Flying robots and holograms the future of communication, say kids

Children see a future in which flying robots and holograms will help us communicate with each other, according to a survey.

Nearly 450 10-year-olds across New Zealand took part in a survey of internet and technology use, marking the 10th anniversary of Xtra, Telecom's internet service.

The children surveyed were born in 1996, the year the internet began entering the homes and classrooms of mainstream New Zealand, Xtra said.

Almost 80 per cent of those surveyed used the internet at home, with gaming being the most popular on-line activity, followed closely by homework.

Children were asked what they thought we would be using to keep in touch with each other in the future.

Teleportation, mind reading, computers for the wrist, jets, flying letters, flying robots and holograms were all a part of what they envisaged.

"Interestingly, about 20 per cent of the children surveyed had never seen a fax machine, which shows how quickly technology can become irrelevant, especially compared to the possibility of robots and teleporting," Telecom general manager of consumer marketing Kevin Bowler said.

He said 57 per cent used the internet as their main source of homework information, well ahead of library books (18 per cent) and text books (four per cent) and encyclopaedias at home (nine per cent).

Many communication tools their grandparents would be more familiar with had not completely disappeared from the 10-year-olds consideration with 43 per cent predicting phones - both mobile and landlines - would be used in the future.

Almost two thirds of surveyed students said they still wrote letters and sent them by post.

Radio and television remained the main source of music for 75 per cent of the children.

But when asked about they would take to a desert island the leading choices were a computer and an iPod.

Fifteen schools took part in the written questionnaire.

- NZPA