Dr. S Uncategorized

Kids, Parents and Technology: Blogs/Comments and Articles by Eitan 'Dr. S' Schwarz

ARCHIVE

Schwimmer’s ‘Trust’ Reviewed: Technology / Media Violent to Kids — Parents Need Help!

Posted December 1, 2017

Originally published by ThinkerMedia: BestThinking.com on March 24, 2011 (David Schwimmer and Andy Bellin's important play Trust had a three months' debut run at Chicago's Looking Glass Theater a year ago, and is now resurfacing as a movie. My review of the play follows here.) Trust is a moving portrayal of the life-changing consequences of an Internet romance between an innocent teenage girl and an adult male predator. Easy access and privacy in real time can be dangerous. The truth of Trust and how close it is to all our lives and a threat to our loved ones are powerful. The audience seems to

ROBOTS DANCING IN CHICAGO?

Posted December 1, 2017

Originally published by ThinkerMedia: BestThinking.com on March 20, 2011 The fourteen energetic dancers of Hubbard Street Chicago treated us to a mesmerizing interpretation of Sharon Eyal and Gai Behar’s new Too Beaucoup. Clad head to foot in flesh-colored body stockings and matching makeup, the anonymous, seemingly cloned, dancers were driven relentlessly by the persistent breathtaking soundtrack. IMHO, what made this production essential viewing is its exploration of the increasingly busy, and at the same time, fuzzy interface between machine and man, human and robot. The timely dance masterpiece raises urgent points: How and where are human relationships with each other, with cloned

Advergames: McDonald’s Videogame Marketing to Kids Is a Tech Media Management Challenge to Parents

Posted December 1, 2017

Originally published by ThinkerMedia: BestThinking.com on April 21, 2011

Matt Richtel of the New York Times just authored three fascinating related articles about kids' advertising in the digital age.* One describes McDonald's Corp.’s efforts to engage kids in clandestine consumer transactions by having them play free video games. Unfortunately, busy caring parents may have to face yet another difficulty as they attempt to keep their kids' media and food consumption healthy and safe. Parents can learn about the underlying current motives, thinking and changes in kiddie advertising from Richtel's second urgently must-read story. Richtel's third story describes a very well-designed scholarly experiment

I Forgot My iPhone. What a relief!

Posted December 1, 2017

Originally published by ThinkerMedia: BestThinking.com on March 19, 2011 The other day I had a sharp momentary panic when I realized I forgot my iPhone. I searched for it desperately. I called it. It was nowhere to be found. I felt naked, exposed, incomplete. I felt a hole in my world. I was suddenly in a silence -- isolated and out of touch with what are surely crucial breaking news from my kids or patients. The feeling is familiar – like when I forgot my wallet or keys -- worry, tightness in the chest and a wave of hollowness in the pit

Always Connected: The new digital media habits of young children – REVIEWED

Posted December 1, 2017

Originally published by ThinkerMedia: BestThinking.com on March 27, 2011

A well-worthwhile read is Always Connected: The new digital media habits of young children by Aviva Lucas Gutnick et al. My own take is that yet again we are seeing the increasingly potent new technologies relentlessly pushing media towards the very same cradle where we nurture, protect, and love our young infants. Increasingly more kids are increasingly rapidly adapting to and experiencing media at younger ages, even as research findings have not yet cooled the fevered consumption of technology in families. The time has come for

American Academy of Pediatrics Gives Good Guidance. Kids iPad ZillyDilly™ App Safe and Effective Media Manager is Next Step.

Posted December 1, 2017

Originally published by ThinkerMedia: BestThinking.com on March 29, 2011 Although experts all consistently agree that kids need parental guidance to assure safe and effective social media and other online media consumption, there are few real tools available. We need to go beyond safety concerns to truly give families the benefits of technology. Parents need to be empowered, educated and tech tools to assist them. Such an app is coming to the iPad from MyDigitalFamily. ZillyDilly. Here are recent recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics about social media and online safety that provide part of what parents need to succeed. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/peds.2011-0054v1.pdf

Children Fail to Recognize Online Ads, Study Says

Posted April 26, 2011

It is exactly because merchandisers can use powerful cutting-edge psychological tools on kids interacting with technology, and for other very good reasons, that parents urgently need to be empowered and educated and given their own tech tools too to safeguard and manage kids' media consumption. As a child psychiatrist and media / kids expert and author I believe that parents too need a mindset and system of thinking to help them cope with the myriad boundary-blurring challenges that rapidly-evolving technology is forcing on us all. It is time to level the playing field. And parents do have a home-court advantage in

ALONE TOGETHER is must reading for anyone who has a cell phone; and a must MUST if you also have a child.

