From Cassette Tapes to Artificial Intelligence: My Journey Through Technology
I was born in a small village in Meru, Kenya, in 1990. At that time, technology was not something we talked about every day. In fact, the most advanced technology many of us interacted with was a radio cassette player.
If a cassette tape got stuck or the batteries ran low, sometimes the quickest solution was to rotate the tape manually and hope your favorite song would play again.
While we were doing that in rural Kenya, something remarkable was happening thousands of kilometers away across oceans and continents. Between 1990 and 1995, the world was witnessing a revolution in computing.
Personal computers were finding their way into homes and offices. Microsoft was preparing operating systems that would change how people interacted with computers. The internet, though still young, was beginning to connect universities, businesses, and eventually ordinary people.
My father owned what I considered one of the finest pieces of technology available to us: a radio cassette player. To me, it was a magical machine.
My uncle, who lived and worked in Nairobi, became the first person in our village to own a mobile phone. This was around 1995.
Then one day, my uncle arrived carrying something I had never seen before. A mobile phone. Not the sleek smartphones we carry today. This thing had an antenna protruding from the top like a miniature radio tower.
Looking back, I now realize that mobile technology became one of the greatest catalysts for computing advancement.
Fast forward to today. We have smartphones more powerful than the computers that helped send humans to the moon. We have cloud computing, cybersecurity, machine learning, and Artificial Intelligence transforming nearly every industry.
And now, I find myself watching my own son standing next to my laptop, completely captivated by it.
The same curiosity I felt when I first saw my uncle’s mobile phone seems to be emerging in him.
10 Signs You Might Be Raising an ICT Person
1. They Are Naturally Curious About Gadgets
They don’t just use devices. They study them.
2. They Watch Closely When Technology Is Being Used
Before they can even read, they often sit beside adults operating phones, televisions, laptops, or tablets and observe every movement.
3. They Love Pressing Buttons
To a future ICT professional, every button is an experiment.
4. They Learn Device Navigation Quickly
Without formal instruction, they somehow discover where apps are, how to unlock screens, and how to navigate menus.
5. They Try to Solve Problems
When something stops working, they don’t immediately give up. Instead, they start experimenting.
6. They Enjoy Building Things
Whether it’s blocks, toys, puzzles, or digital creations, many future ICT professionals enjoy constructing systems.
7. They Ask Endless Questions
“Why?” “How?” “What happens if…?” Curiosity is the fuel of every technologist.
8. They Are Fascinated by Screens
Not merely for entertainment, but because screens represent interaction, information, and possibilities.
9. They Learn Patterns Quickly
Technology is built on patterns and logic.
10. They Keep Returning to Technology
Most importantly, the interest never fades.
Looking Back
When I reflect on my own life, I can now see the signs were there from the beginning.
The excitement of a radio cassette. The wonder of seeing electricity arrive in our village. The amazement of witnessing the first mobile phone. The curiosity that never went away.
Technology changed my life. Not because I was born surrounded by it. But because I was curious about it.
Today, as I watch my son reaching for a laptop with the same fascination I once had for a mobile phone with an antenna, I am reminded that every technological journey starts with a simple question:
“What is this thing, and how does it work?”
For parents reading this, pay attention to those small moments. You might be witnessing the first signs of a future software developer, cybersecurity expert, network engineer, AI researcher, data scientist, or technology innovator.
