Computers have changed everything. I know, I know: You hear this every day.

My point -
especially to the young - is that this age is still in infancy and that they will come of age along
with it. I want them to live in it to the fullest extent. Use its tools for the good, to change the world
for the better.

Let me put it another way: Computers will change everything, if the young people growing up with
us use them well. Millions of American youngsters today inhabit bedrooms that are fully
equipped media centers. While most of them still spend large chunks of time watching
television and listening to music, an increasing number spend their evenings playing games on
computers and practicing drills.
Nobody knows precisely what the future holds, but doubtless, the future of the information
superhighway will be more exciting, and overcrowded, than we ever imagined.

Research that once took months now takes only minutes. We already possess spectacular
knowledge concerning our universe. We can probe the mysteries of the sea and better
understand what creates our weather. Before long, even the sky won't be our limit. Science,
including DNA and gene research, will evolve faster and the computer will improve our ability to
store, retrieve and utilize new data.

Computers have already enhanced our ability to reason. Today's school children are the first
generation for which computer research is a pervasive reality. Computers are helping to
improve their ability to think and discover. Tomorrow's youngsters will be able to improve their
homework, develop research, and share information even more quickly.

Computers have provided us with a nearly instantaneous means of comparing societies,

analyzing cultures, understanding geography and politics in different parts of the world. For
example, if a student desires to take an in-depth look at Asia, he or she can forget about the red
tape of passports and carrying heavy luggage. Youngsters can plan a virtual trip to that part
of the world on their computer, and map an individual itinerary.
Programs already teach us how to analyze information on the geography, politics, weather,
people, health, land use and vegetation of every continent. Anyone who is computer-literate
can now zero in on virtually any country in the world, check out its cultural life, its history, its
development, its government and its social conditions.

Understanding mathematical concepts is far easier, and science, languages and virtually all other
studies will be enhanced through computers. And though the gender gap exists regarding
computers, there's reason to think boys and girls alike are mastering a rich variety of
subjects without regard to gender.

A mere decade ago, most of what we today take for granted was unavailable. Families once
paid thousands of dollars for a 32-volume set of encyclopedias to enhance Johnny and Joanne's
education. Today, such books are available to nearly everyone on the Internet for almost nothing.
So are the best collegiate dictionaries.
We have been spoiled by the speed of most computers - so much so, that when we have to
wait for information for as little as 30 or 40 seconds, we often become irritated or frustrated.