The home of "Tech Talk Tuesdays"
“Having calm, consistent conversations has greatly improved screen balance in my home and I have written hundreds of articles to help others through my weekly Tech Talk Tuesdays newsletter and blog.”— Delaney Ruston, MD Physician/Filmmaker"
Last week we talked about the Netflix series “13 Reasons Why” and how to talk to your kids about the hard subjects seen in the show. This week, we think it’s important to focus on what the teens think about the show and its provocative content. What are they saying about “13 Reasons Why?”
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Teens all over the world are streaming the Netflix series, “13 Reasons Why.” The series, based on the young adult novel by Jay Asher, explores hard issues like online bullying, rape, and suicide. Because youth today so often watch shows alone on their personal devices, it is imperative that we engage and have conversations with our teens about these intense subjects.
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I just returned from Australia where I was rolling out Screenagers. All over the country, I heard exactly the same questions and concerns I’ve heard in the U.S. and in other countries: Why are we so glued to our devices and what is excessive screen time? A new book called Irresistible by Adam Alter looks at why everyone seems to be is so entranced by screens.
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Families today are busy. Often everyone is running in different directions, and texting each other under the same roof is becoming the new normal. This disconnect in personal touch is troublesome. To keep our sanity, and our face-to-face conversations alive, my family follows four rules...
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The season of spring break is upon us. With it comes the issue of what to do with your unstructured days. Let’s face it, so often down time has become screen time.
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I am the first to say that I love multitasking. We know the brain can handle certain kinds of tasks at the same time like walking and chewing gum because those actions don’t rely too much on the frontal cortex. However, our brains can't adequately process the performance of two tasks at the same time when those tasks require some thinking.
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IIn the president’s plan, the Department of Education’s total budget would be slashed by $9 billion. One of the hardest hit will be after-school programs, key support for families.
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People often ask me about the medical risks that all this screen time is having on our kids—such as the development of eyesight problems or tendonitis. I get emails from ophthalmologists who are convinced that nearsightedness is increasing, but so far there are no long-term studies to say anything definitively.
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How many times have you or your kids pulled out a phone at dinner to quickly get the answer to a question that comes up? Knowledge-on-demand is the norm now but I am concerned it takes away from interesting, deeper conversations and interrupts dialogue.
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This recent UCLA study about what happens in a teens’ brain when they get a “like” on their photo showed that when the teenagers saw pictures that showed risky behavior, it decreased activity in the regions of their brain that are responsible for putting on the brakes.
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A major study recently showed without question the negative effect cellphones have on the quantity and quality of children’s sleep. Why public health experts care is because things like accidents, obesity, mental health problems all go up with sleep deprivation – and grades go down.
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