11 06, 2018

Should Tech Use be Declared a Public Health Emergency?

By | June 11th, 2018|Categories: Technology|Tags: , , , |1 Comment

Technology has certainly been under scrutiny of late, whether the massive data privacy breaches that have been occurring with alarming frequency, the nefarious use of social media in politics, the internet trolls who have become a sad and inescapable part of our techno-culture, or the tobacco-like cover-ups and disinformation war by Big Wireless as reported [...]

7 10, 2016

Raising Generation Tech E-Book is Now Only $2.99

By | October 7th, 2016|Categories: Parenting|Tags: , , , , , |0 Comments

Just a quick note that my latest parenting book, Raising Generation Tech: Preparing Your Children for a Media-Fueled World, is now available as an e-book for only $2.99 from all of your online booksellers. It is a great read for parents who are struggling with when and how much technology you should allow your children [...]

25 09, 2015

How the Internet is Changing Your Brain

By | September 25th, 2015|Categories: Technology|Tags: , , , , , , , |0 Comments

          See a fascinating infographic from onlinecoursereport.com (read the basic findings below) that describes how the Internet is changing the way our brain works (for both good and bad). Distracted? 7 Ways the Internet is Changing Our Brains The Internet is a marvelous thing. Games, vast information, shopping, friends, medical advice: all at our fingertips. [...]

6 10, 2014

The Digital World is Full of Possibility and Worry

By | October 6th, 2014|Categories: Technology|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

The Huffington Post recently asked me to write a blog post on the influence of technology on the lives of children, parents, and families in connection with the new film Men, Women and Children. The request inspired me to put my ideas on (digital) paper wearing both my professional and personal hats. I come to [...]

12 09, 2014

Steve Jobs was a Low-Tech Parent

By | September 12th, 2014|Categories: Technology|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

I was absolutely shocked when I read this article describing how the late Steve Jobs, despite being the King of 21st century technology, was a low-tech parent, meaning that he didn't allow his children frequent access to the very devices he designed that has changed our world. In fact, as the article also echoed, I [...]

5 09, 2014

Are You Drowning in Email?

By | September 5th, 2014|Categories: Technology|Tags: , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

A great New York Times article describing the "tyranny" of email and how some countries and companies are attempting to staunch the tsunami of email during non-work hours. Anyone who feels overwhelmed when faced with checking their email or anyone who feels pressure to respond to work email on night and weekends will appreciate this article. [...]

25 07, 2014

Technology is Making Us Dumber

By | July 25th, 2014|Categories: Technology|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

Very much in line with my own views on the overuse of technology, this article describes 8 Ways Technology Makes Us Stupid. I'm quite sure that the majority of us can relate to each of the eight.  

21 05, 2014

Are Opportunity Costs Children’s Real Problem with Technology?

By | May 21st, 2014|Categories: Technology|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |7 Comments

There are a lot of “techno-evangelists” out there spreading the gospel of technology as the cure for all of our ills. For this group, technology can do no wrong. At the same time, there are plenty of Chicken Littles running around saying that our cultural, social, and educational sky is falling. For this group, technology is the ill that needs to be cured. I place myself firmly in the middle of these two camps. Think of me as the Paul Revere of the 21st century—“The techies are coming!” I believe that technology is inherently neither good nor bad. But neutral does not mean it is benign. As with most things in life, technology is healthy or harmful depending on how it is used. One challenge for us is technology enters our lives before we can know what effect it will actually have on us. The speed at which technology is becoming deeply woven into the very fabric of our lives is breathtaking; as if we’re holding onto the railing of a caboose of a runaway train. Innovations are launched and become a part of our culture so quickly that there isn’t time to step back and consider the implications of new technology on us. It is only in the rearview mirror that we can see whether a technological advancement has been beneficial or damaging. And by then it’s too late to go back; the new technology is already irreversibly embedded in our individual and societal psyches.

7 01, 2014

5 “Dangerous” Things Parents Should Do to Their Children

By | January 7th, 2014|Categories: Parenting|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |3 Comments

I thoroughly enjoyed Gever Tully’s TED video of “5 Dangerous Things You Should Let Your Kids Do” and agree with his thesis that parents these days are far too protective of their children. Paradoxically, in parents’ well-intentioned attempts at protecting their children from harm, they actually leave them less prepared for the real dangers that your kids will face later in life. I also concur that exposing kids to a little danger can be beneficial to their development. Exposure to what are for them risky experiences, such as using power tools, fire, or a pocket knife, can build confidence, resilience, competence, respect, and responsibility, as well as develop cognitive, emotional, and motor skills that will help children as they transition into adulthood. Of course, it’s easy for Mr. Tully to make this argument when he doesn’t have kids; he doesn’t have the hard-wired “protect your children to ensure their survival” instinct kick in at the first sign of danger. Though exposing children to Mr. Tully’s tangible dangers offers many benefits, I would argue that the dangers that he wants you to expose them to are far less threatening than they actually are because the potentially harmful consequences are immediate and will surely be mitigated by a watchful—though hopefully not overly intrusive—parent. In contrast, I would suggest that you can do five things to your children that are far more “dangerous,” yet will have a far greater impact on them as they develop.