Posted January 24, 2011

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must If You Have a Cell Phone; A Must Must If You Also Have a Child., January 10, 2011 This review is from: Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other (Hardcover) ALONE TOGETHER is must reading for anyone who has a cell phone; and a must MUST if you also have a child. Dr. Sherry Turkle, a first rate thinker, veteran researcher, and keen observer, surprises us with how thoroughly and rapidly the evolving human-machine interface is changing our lives. Dr. Turkle's findings suggest that some major fundamental human brain

Book Review: Dr. Sherry Turkle’s ‘Alone Together’ (Basic Books)

Posted January 24, 2011

MIT's Dr. Sherry Turkle's ALONE TOGETHER (Basic Books, 2010) is must reading for anyone who has a cell phone; and a must MUST if you also have a child. This distinguished full professor at MIT has been skillfully watching fascinating developments unfold for almost two decades. As a captivating writer, Dr. Turkle again provides superbly stimulating food for thought about the social / psychological dimensions of where our chaotic technology consumption may be taking us. Cybercrime, sexting, gaming, cyberbullying, multitasking, endless power struggles with our teens, and other sensational happenings that are capturing our attention are but tips of an iceberg. Ironically,

Pioneer Thought Leader and Researcher: Robots Are Here to Stay and They Are Us

Posted January 19, 2011

Link to Original Article This review is from: Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other (Hardcover)

I have not had the honor of meeting Dr. Turkle personally, but as I was researching my own book I found her to be one of the most important and sensible scholars in the human and technology space. Although she focuses on robots, the relevance of her work extends to all interactions with digital media. Currently, our use of the online computer and smartphone has similar

Increased Media Coverage Leaves Cyberparents Even More Helpless

Posted January 5, 2011

06.11.2010 Hooray! After over a decade of relative chaos and over-emphasis on safety, we are finally seeing how, as usual, while created to serve us, tools have profound effects on us. It is about time: In recent days, a spate of articles have peppered media about the effects on humans of technology. They comprise of two categories: Cognitive neuroscience and social-familial. There are alarmists and there are technophiles. Slow-to-come new research is reported, and experts are interviewed to put it in context. So far so good. But other than piquing curiosity, this mostly alarmist reportage is piecemeal and offers scant practical advise.

Videogames Can Be Good: Fight Childhood Diabetes and Obesity

Posted December 20, 2010

12.17.10 According to a study recently reported from Baylor University, children who played 6 hours of videogames that aimed at health-promoting dietary choices ended up 2 months later eating more fruit and vegetables. While many research findings often give bad news about the unrestricted use of technology by children, this report shows how this powerful medium can definitely help kids . "Parents need to become empowered and educated and have tools to become effective managers of kids' home media consumption, much as they manage food consumption. Parents must actively manage content. Restriction alone is just not enough,"

Dr. S Comment: TECHNOLOGY AND CHILDREN’S BRAIN

Posted December 10, 2010

A UCLA study (J Epidemiol Community Health doi:10.1136/jech.2010.115402 http://jech.bmj.com/content/early/2010/11/11/jech.2010.115402.abstract?sid=b593eac2-369e-4769-b857-048bba43e302) shows increased behavioural problems in seven-year-olds who had both prenatal and postnatal exposure to cell phones used by at home. While it is difficult to say that cell phone use actually causes damage, the association is strong. These findings definitely need our attention and further study and should definitely get the attention of every parent. Parents must make sure that their use of electronics at home is not only safe, but actually brings benefits to their family. They need to be empowered, educated, and given the tools to manage

Dr S. Comment: Infant Media Exposure and Toddler Development

Posted December 9, 2010

Dr. S comment: New study shows how media are dumbing down infants. After over ten years of relatively chaos in children’s media exposure, reliable studies are now beginning to show how media can be damaging to human development starting very early in life. It is in the first years that the brain is actually wired, and many times irreversibly. What can parents do? Because media is here to stay, its thoughtful deployment is the practical and best answer, not just blocking or limiting it. In fact, it can be good for kids, just as parents can make food consumption healthy by giving nutrients instead of junk. Parents can

Dr S. Comment: Cell Phone Use Damaging Babies of Pregnant Moms?

Posted December 9, 2010

A respectable study from UCLA links maternal cell phone use while pregnant with later behavioral problems in childhood. These findings do not necessarily show causality, but need replication and explanation because they are so disturbing. The ecology of the developing brain is delicate and must be kept ‘green’, as I discuss in my book “Kids, Parents & Technology”. Parents need to be empowered, educated, and given the tools they need to manage electronics in their homes for the benefit of all family members. Best, Dr.

