The advent of the Internet and its impact on traditional media, newspapers included, has been well documented – and the ripple effects are still being felt.

However, it is no more evident than with our children.

A recent study that flicked over mainstream media channels was one that claimed young children are not developing their gross motor skills enough in their hands to grip pencils, which has had an effect on handwriting ability and skills.

The study claimed children are not being taught how to hold pencils or pens and head into their school lives unable to do so, because of their reliance on screens and devices.

Our reliance on the technology of computers and phones has degraded our ability to hand write.

Another example of this is the rise of recreational and commercial drone use.

Once, drones were relegated to the far reaches of the imagination, machines that were used in dystopian sci-fi fantasies like the Terminator series or used as remote spies or to deliver warheads for wars that were a long way away from us.

But now, they are used for everything from agriculture to real estate commercially, and allow recreational users to capture images from places they never thought they could access before.

Drones give us a new perspective on our lives and a new way to capture events or monitor information. This new reliance on drones and this kind of technology will give rise to a new wave of careers for our kids. Coding, science and engineering subjects are becoming required skills that ready the future workforce.

And Tasmania is making its mark on that space already, with Tasmanian kids representing the state at national and international championships.

The Metal Minds team from Launceston, Oscar Kinman, Hayden Walmsley, and Malachi Capela alongside mentors Harry and Jon Heathcote made the journey to Houston, Texas, to participate in the First Tech Challenge world championships. 

Metal Minds were the first Tasmanian team to be given the opportunity to compete on the world stage, and placed 50 out of 128.

It’s heartwarming to see that Tasmania is embracing this new technology suite and making their own mark on it. Let’s see where it takes us into the future.