Google CEO Urges Grads: 'Turn off your computer'

Apple Computer has appointed Google CEO Eric Schmidt to its board.

Photo: AP

Associated Press

Posted: 05/18/2009 

 

PHILADELPHIA — The head of the world's most popular search engine urged college graduates on Monday to step away from the virtual world and make human connections.

 

Speaking at the University of Pennsylvania's commencement, Google chairman and CEO Eric Schmidt told about 6,000 graduates that they need to find out what is most important to them — by living analog for a while.

 

"Turn off your computer. You're actually going to have to turn off your phone and discover all that is human around us," Schmidt said. "Nothing beats holding the hand of your grandchild as he walks his first steps."

 

Schmidt, who holds a doctorate from the University of California-Berkeley, also received an honorary doctor of science degree at the ceremony. Penn President Amy Gutmann cited Schmidt's "manifold contributions to putting the world at humanity's fingertips."

 

"You have devoted your career to heralding a new age of learning empowered by technology," Gutmann said.

 

It was Schmidt's second honorary degree in as many days. On Sunday, he received one at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where he delivered a similar speech.

In the next 10 years, he predicted, technology will advance to the point where it will be possible to have 85 years worth of video on the equivalent of iPod.

 

Perhaps most notably, Schmidt said, members of his generation spent all their time trying to hide their most embarrassing moments. Today's generation records and posts all those moments on YouTube, he said, drawing laughter from the crowd.

 

Source: http://www.siliconvalley.com/news/ci_12399584?nclick_check=1

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