Expert: Please Keep Kids’ Brains Green

Posted December 9, 2010

As researchers learn more about the effects of technology on our children's brains, parents must become more careful in the use of new devices. After over ten years of relatively chaos in children's media exposure, reliable studies are now beginning to show how media can be damaging to human development starting very early in life. It is in the first years that the brain is actually wired, and many times irreversibly. What can parents do? Because media is here to stay, its thoughtful deployment is the practical and best answer, not just blocking or limiting it. In fact, it can be

Make Tech Holiday Gifts Good for Families

Posted November 22, 2010

11.21.10 With holiday shopping starting to accelerate, parents are tempted by the wonderful technology devices flooding the marketplace, but many fear their negative impact on kids. After over a decade of media's explosive and chaotic inroads into home life, parents are intimidated and feel helpless. And with all the negative press about technology and kids, parents are naturally worried, according to Dr. Schwarz, also known as Dr. S. Those 20% who restrict and filter content get only partial results. So why does Dr. Eitan Schwarz, the Illinois psychiatrist expert in technology's impact on family life, speak positively about how technology can benefit

Gov. Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver on Right Track

Posted October 29, 2010

Dad/husband Arnie and mom/wife Maria are doing the right thing by restricting media use in their home, according to an expert: "When I come home at night and we have dinner, there's no phone calls accepted. The kids aren't allowed to have cell phones at the table," Schwarzenegger said to Diane Sawyer on ABC Nightly News 10/27/10. In fact, across party lines, president Obama's kids don't get to watch TV during the week. According to Dr. Eitan Schwarz, a Chicago-area psychiatrist, these are examples of smart parents protecting their family's family life in a way all parents these days must do

Psychiatrist to Parents: Make New Apple Operating Systems Good for Your Family

Posted October 23, 2010

Link to Original Article 10.23.10 Video Clip: Click to Watch It looks like Apple is targeting youth in its mobile applications, as well as laptops. For example, David Chartier's recent review "iTunes 10 Goes Social," describes Ping, an elementary Facebook-type connection among kids purchasing music on iTunes. The same issue describes Apple's new iOS 4.1's Game Center as offering software developers better means to " implement multiplayer features into their games while letting players more easily challenge their friends to matches." Additionally, iOS 4.2 will be especially good for mobile TV apps. Eitan Schwarz, M.D., a veteran Chicago-area child psychiatrist, notes,

Computing Our Children’s Future

Posted October 1, 2010

Link to Original Article 12.14.09 Computer science education is a generally well-managed and sensible subcategory of a larger area - children interacting with digital technology in the home. This larger 'space' -- the intersection of technology, child development / neuroscience and family life, and media is relatively more chaotic. This important intersection has gotten relatively little systematic attention and organization that has made practical sense to parents, who often start children off with digital devices early in life without an sensible guidance... My book addresses this

What’s Your Hobby?

Posted October 1, 2010

Link to Original Article 12.21.09 This is great article. As and expert on kids and families in my office and the author of KIDS, PARENTS & TECHNOLOGY: A GUIDE FOR YOUNG FAMILIES, I emphasize the importance of using media -- and there is so much out there -- to enrich ourselves and our families. Amongst the torrent of digital information and social noise flooding us and our children, it is at home that we can put things in proper perspective by having both solitary and joint family

With “Avatar,” Technology Has Never Looked So Human in Film (VIDEO)

Posted October 1, 2010

Link to Original Article 12.22.09 AVATAR is an astounding result of so many human and technological forces coming together. As talented folks present us with wonderful gifts based on technological marvels - and I hope they do more and more -- we must do our part to develop new ways of thinking about how to bring these into our lives positively. As a long-term child/family therapist and technophile, I have sought ways that family life and parenting can benefit from these innovations and offer my ideas in KIDS, PARENTS & TECHNOLOGY: A GUIDE FOR YOUNG FAMILIES. One way is to enjoy

A Free Online First: Expert Teaches Parents and Kids Healthy Media Use

Posted September 25, 2010

For the first time online, an expert is addressing both parents and their young kids directly about developing good media habits. In free side by side online videos, Dr. Eitan Schwarz, a veteran Chicago area child and family psychiatrist, urges parents to use home media in positive and healthy ways and separately addresses their young kids to cooperate. The videos attempt to change viewers' mindset to accept Dr. Schwarz's positive approach to the use of media in the home.

"Home technology can be enormously helpful, but current studies show it to be mostly destructive," according to Dr. Schwarz, also known as

ONLINE

Posted September 16, 2010

rel="noopener">

Psychiatrist Gives Parents Tools to Manage Kids’ Media

Posted September 1, 2010

Veteran Chicago-area child-psychiatrist and Northwestern University faculty member Dr. Eitan Schwarz is launching his national campaign to assist parents manage their kids' media lives in comprehensive, positive and healthy ways. He is beginning with appearances in suburban Chicago libraries. His scheduled appearances are online at https://mydigitalfamily.org Dr. Schwarz will discuss his book, "Kids, Parents & Technology: A Guide for Young Families." Known to his patients as Dr. S, the Skokie physician offers fresh child- and family-oriented thinking. Dr. Alvin Rosenfeld, a Harvard Medical School lecturer praises the book: "Finally someone- Dr. Schwarz - has given parents an easy-to read, but very helpful

Working Mother – Is Tech Taking Over Your Teen?

