Remember the first time a video game taught you something real?
If you know what this image is and remember it fondly, you are my people and we can be friends.
Source: Video Games Museum
If you have never seen this before, I can probably pretty accurately guess your age.
Mavis Beacon: The OG Keyboard Coach
"Make it a game. Make it fun. And you’ll do it better, longer, and more willingly." Charles Duhigg
Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing was legit one of my favorite computer games. Having played A LOT of video games since then, it seems kind of silly to even call this a video game, but it was. It taught you typing in a way that your high school typing teacher never could - gamified it and didn’t slap your hand with a ruler if you happened to look down at your keyboard.
I learned how to type so much better and faster with this game than I did over an entire year of typing class (and to be fair, by the time I took that typing class in 9th grade, I had already mastered Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing).
A Funny Thing Happened in an AI Training…
You may be asking: So why are you bringing up this ancient game now? Funny story. Damien recently ran a private AI training for a small nonprofit group. Most of the staff were under 30. And guess what? They hate typing! (“he hates these cans!!”)
They’d rather use speech-to-text or record voice notes.
Their aversion to typing in an AI chatbot was a barrier, that was, until Damien shared that tools like ChatGPT now play nicely with voice. Instantly, they were in.
I Felt the “Old” Stick Hit Me Square in the Face
"If you want to change the world, start by changing the way you see it." Joe Dispenza
When Damien told me about all of this, it felt like I was hit with the “old” stick. It dawned on me in that moment that his observation is probably true for much of the younger generations.
Some friends (who are much younger) use voice memos as their go-to method of communication - something that is almost to the level of loathing for me, btw.
In that moment, I felt every one of my decades. Realizing they never had the pleasure of playing (learning from) Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing or using a typewriter (I have had multiple jobs in which I had to use a typewriter…).
Your Lens = Your World
This is all a gentle reminder that we all see the world differently. This “aha” moment added another layer to my understanding that each of us experiences things in our own way, each through our own lens of experiences, likes, dislikes, hopes, dreams, fears.
AI Tools Don’t Judge—So Don’t Limit Yourself
"There is no single path to success, but there is your path." Martha Beck
Whether you're team keyboard or team voice memo, the good news is: AI works either way.
Prefer to type? Great.
Hate typing? Talk it out.
The tools can adapt to you. You just need to know how to use them.
Ponder This:
- What tools shaped how you work today?
- How do your preferences influence how you connect with others?
- What might you gain by trying the “other” way, talking instead of typing, or vice versa?
Books
- Finding Your Own North Star - Martha Beck
- Evolve Your Brain - Joe Dispenza
- The Power of Habit - Charles Duhigg
ChatGPT Feels Like a Blank Screen of Doom?
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