Ideation and prototyping lends so much more appreciation after having a firm foundation of research done.
Brainstorming for a solution has been going well. I have of course realized in developing a solution for the problem will not wipe out a nation of complainers. That is just too much to ask. This generation needs encouragement and tools at hand to help them move forth day to day; through life. Full Independence for this generation is learned at a later stage of life, depending on life experiences that would allow it. No one wants to "do it alone", and I'm not asking anyone to. With that said, I want my solution to be something that makes one feel not so alone, however provokes action and a thought process.
This idea spawned from watching a video on TED of a kid who was developing his own iPhone apps. Below in the comments someone commented on something very profound and true for this generation:
"Nov 17 2011: I'm going to say something here that might sound rude, but hear me out before you write it off. I don't think Thomas is special. Don't get me wrong, I loved the talk, I even had my five year old son watch the video. But I don't think Thomas is all that different from his peers in most areas. Why is he writing apps and starting an app club in his school while his peers were not? Two key things he brought up: Encouragement and access to resources. This is what inspired, driven young people are SUPPOSED to look like.
1) Encourage and support the learning process of all children and young adults. Nurture curiosity, and not just in your kids, but in every young person you encounter.
2) Help provide the resources needed to fully engage that curiosity in positive, productive, satisfying directions.
If we can do those two things, we'll have schools full of kids like Thomas."
Source: http://www.ted.com/talks/thomas_suarez_a_12_year_old_app_developer.html
Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!
