North America

Edith Ackermann (Etats-Unis)

Psychology Professor

Edith Ackermann teaches at Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s School of Architecture. She specializes in questions of education and studies technological environments, interface design, and creative games. She is particularly interested in personal and community development in real, symbolic, and virtual spaces.

“Today’s children move from place to place in virtual, physical, and digital worlds. They are nomads, surfers, neo-nomads, and so on. They like to mix media and are quick to adapt to new technological toys and games. This nomadic existence influences the way children play, learn, interact, use space, and interact with objects. They’re also inventing new ways of talking, writing, presenting and expressing themselves. Since they live between two worlds, children tend to think that they are involved in multiple adventures and multiple tribes. And children are certainly moving without moving; they move, but their bodies don’t. In one way, children tolerate virtual relationships with others better than they do physical. They should be inventing new kinds of stability in their non-virtual relationships while continuing to maintain contacts that transcend territorial borders. We have to create a sense of presence, belonging to a place and to a community, for them.”

Ci’Num 2007