I think it comes from early exposure to phones and tablets and getting used to it. My 2 year old tried to swipe on my computer screen.
And I agree, watching kids swipe feels, to me, like passive consumer induced computer illiteracy.
As long as you can’t fundamentally reprogram the device with your input method, you are at the mercy of other people. (And yeah, sometimes a keyboard is not enough, either.)
I might change my mind on this later but right now I'm having a hard time seeing it any other way.