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"Growing up with the Internet gives today\u2019s children a very unique view on the way the world works -- one that is vastly different from that of older generations.\r\n\r\nThese kids, the 'digital natives,&amp;quot; are raised with modern technology deeply embedded into their lives, and form a natural understanding of its benefits. This deeply rooted acceptance gives kids a unique perspective on how technology can be further used to make our lives easier, and helps researchers predict future needs for innovation.\r\n\r\nWhat can we learn from the digital natives?\r\n\r\nWe\u00A0asked\u00A0this question back in September, and it's one\u00A0that research firm Latitude sought to answer with its\u00A0KIDS \u2013 Kids Innovation Discovery Series\u00A0initiative. Now, Latitude is back to find out how technology, specifically robotics, can be used to inspire new opportunities for learning and creativity.\r\n\r\nLatitude's Robots @ School study, which was conducted this month, asked kids across the world to illustrate and write a story that answers this question: \u201CWhat would happen if robots were a part of your everyday life \u2014 at school and beyond?\u201D\r\n\r\nThe results provide a compelling look on how youngsters feel about modern technology, and most importantly, reveals that tech has a huge potential for blurring the lines between learning and play.\u00A0Steve Mushkin, founder and president of Latitude explains:\r\nEducation and learning are moving, at least in many children\u2019s eyes, beyond acts of knowledge transmission toward acts of exploration and creation.&amp;quot;\r\nWith children so easy to embrace\u00A0robotics, it's clear that there's a ton of potential for integrating intelligent technologies into learning environments. Besides, the idea of &amp;quot;exploring and creating&amp;quot; sounds a heck of a lot better than answering true/false questions out of a booklet. Clearly there are tons of new and interesting ways to learn, and technology is, in many ways, responsible for this.\r\n\r\nTaking a deeper look at the stories the children created, the survey found that unlike many adults who see technology as separate from humanness, it seems that &amp;quot;kids tend to think of technology as fundamentally human: as a social companion that can entertain, motivate, and empower them in various contexts.&amp;quot;\r\n\r\nWhile this dreamy perspective is partially the result of childhood imagination (something kids from any generation can have), it is clear that kids are eagerly anticipating new ways that tech can enhance their lives.\r\n\r\nSure, it's easy to dismiss how children look forward to the future and dream without inhibitions, but that's exactly what some of the greatest innovators of our time have done. Children don't just react, they imagine, and that's why this study can't be overlooked.\r\n\r\nCheck out the full study, including the kids stories and illustrations here.\u00A0You'll also want to check out the infographic below, which is based on the results."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://thenextweb.com/insider/2012/01/18/study-shows-that-kids-unlike-adults-think-technology-is-fundamentally-human/>