If we know anything about Santa Claus, it is that each letter he receives most probably includes a wish for a state-of-the-art gadget.

An outrage for elderly generations – despite the fact that all the people alive today have been born into a world in which television existed – it is a fact not quite unusual for today’s parents. In recent years we have come to realize technology can be addictive and alters our very selves; but nowhere can tech find more loyal adopters than in a young, developing generation. The reason? Quite obvious when considering the endless array of possibilities it offers to minds avid for discovery.

Currently, parents admit learning from their kids how to use their own smart devices. Or, for that matter, try to figure out how a 2-year old has managed to block the use of the remote control and be the only one to solve the problem. But, just as natural as it is for children to outgrow their parents, it is equally humane condemning what we can’t understand – from Galileo’s Eppur si muove to the more recent debates on humanity-altering smartphone usage effects.

What technology does best is exposing children to new experiences, which otherwise they wouldn’t have access to. From a very early age, they can wander the world to discover the most remote places on Earth, listen to legendary musicians or see the greatest artworks in history and (why not) defeat monsters in Minecraft.

Different from what any of their predecessors had ever experienced at their age, early exposure to such high density of information and challenge makes these children unique by allowing them to discover new ways to think and relate to the world.

Perhaps the real benefit of today’s tech environment is the democratisation of technology, which offers children the opportunity not only to enjoy, but also influence it. – Cristi MIHAI, Managing Partner, STRATEGAD.

In their hands, our generation – one that grew up with Mario games, VHS cassettes and Windows 95 – places the magic wand they will use to shape an entirely new, presently unpredictable world.