Posted July 29, 2010

What a great article! Making good decisions about media consumption is an ongoing parenting and personal challenge for moms. Working moms, with limited time and random cell phone and other tech intrusions into their family time, often have special challenges. My work and research has shown me that this is an important family issue that parents are often torn about. Many come up with good compromises, but stay feeling uncertain and have guilt feelings. Except for limit setting, there just is not enough good guidance (except for scare advice) out there, even after over a decade of media dominance in

The Online Mom Is technology separating us from our kids…?

Posted July 29, 2010

A nagging sense of guilt and inadequacy haunts many moms distracted by today's technology, just as their kids are also becoming less connected to families, as studies show. Good parenting today requires careful planning - like meal preparation - setting access limits of electronic-free times and places, and extensive meaningful positive planned interactions with media

The New York Times: Business Section p. 7 Junk Food, Junk Media

Posted July 18, 2010

Re “Educational Hope vs. Teenage Reality” (Digital Domain, July 11), which described how studies showed a decline in academic performance after students in low-income households received a computer in the home: Without active parental planning and supervision, children consume junk media as they do junk food. Left to themselves, children properly regard almost everything as toys and do not consider long-term benefits or hazards. Parents should regard digital media as a way to enhance children’s development and family life. Learning is essentially a developmental social that needs the nurturing involvement of adults. EITAN D. SCHWARZ, M.D. Skokie,Ill., July 11 The writer is a child

RE: Kids, Parents & Technology: A Guide for Young Families Aims To Help Parents With Their Digital Families

Posted July 7, 2010

7.7.10 After a decade of significant technological change with an emphasis on online safety, it’s obvious digital tools profoundly affect families in their daily lives. Dr. Eitan Schwarz, a veteran Chicago child-psychiatrist uses media as play therapy in his practice and addresses this issue in his book, KIDS, PARENTS & TECHNOLOGY: A GUIDE FOR YOUNG FAMILIES as well as online at https://mydigitalfamily.org. The steady flow of technology is impacting family relationships, causing some to become media-saturated. Oftentimes parents don’t know how to manage the available technology. Dr. S’ book discusses how parents can apply hand-held gadget use, Web site interaction, video game play and

RE: HOW MANY ANGELS CAN TEXT ON A PINHEAD?

Posted June 28, 2010

6.28.10 Brilliant technological innovators bless us almost daily with new opportunities, unimaginable even months ago, that challenge our best thinkers (among them David Pinsky, Nicholas Carr, Steven Johnson, Sherry Turkle and others) to predict the how these new tools will impact our culture and civilization. Burgeoning neuroscience, seemingly promising to finally explain how our brains function as the organs of our minds, has created a fashionable concern with how we input and process information. But frankly, I cannot help chuckling as I imagine a serious clan of self-aware mavens among our pre-historic ancestors, each holding a newly-wrought iron tool for the

SanFrancisco Magazine: RE: Tech gets a time-out: Charges of hypocrisy be damned: Some Silicon Valley tech wizards are quietly raising their kids outside the lurid digital landscape that their own industry calls childhood.

Posted June 25, 2010

By Dan Fost 6.25.10 Comments for Tech gets a time-out * Dr. S Writer Dan Fost has his finger right on the pulses of youngsters and parents who are organizing their families’ media lives just right. He reminds me of director Spielberg’s claim that he would not let his own youngsters attend "Jurassic Park", even as millions of American youngsters were flocking to his greatest hit. The tech industry mavens cited by Fost get the point that parenting is one thing and merchandising is another. Even as our kids are growingly portrayed as media junkies and their parents as increasingly ineffective in the recent Kaiser

RE: Yes, People Still Read but Now It’s Social

Posted June 18, 2010

6.18.10 Technology need not be our enemy as long as we keep our focus on these goals. Our job now is to fit technology into our parenting and not vice versa. So let’s please shift the debate and focus on what we want for ourselves and our families and to ways to exploit our brilliant new tools to accomplish this precious task. Let’s stop debating how many angels can text on a pinhead, and let’s use technologies as opportunities to promote the development of social brains (after all, that is why it evolved in the first place) from infancy through adulthood. The

More Media Coverage Leaves Digital Parents Frustrated

Posted June 11, 2010

Increased Media Attention Leaves Cyber parents Helpless Hooray! After over a decade of relative chaos and over-emphasis on safety, we are finally seeing how, as usual, while created to serve us, tools have profound effects on us. It is about time: In recent days, a flurry of articles have peppered media about the effects on humans of technology. These stories comprise of two categories: Cognitive neuroscience and social-familial. There are alarmists, and there are technophiles. Slow-to-come new research is reported, and experts are interviewed to give context. So far so good. But this is not enough. Other than piquing curiosity, the mostly alarmist reportage is

PTA and Facebook Talking: But Kids and Families Need More!

