"Whenever there is a conversation about the future of computing, is discussion inevitably turns to the notion of a 'File'.  After all, most tablets and phones don't show the user anything that resembles a file, only Apps that contain their own content, tucked away inside their own opaque storage structure.  This is wrong.  Files are abstraction layers around content that are necessary for interoperability.  Without the notion of a File or other similar shared content abstraction, the ability to use different applications with the same information grinds to a halt, which hampers innovation and user experience."  Aside from the fact that a file manager for Android is just a click away, and aside from the fact that Android's share menu addresses many of these concerns, his point still stands: files are not an outdated, archaic concept.  One of my biggest gripes with iOS is just how user-hostile the operating system it when it comes to getting stuff - whatever stuff - to and from the device. 

I'll bet you USD$1000 that I can pick any normal youth from 10-17 and teach them within 20 minutes where to find a file in a directory hierarchy. 

I'd be happy to supply you with a German of "generation smartphone" and see how you do.  Then let's check what has been kept in memory two weeks later. :-) 

I don't want to argue that it's possible to teach those knowledge (with some work), but obtaining that knowledge by oneself is more and more the exception here.  From my own experience, I have certain "favourite candidates" who need constant teaching of where they did store their offers and invoices.  We're talking about adults obviously.  Maybe the situation is not that bad in the lower age area, and maybe even less desillusional outside Germany. 

Still: "What should I learn this for?  I don't need it!  The PC does all by itself!" :-) 

"I'd be happy to supply you with a German of "generation smartphone" and see how you do.  Then let's check what has been kept in memory two weeks later. :-) 

Has to be English speaking kids -- I don't speak German. " 

Oh, that might be the next problem: English is such a no-go in IT meanwhile.  English error message?  Pure confusion!  But it's "hip" and "clever" to use pseudoanglicisms and wrong translations.  I don't even talk about the growing inability to use the own native language properly... :-)

We will check two weeks later to see if they can perform the same file managing tasks, without help from me. 

What do you say? 

I say this ability is lost if it isn't practiced regularly.  Things only stay in memory when used for a specific time.  I just wanted to suggest this imaginary experiment to show how futile it is to teach anything to the "generation smartphone". 

In fact, I have worked with kids (education and psychology) and they are smarter than their "professional counterparts" occupying precious workplaces they aren't qualified for.  Children don't have massive problems learning, trying and exploring new things and concepts.  Adults are much more comfortable with what they "know" (even if it's not even enough to get their paid job done).  The development of the brain (seen from a neurological and psychological point of view) might have its effects here. 

There's a famous saying: "Was Hänschen nicht lernt, lernt Hans nimmermehr." ( what little Hans doesn't learn, that Hans will learn nevermore) So if you introduce concepts like files and directories very early, maybe showing different representations (e. g. on Mac OS X, on KDE, on the command line) and encourage kids to actively use this, whatever stuff they do with the PC, it's a good chance to provide them a fundament which makes them superior in later jobs to those who did not have this kind of education.