Touch screen phones and tablets are depriving kids of a general purpose computer. The training wheels environment ensures that there is minimal contact with the

Touch screen phones and tablets are depriving kids of a general purpose computer. The training wheels environment ensures that there is minimal contact with the actual mechanics of how the device works. Cory Doctorow had a great article on this 6 years ago: https://boingboing.net/2012/01/10/lockdown.html https://boingboing.net/2012/01/10/lockdown.html I think it is similar to how vehicles evolved in the early 20th century. In the 1940s and 50s, car engines were designed to be serviced by the user, and the relative novelty of automobiles meant that a lot of young men made it their hobby to crack open the hood and tinker around. Later, as repairability and novelty declined, mechanic work became professionalized for all but the most hardcore hobbyists.