Fascinating Article about Being ‘Cool’ at 13 (Hint: Not a Good Thing)
A fascinating article about a study that examined so-called cool kids as they entered their teenage years lost their way by the time they reached early adulthood. ‘Pseudomature’ behavior that resulted in popularity and being labeled ‘cool’ at age 13 was predictive of all sorts of problems at age 23. My takeaway is that the rush […]
Read MoreIs Compassion Children’s Most Admirable Quality?
Think of all of the qualities that you admire most in others and that you would most like to instill in your children. My guess is that compassion is high on your list. Why is that? Perhaps because, like diamonds, compassion is a rare gem in a society in which selfishness and disregard for others are as common as rhinestones. Consider what compassion is. Most fundamentally, it is “not about me.” Compassion involves being aware of and caring about the needs of others. It means wanting to help others who are less fortunate than you. Compassion has so many other wonderful attributes associated with it, for example, benevolence, good will, unselfishness, and empathy, just to name a few. If these qualities were ingredients to be mixed and baked, you would have the recipe for about as fine a person as you could imagine.
Read MoreTaylor Interview about Kids and Technology
I was recently interviewed by Michael Stelzner on mykidsadventures.com, a web site devoted to helping families find healthy alternatives to digital entertainment. You can listen to the interview here.
Read MoreThe Science of Making Decisions
Late last year, I wrote a blog post titled How Do You Make a Major Life Decision. In it, I describe my approach to making decisions and some of the potential obstacles to making good decisions. Here is an interesting article that explores some of the recent research on decision making and offers six science-based ways […]
Read MoreToday’s TV and Movies are Changing the Way We Look at Love
Romantic comedies, reality TV matchmaking shows, and sitcoms aren’t just entertaining (to some). Here’s a scary article that describes research on how popular media is changing the way we see love. For example, people who watch shows such as The Bachelor tend to believe in love at first sight and idealize love. In contrast, watching […]
Read MoreSo What Makes Malcolm Gladwell Such an Expert?
I have to admit that I used to be a fan of Malcolm Gladwell. I read his frequent articles in The New Yorker and several of his early books. I was initially seduced by his apparent breadth of knowledge, cerebral dexterity, and inviting writing style. But the more of his work I read, the more […]
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