My iPhone is not a toy. I’ve tried conveying as much to my toddler, but she still pines after it and has managed to grab it on a few occasions. Thankfully, she doesn’t fly off in a tear, but rather, plops rights down, fully absorbed.

It’s fun to watch her with the phone – tapping around, pressing the buttons, calling people – and now, she really seems to get the interface. She scrolls lists, browses photos, and taps buttons expecting results. Any doubts I have about the interface are vanquished by watching her use the phone. It just comes to her so naturally.

Of course, now she touches other displays and gets frustrated by the lack of interaction. Maybe soon all screens will be touchscreens, but engineers and interface designers better hurry up, lest they fail to meet the expectations of a different generation.