Now, I want to start with a question:
When was the last time
you were called "childish"?
For kids like me,
being called childish
can be a frequent occurrence.
Every time we make irrational demands,
exhibit irresponsible behavior,
or display any other signs
of being normal American citizens,
we are called childish.
Which really bothers me.
After all, take a look at these events:
Imperialism and colonization,
world wars, George W. Bush.
Ask yourself, who's responsible? Adults.
Now, what have kids done?
Well, Anne Frank touched millions
with her powerful account
of the Holocaust.
Ruby Bridges helped to end
segregation in the United States.
And, most recently,
Charlie Simpson helped to raise
120,000 pounds for Haiti,
on his little bike.
So as you can see evidenced
by such examples,
age has absolutely nothing to do with it.
The traits the word "childish" addresses
are seen so often in adults,
that we should abolish
this age-discriminatory word,
when it comes to criticizing behavior
associated with irresponsibility
and irrational thinking.
(Applause)
Thank you.
Then again, who's to say
that certain types of irrational thinking
aren't exactly what the world needs?
Maybe you've had grand plans before,
but stopped yourself, thinking,
"That's impossible,"
or "That costs too much,"
or "That won't benefit me."
For better or worse, we kids
aren't hampered as much
when it comes to thinking
about reasons why not to do things.
Kids can be full of inspiring
aspirations and hopeful thinking,
like my wish that no one went hungry,
or that everything were free,
a kind of utopia.
How many of you still dream like that,
and believe in the possibilities?
Sometimes a knowledge of history
and the past failures of Utopian ideals
can be a burden,
because you know
that if everything were free,
then the food stocks would become
depleted and scarce and lead to chaos.
On the other hand, we kids
still dream about perfection.
And that's a good thing, because
in order to make anything a reality,
you have to dream about it first.
In many ways, our audacity to imagine
helps push the boundaries of possibility.
For instance, the Museum
of Glass in Tacoma, Washington,
my home state -- yoohoo, Washington!
(Applause)
has a program called Kids Design Glass,
and kids draw their own
ideas for glass art.
The resident artist said
they got some of their best ideas
from the program, because kids
don't think about the limitations
of how hard it can be to blow
glass into certain shapes,
they just think of good ideas.
Now, when you think of glass, you
might think of colorful Chihuly designs,
or maybe Italian vases,
but kids challenge glass artists
to go beyond that,
into the realm of brokenhearted snakes
and bacon boys,
who you can see has meat vision.
(Laughter)
Now, our inherent wisdom doesn't
have to be insider's knowledge.
Kids already do a lot
of learning from adults,
and we have a lot to share.
I think that adults should
start learning from kids.
Now, I do most of my speaking
in front of an education crowd --
teachers and students,
and I like this analogy:
It shouldn't be a teacher
at the head of the class,
telling students, "Do this, do that."
The students should teach their teachers.
Learning between grown-ups
and kids should be reciprocal.
The reality, unfortunately,
is a little different,
and it has a lot to do
with trust, or a lack of it.
Now, if you don't trust someone,
you place restrictions on them, right?
If I doubt my older sister's ability
to pay back the 10 percent interest
I established on her last loan,
I'm going to withhold her ability
to get more money from me,
until she pays it back.
(Laughter)
True story, by the way.
Now, adults seem to have
a prevalently restrictive
attitude towards kids,
from every "Don't do that, don't do this"
in the school handbook,
to restrictions on school Internet use.
As history points out,
regimes become oppressive
when they're fearful
about keeping control.
And although adults
may not be quite at the level
of totalitarian regimes,
kids have no or very little say
in making the rules,
when really, the attitude
should be reciprocal,
meaning that the adult
population should learn
and take into account the wishes
of the younger population.
Now, what's even worse than restriction,
is that adults often
underestimate kids' abilities.
We love challenges, but when
expectations are low,
trust me, we will sink to them.
My own parents had anything
but low expectations
for me and my sister.
Okay, so they didn't tell us to become
doctors or lawyers or anything like that,
but my dad did read to us about Aristotle
and pioneer germ-fighters,
when lots of other kids were hearing
"The Wheels on the Bus
Go Round and Round."
Well, we heard that one too, but
"Pioneer Germ Fighters" totally rules.
(Laughter)
I loved to write from the age
of four, and when I was six,
my mom bought me my own laptop
equipped with Microsoft Word.
Thank you, Bill Gates, and thank you, Ma.
I wrote over 300 short stories
on that little laptop,
and I wanted to get published.
Instead of just scoffing at this heresy
that a kid wanted to get published,
or saying wait until you're older,
my parents were really supportive.
Many publishers were not
quite so encouraging.
One large children's
publisher ironically said
that they didn't work with children.
Children's publisher not
working with children?
I don't know, you're kind
of alienating a large client there.
(Laughter)
One publisher, Action Publishing, was
willing to take that leap and trust me,
and to listen to what I had to say.
They published my first book,
"Flying Fingers," you see it here.
And from there on, it's gone
to speaking at hundreds of schools,
keynoting to thousands of educators,
and finally, today, speaking to you.
I appreciate your attention today,
because to show that you
truly care, you listen.
But there's a problem
with this rosy picture
of kids being so much better than adults.
Kids grow up and become
adults just like you.
(Laughter)
Or just like you? Really?
The goal is not to turn kids
into your kind of adult,
but rather, better adults
than you have been,
which may be a little challenging,
considering your guys' credentials.
(Laughter)
But the way progress happens,
is because new generations and new eras
grow and develop and become
better than the previous ones.
It's the reason we're not
in the Dark Ages anymore.
No matter your position or place in life,
it is imperative to create
opportunities for children,
so that we can grow up to blow you away.
(Laughter)
Adults and fellow TEDsters,
you need to listen and learn from kids,
and trust us and expect more from us.
You must lend an ear today,
because we are the leaders
of tomorrow, which means
we're going to take care of you
when you're old and senile.
No, just kidding.
(Laughter)
No, really, we are going
to be the next generation,
the ones who will bring
this world forward.
And in case you don't think
that this really has meaning for you,
remember that cloning is possible,
and that involves going
through childhood again,
in which case you'll want to be
heard, just like my generation.
Now, the world needs opportunities
for new leaders and new ideas.
Kids need opportunities
to lead and succeed.
Are you ready to make the match?
Because the world's problems
shouldn't be the human family's heirloom.
Thank you.
(Applause)
Thank you. Thank you.