded, which is something that has happened in every past generation. To overcome this parental bewilderment, what was and is needed, then and now, is a curiosity about what interests children, a willingness to make time for discussion, and a big stockpile of patience.