Posted June 10, 2010

That the PTA and Facebook are collaborating for kids' Internet safety is welcome news! It is about time! After over a decade of chaos, industry and major child advocacy organizations must look at the broader picture together: How our kids are consuming media and how can their development and family lives benefit (see www.mydigitalfamily.org)? Both the Kaiser and Pew Foundation and other reports recently showed just how out of control the consumption of junk media is becoming and how family life is actually declining. Rather than piecemeal solutions or merely restricting access, parents must immediately commit themselves and thoughtfully organize the

Junk Food, Junk Media

Posted June 10, 2010

6.10.10 This type of "when" question appears regularly in media. However, according to Dr. S, a veteran Chicago child psychiatrist ,"Parents are still feeling frustrated and helpless about managing kids' junk media consumption because such piecemeal soundbytes miss the larger and important question of 'how do we think comprehensively about technology and fit it into home life?' It is only within this context that any approach can make sense. We must ask, 'How are our kids consuming media and how can their development and family lives benefit from technology?'" Dr. S states that "a digital device does not belong in your home unless

LinkedIn: Children’s Media

Posted June 9, 2010

6.6.10 Shall we begin teaching young children about the concept of world peace? At what age is it appropriate? At what time does it become necessary? How much information shall be

Kids, Parents, and Technology: An Unexplored Space

Posted June 6, 2010

6.6.10 Comment by Marla Coffey 1 day ago Dr. S, Thanks so much for opening up this topic! I've often wondered what a psychiatrist or psychologist would say about how the Internet is impacting kids developmentally, socially, etc. Parents have the responsibility of managing and monitoring it, but do you think it's still causing fundamental changes in the way kids learn, think, interact, etc.? Beyond changes in the way learning and communication are delivered--is it changing the way kids function internally? I've read that adults are experiencing changes in short and long term memory because of our dependence on devices--who needs to memorize directions when

TIPS FOR EASING FAMILY SUMMER VACATION TECH STRESS

Posted June 2, 2010

Summers at home or on the road have always presented families with special challenges. Today's technology seems to offer parents great solutions at home or during long car or airplane trips: bored and annoying children turn magically into 'seen but not heard' angels as they settle down and remain occupied for long periods, quietly consuming media. But many parents are not entirely comfortable and many even feel a bit guilty: 'After all, this IS summer and a FAMILY vacation meant to bring us together and closer.' Parents are lost: 'How much media is OK? At what ages? Allow my eleven-year old

In the Good Ol’ Cybertime: An Urgent Alert to Parents

Posted May 31, 2010

"Children's uses of technology at home can too easily rob families of unique bonding opportunities and expose kids to immediate and future dangers. Parents are already worrying about unorganized unsupervised use, but it seems so pervasive in our culture that most don't know what to do and where to start. Just eliminating all technology does not seem right to many," according to Dr. S, a distinguished Chicago child psychiatrist and author of the newly-released guide for parents. Parents are right to worry. While they can become more stressed when their schedules do not lighten up to accommodate the months and months

Book Expo America Opens this Week as Industry Scrambles to Respond to Teen-Initiated Tech Trends

Posted May 24, 2010

Originally published in The New York Times 5.24.10 Promising “content and buzz”, Book Expo America opens this week in New York City. Most of the buzz in the famed publishing trade show will surely come from the industry’s scramble to keep up with the digital revolution. And many of the explosive trends that are making up these revolutionary personal technology developments have surely originated and evolved in teen culture. “It is the nature of youth culture to be the first to incubate new trends and bring them into the mainstream, sometimes to the benefit of all. Trends like the many personal uses of the

Stop drifting in fast technology currents and start swimming!

