Ever found yourself trying to shake your novel to a landscape view or swiping your TV remote to unlock it? Don’t be (too) concerned – human-technology interaction experts report that the use of touch screens has pervaded our day-to-day existence more rapidly and to a greater extent than other technological advances, precisely because it requires such human (intimate & intuitive) engagement. Unlike right-clicking and finding letters on a keyboard – behaviours which must be learned – interacting with touch screens comes naturally to us – it’s obvious.
Apple may have popularised this trend, but these days all brands need to be willing to be touched up. Steve Haber of Sony, whose latest line of e-readers are all touch-operated, says “Everyone who touches or takes a reader in their hand, they touch the screen. It’s what we do.” No wonder then that educational apps for toddlers – a market not well-known for their smartphone uptake – are such a huge segment of the overall educational app market. Kids are able to figure out how to interact with the technology in a very short space of time (and put adults to shame even quicker).
