From Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. to Technology and Back Again

Yesterday, since the mavens of Crazy Savvy took the day off in honor of the memory of the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., I thought it only appropriate to take a few moments with my children to reflect on the reason they had the day off from school. So we took the opportunity to listen to his legendary "I Have a Dream" speech during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Wow. Sixteen minutes of pure brilliance. It is both sobering and awe-inspiring to see how much of his speech remained not only relevant but also so very resonant today.

Afterwards, I entreated my eight-year-old to come up with some of his dreams for the nation. Once we got past his gut reaction ("I have a dream that one day, this nation will have....more legos!") he had some interesting things to say. One of my favorites was his wish for "more technology." He paused for a moment, shook his head slightly, and offered, "I really don't know why I want that....but I do." This troubled him slightly, but he couldn't put his finger on the reason behind his unease.

He sees more than he realizes. The promise of "more" and "new" and "better" technology is indeed alluring. Will I want Apple's new tablet even though my beloved MacBook is serving me just fine? Well, maybe. As they say, the thrill of new toys doesn't wear off....it just grows more expensive. But also like new toys, the thrill wears off all-too-quickly when technology exists merely for its own sake. (Which is why I probably won't rush out to be the first on the block to have a tablet in my hot little hands.) I'm gratified that on some level, he's already realized this at the age of eight. Perhaps having a front-row seat to Crazy Savvy's approach to social media — helping clients integrate these new tools into a broader marketing effort grounded in strategy — has worn off on him!

I will leave you today with one of my favorite MLK quotes, which is surprisingly relevant to the (admittedly meandering) topic at hand: "The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character — that is the goal of true education." — Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.