Posted May 14, 2010

Originally published in the New York Times 5.14.10 A recent New York Times story describes how cellphone texting is now more frequent than voice calls. Such a trend is but one example of how, in subtle and not so subtle ways, technology is changing our lives day by day. Bullying and sexting are other instances of ugly destructiveness, also powerfully portrayed in David Schwimmer's recent drama, "Trust". For the past decade, we and our kids seem to have been caught in the turbulent, fast moving, powerful, and seductive currents of technological progress. Sexting and texting were hardly in our vocabulary two years ago. It is stunning

The New York Times: Cellphones Now Used More for Data Than for Calls

Posted May 14, 2010

5.14.10 LET'S PUT AN END TO THE CHAOS! Day by day, our uses of technology are changing our lives in subtle and not so subtle ways. The increase use of texting is but one example. David Schwimmer’s recent “Trust” portrays its ugly destructiveness. What we need urgently is a way to think from the top down so that we have some control over these trends, rather than merely passively measuring them and complaining helplessly or reacting to specific problems. How our kids use technology cannot be left to trends of popular culture any more than their education or nutrition. And we ourselves

David Schwimmer’s TRUST Is a Call to Action

Posted May 11, 2010

Drama is Great Tool for Health Education about Technology but Formspring Shows Parental Measures Insufficient David Schwimmer and Andy Bellin's important play "Trust" just closed its three months' debut run at Chicago's Looking Glass Theater last week-end, and is fortunately slated to resurface as a movie later this year. The drama is a moving portrayal of the life-changing consequences of an Internet romance between an innocent teenage girl and an adult male predator. The truth of this drama and how close it is to all our lives and a threat to our loved ones is powerful. The audience seems to hold its breath

MyDigitalFamily Launches Second Edition of Trailblazing Technology Guide for Families and Children

Posted May 8, 2010

MyDigitalFamily announced today a second edition of its acclaimed guidebook, "Kids, Parents & Technology: A Guide for Young Families". This book offers the first and only child- and family-centered total approach to home consumption of all digital media written by a distinguished and credible expert. It is unique in providing a positive and hopeful orientation to technology to parents, grandparents, librarians, educators, and other child care professionals, and although it covers safety, it treats the subjects as a family issue. The author has been termed by some the "Dr. Spock of kids and technology," referring to the famed pediatrician who guided generations of

A major disaster is now in the making: Kids are becoming Addicted to Media and Parents are Helpless

Posted May 1, 2010

A major disaster is now in the making: Kids are becoming Addicted to Media. Parents MUST start right now to organize young children's and their own media lives or have less happy, less creative kids hopelessly addicted to technology Two studies reported today should alarm parents: Middle schoolers who are allowed to watch R-rated movies are more likely to use alcohol later (Dartmouth) and most college students are already "addicted" to media and suffer serious symptoms when withdrawn (University of Maryland). Together with other studies and recent reports by the Pew and Kaiser Family Foundations, an alarming picture is emerging. Limiting access, filtering,

ABC.com: The View Hot Topics

Posted April 29, 2010

Link to Video 4.29.10 What to Say to a Child Who Wants to Text, an IPad, a cell phone, or any other ways to consume media: I am the parent and want the best for you. Piecemeal q and a's are helpful but really not enough, as new issues keep coming up all the time about managing kids' uses of technology. Parents need to take charge with a new and comprehensive solid way of thinking to guide how they apply their skills in this area, no matter what the latest platform. IMHO, parents need to make a commitment to a comprehensive plan to

What to Say to a Child Who Wants to Text, an iPad, a cell phone, or any other ways to consume media

Posted April 28, 2010

4.28.10 Piecemeal q and a's are helpful but really not enough, as new issues keep coming up all the time about managing kids' uses of technology. Parents need a new and comprehensive solid way of thinking to guide how they apply their skills in this area, no matter what the latest platform. IMHO, parents need to make a commitment to a comprehensive plan to organize media consumption at home based on individual kids' needs and family practices, to teach best practices, and to prevent inappropriate and excessive use later in

The Wall Street Journal: Child Psychiatrist: iPad can be good for kids and families Apple’s iPad Is for Moms Now, Techies Later on Huff and Laptop Killer?

Posted April 20, 2010

Link to Original Article 4.2.10 Apple’s new iPad adds a universe of new applications to those already in iPhones on a larger, more accessible touch screen that include books, games, business tools, newspapers, presentation managers, a word processor. This tablet is a serious tool for serious people. Before bringing it home, every parent must think through its impact on the kids and family life because the iPad also puts unprecedented interactive media power into children’s hands. Mobile, tactile, responsive, and intensely user friendly, the large screen sparkles with sharp colorful images and text. “The iPad is the magical stuff kids (and the

Monitoring Kids’ Cellphone Activity

Posted March 26, 2010

Link to Original Article 3.26.10 Although media are such pervasive aspects of our kids' lives, parents continue to react in a piecemeal and poorly coordinated manner to this powerful force. It is time to think comprehensively and decide the role of media in your kids' lives and to form a rational and comprehensive media plan for each child. Monitoring and restricting are usually only partially effective approaches. Parents need to become proactive and plan media consumption as they do food consumption. Otherwise, kids will continue to consume junk media as they do junk

