The conventional wisdom among social-media experts is that social media is neither good nor bad; rather it is how social media is used that determines whether it is life affirming or life damaging. These same social-media experts (myself included) have been reluctant to speak strongly against these technology platforms for fear of being labeled a [...]
I was recently interviewed for an article that explored the impact of social media on how athletes perceive themselves psychologically and emotionally and its impact on performance. Whether competing at the junior, collegiate, international, or professional level, looking at how other people (including rabid fans!) can be jarring to athletes. Social media has become an [...]
Back in 2012, Common Sense Media, the leading independent nonprofit organization dedicated to helping kids thrive in a world of media and technology, published a groundbreaking survey examining the use of technology and social media among young people ages 13-17. The results were shocking in how much children were immersed in technology six years ago. CSM [...]
A slightly unsettling, article about new apps to help people track and monitor their smartphone use. Isn't it ironic to spend time on your smartphone to learn how much time you spend on your smartphone. But I digress. Knowing how much time you spend on your smartphone, particularly for personal as opposed to work use, [...]
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 [...]
Parents getting their children involved in technology as early as possible has become a societal imperative and a source of great pressure on parents these days. The belief is that if children don't get on the technology train at an early age, they will be left behind and be doomed to a life of Luddite failure. [...]
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 [...]
An interesting new study was just published that suggests that children who have little or no screen time are able to read the emotions of others better than those who spend considerable time in front of a screen. Though the sample for the study was small, its implications are disturbing, namely, that the decline in [...]
Not long ago, I gave a keynote address and participated in a Q & A based on my latest parenting book, Raising Generation Tech: Prepare Your Children for a Media-fueled World. Both are now available on my YouTube channel.
If you're a parent a of teenager (or have a child that is going to be one!), this article should really disturb you. The bottom line is that when young people should be sleeping, many are staying up late spending the wee hours of the night on social media. It's called '"vamping," as in vampires. [...]
