A TV in My Pocket

I used to dream about writing a book entitled, “Everything I Ever Wanted to Know About the Future of Digital Media, I Learned from My Kindergarten Children” … And though I never made time to pen such a book, I am continually fascinated by the ideas that come from my children – now ages 8, 10 and 12.

Last week on the way to camp, my youngest son Finn said to me, “You know what would be really cool, Mommy?” Eager to hear his answer, I quickly responded, “No, what?”

He smiled and said, “A mini TV in my pocket.”

Of my three children, Finn probably enjoys television the most, though he spends his fair share of time playing Minecraft on the computer, games on the Wii, and iMessaging emoji icons to his buddies…

But a mini TV in his pocket? I was baffled. Doesn’t he already have a TV in his pocket? It’s called the iTouch 5 and it happily streams Netflix and YouTube, touts a stellar picture quality, and even provides access to live broadcasts from time to time. And not mention the fast network options we have in Austin to make the whole experience hum (just wait until next year when Google Fiber is in full swing!)

So I asked him, trying hard not to sound let down, “Finn, isn’t your iTouch [that thing we spent a silly amount of money on] really a mini TV in your pocket?”

He immediately shot me a “you’re crazy mommy” look, which then transformed into one of confusion, followed by a fairly brief explanation about how his iTouch doesn’t even look or act at all like a TV.

He was right. And at that moment, I had to remind myself how truly young ‘new media’ is. Despite how far we have come, the time-shifting, place-shifting, device-shifting ‘always on’ availability of online video hasn’t even reached half of its potential.

We have so much more to accomplish. Technology is so much more capable than how we are using it today and it’s only becoming more capable. The next generation will expect more, better, faster and of course, cheaper.

Whether you are part of Corporate America, Education, Film/TV or Non-Profits, and whether you create and distribute video for the purpose of teaching, informing, persuading or entertaining, remember that you are a Video Leader. Keep pushing yourself to learn, to innovate, and to create truly immersive experiences that cause people like Finn to yearn not for a TV in his pocket, but for something far better. There is a yet-to-be invented way to use video… Back to work!