Should Tech Use be Declared a Public Health Emergency?
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 […]
Read MoreRaising Generation Tech E-Book is Now Only $2.99
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 […]
Read MoreHow the Internet is Changing Your Brain
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. […]
Read MoreThe Digital World is Full of Possibility and Worry
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 […]
Read MoreSteve Jobs was a Low-Tech Parent
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 […]
Read MoreAre You Drowning in Email?
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. […]
Read MoreTechnology is Making Us Dumber
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.
Read More5 “Dangerous” Things Parents Should Do to Their Children
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.
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