Obama to parents: School nights for homework, not TV

Posted March 25, 2010

3.25.10 Whatever your politics about healthcare, the President and First Lady are right on about this . President Obama and the First Lady are on the right track when it comes to finding the right balance for their daughters’ media lives, "The girls don't watch TV during the week. Period." While it seems at first glance that the presidential couple’s emphasis is on restrictions and making rules, the real message is actually on the positive: “Very early on, we set expectations for Malia and Sasha in terms of them taking responsibility for their own education." No TV means doing schoolwork instead. It is

The Internet Is Making Us Shallow and Vapid! (Or Maybe We Were Just Shallow And Vapid To Begin With)

Posted March 17, 2010

Link to Original Post 3.17.10 All of us are now magicians of fast, immediate social access, knowledge, and interactivity. Mobile interactive technologies brilliantly transcend the old pre-digital realities of time and space, and we too can give into our own impulses to get what we want and need when we want it without the old delays. The pre-digital world reality disciplined us to slow us down, to delay our impulses, and to use our judgment and other human gifts to give us more control and depth and richness over our complex lives. Our brand new reality makes possible communication in small quick

Google, Facebook, Twitter, and the Wisdom 2.0 Conference

Posted March 12, 2010

Link to Original Article 3.12.10 The old limitations of time and space that allow for silence, reflection, and inspiration are short-circuited by the brilliant engineering of today's technology. Spiritual life can begin in the family, with the early experiences of learning the Golden Rule and it is how family life is impacted by technology that we should be minding. Currently, we have a deterioration in family life that we must reverse. Families would do well to have media-free zones and times at home to allow for development of spirituality. Make balanced media plans based on each child's age to promote family

An E-Reader for Kids

Posted March 8, 2010

Link to Original Article This appears to be a promising application for kids. The positive place of technology in the lives of families and children can be indeed powerful. However, while the potential for good is enormous, in fact, so far, studies are showing that family life is actually weakening and some children's development harmed by unsupervised or excessive use of media, and things are getting worse. Too many parents are gee-whizzing the wonders of technology, reacting to children’s demands and adopting every new gizmo that comes along, or feeling inadequate or overwhelmed and unable to provide the right balance

Appreciating the Family Side of Technology

Posted March 6, 2010

Link to Original Article 3.6.10 You are right to emphasize the potential value of technology in family life. The positive place of technology in the lives of families and children can be indeed powerful. However, while the potential for good is enormous, in fact, so far, studies are showing that family life is actually weakening and some children's development harmed by unsupervised or excessive use of media, and things are getting worse. Too many parents are gee-whizzing the wonders of technology, reacting to children’s demands and adopting every new gizmo that comes along, or feeling inadequate or overwhelmed and unable to

Finding The Spirituality In New Media

Posted February 25, 2010

Link to Original Article 2.25.10 Are we all actually swirling topsy-turvy in a new media frenzied universe, or do we just think we are? I don't know the answer, or am even sure about what this question ultimately means. But I do know that we are still people with bodies, minds, and souls. We come in as babies and go out as oldsters and live a life in between that is hard and wonderful and that we try to make sense of. We need each other and our families. We have no great answers to the great riddles, but are steadily

Taming the Tech-Wild Child

Posted February 16, 2010

Link to Original Article 2.16.2010 "Younger and younger children are now in charge of how they consume media, and they are mostly consuming junk,” explains child psychiatrist, Dr. Eitan Schwarz, MD. "Excessive consumption can cause emotional difficulties, as well as result from existing ones. Children need the thoughtful, active and positive guidance of their parents in this amazing Wild-West tech environment. Merely restricting access is just not enough.” Kids and Tech - Tips for Parents: · Take Charge - Have confidence and take charge. Youcan manage this important area of your kids' lives. Many parents too readily take a back seat

The Huffington Post: The Empathic Web and The Family Education Network: How to Teach Empathy

Posted February 12, 2010

2.8.10 Neuroscience is beginning to teach us about how complex functions like empathy actually work. Our brains are pre-wired to connect us with others. We have special neurons - mirror neurons -- that can react to what we sense others may be doing or feeling. How this process develops is then determined by our early relationships, and how this information is processed is what makes us more human than other primates. Empathy is an inborn human ability that can be shaped further by life experiences in which family life is crucial. Take the Golden Rule, and see how complicated it is to actually

Technology at the Margins — Social Innovators and Innovations

Posted February 12, 2010

Link to Original Article 2.12.10 Closer to home, now over a decade since Information and Communication Technology has permeated our homes big-time, junk media consumption by technology-soaked children has parents, pollsters, and others wringing their hands. And for good reason - according to the recent Kaiser family Foundation survey, 1/5 of kids spend 132 hours/week on media. Their grades are down and they are not happy. So what is anyone doing about this? Too little, I am afraid. We need entrepreneurial innovation here desperately and leadership from industry. I was hoping that Microsoft Tabletop Computer https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Surface was a beginning towards

