The Kitchen Computer

By 1985 Alex and I had shopped two years before being able to afford a home computer—and within six months we had to have two; they had become very quickly essential to how we lived our lives.

Now I see my son’s family of 5 daughters with computers as part of the fabric of the household. I’ve no idea how many computers they have—most are still exclusively adult machines, but there are two that are family machines, a desktop in a workroom/schoolroom and a new iMac in the kitchen.

In the picture Hannah, the oldest, has discovered a website on cryptography and with her dad’s help she’s crafting some coded emails for her friends—with a reference to the website where they can learn how to decode them.

They’re often found gathering around the kitchen computer to view family pictures or films. Being allowed to play a favorite game can be a reward for good behavior, but the player is likely to have the whole family kibitzing. Parents check on their ebay sales and purchases. The older kids research for school work. Those who cook—everyone over 5 or 6—look up recipes.

The computer has become one more “necessity” in the big family kitchen gathering place. What used to be a kitchen desk with space to spread out cookbooks and pay bills has been upgraded to a computer where you can find recipes, pay bill, look up a word you don’t know or find a picture to illustrate what you’re talking about.