All you need to do is watch some boys–any boys, anywhere, any age–playing on a vacant lot and you will see the magic stick archetype at work.

This is a handheld device that is a weapon or wand, something capable of magically influencing the world around the holder.

A cell phone is a magic stick. So is the microphone that Jerry Seinfeld holds on stage (the reason he doesn’t use a clip-on wireless lavalier is… hmmm…). The iPod has succeeded largely because Steve Jobs unintentionally created a magical device that fit the archetype perfectly. And then, of course, there are guns.

The remote control changed the way we watch TV. We don’t use headsets at work, even though it would save a lot of wear and tear on the neck… it’s all the same thing. It’s about using your hands to change your world.