President Obama knows how to get a laugh: say you are all thumbs when it comes to iPods, iPads and the like.
His quip — that he doesn’t know how to use iDevices or gaming platforms — got laughs at what otherwise might have been a ho-hum commencement address at Hampton University on Saturday.
“And meanwhile, you’re coming of age in a 24/7 media environment that bombards us with all kinds of content and exposes us to all kinds of arguments, some of which don’t always rank that high on the truth meter.
And with iPods and iPads; and Xboxes and PlayStations — none of which I know how to work — (laughter) — information becomes a distraction, a diversion, a form of entertainment, rather than a tool of empowerment, rather than the means of emancipation. So all of this is not only putting pressure on you; it’s putting new pressure on our country and on our democracy.”
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hwg636CQnrc
But when you’re guy in the White House, everything you say gets taken seriously. Hence the news articles wondering whether Obama really can’t use tech, or was stumping for a few chuckles.
We’re going to say that while the President may not do a lot of hands-on computing, this is still the man who was photographed working on a Mac, called rival candidate Hillary Clinton a “PC,” and gave the Queen an iPod, he was going for a touch of levity.
Or perhaps he was just sympathizing with first lady Michelle who recently caught flak for fumbling with an iPhone.