Children & Brand Awareness: They’re Never Too Young to Say “GeekDad”

Posted February 6, 2010

2.6.10 Cradle-to-grave marketing started with Disney, still king in this space. “And the merchandisers know what they are doing. Marketing is now an applied science that encompasses sociology, psychology, and anthropology. And the youth market is a multi-billion dollar industry, working its way to younger and younger consumers directly, through parents, and even through school curricula, making parents teaching kids to become wise consumers increasingly necessary. In Buy, Buy Baby (Houghton Mifflin Company, 2007, ISBN 10:0-618-46351-8, pp 193-206) Susan Gregory Thomas describes the inroads marketers have made into the daycare industry.” (from chapter 11 of my

PBS Frontline — Digital Nation: ROUNDTABLE With Correspondent Douglas Rushkoff

Posted February 3, 2010

Link to Original Article 2.3.2010 As a child psychiatrist and author interested in this area, I found the program and general increase in awareness spawned by the Kaiser Family Foundation report important wake up calls. Certainly, we are undergoing major changes within turbulent technology / human / kid / family intersection. I am optimistic -- we have an opportunity for people to appreciate that we have in our hands powerful tools and a chance to ask "How can we think, plan, raise families, and turn this opportunity into something

IACC Unanimously Approves 2010 Strategic Plan for Autism Research

Posted February 1, 2010

Link to Original Article 2.1.2010 Given that cutting-edge neuroscience research is showing how wonderfully sensitive Baby’s developing social- and related brain functions are to caregiver attachment behaviors and attunement; and given that there has been an explosive increase in recent years in intrusive mobile media use — like cell-phoning, and now, texting; has anyone seriously investigated how such increased unintentional media-induced caregiver distractibility could possibly be one contributor to the tragic current rise in autism and related disorders? Even if not contributory, don’t we need to know more about the impact of interactive media on young families’

Buy an Apple iPad for Your Child?

Posted January 31, 2010

1.31.10 I personally love good technology and will probably get an iPad or something like it for myself. But before bringing a new gadget home, every parent must think through its impact on the kids and family life. Kids left to themselves consume media as they do junk food. The more the media, the poorer the grades and the lesser imaginative play and family interactions. According to a recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll, 1/5 of those ages eight to eighteen now get as much as nineteen hours of media daily but report more unhappiness. I am also concerned that parent distraction by media

APPLE TABLET: The New York Times, The Huffington Post, News Blaze, Slate

Posted January 27, 2010

The New York Times 1.27.2010 APPLE TABLET: Does America's Youth Need Yet Another Great Tech Device? 1/5 of kids 8-18 spend up to 19 hrs/d (including texting and multitasking) total media time. Media use is associated with poorer grades and family life and less reading and imaginative play. When parents set limits for 1/3 of youngsters, media consumption drops by only 1/3, showing that restriction is just not enough. Technology is great -- we need to use it in positive, proactive family-centered applications. But in the 10+ years of media explosion into the lives of younger and younger children, there has

Oprah: Texting While Driving Is ‘Absolutely Stupid’

Posted January 26, 2010

Link to Original Article 1.26.2010 Texting and using cell phone while driving cause so many traffic accidents that they are now banned in many places. And who even heard of texting five years ago? This is yet another example of how we are playing catch-up to the explosive changes wrought by technology in our lives. But the impact of technology on our kids and families has been just as explosive and can be just as destructive as traffic accidents, and also requires severe measures. And is playing catch-up a good idea? A recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll shows that older children are

Ten for ’10: New Gadgets for Home and Away

Posted January 7, 2010

Link to Original Article 1.7.10 A big 'Wow!' I never cease to feel amazed by the awesome flood of beauty, talent, and innovation that these devices represent. We are blessed to live in our free and peaceful (not perfect, though, by any means) country and be able to participate in a resilient and powerful economic system that nurtures inventiveness and talent. We are doing lots right here in a way no other people ever have in all of history. Having said that, I also never forget the findings of modern neuroscience: These technologies are created by our wonderful human minds, and are

CES 2010: The Circus Begins (And Gadgets Galore!)

Posted January 7, 2010

Link to Original Article 1.7.10 I love gadgets and usually meet them with a big ‘Wow! We are blessed to live in our free and peaceful (not perfect, though, by any means) country and be able to participate in a resilient and powerful economic system that nurtures inventiveness and talent. These technologies are created by our wonderful human minds, and are but secondary to the primary purpose for which our brains evolved – to make the enormously complex calculations required to live together and know each other in so many ways as social creatures. So -- paradoxically, in a long term

It’s Not too Late to Set Intentions for 2010

Posted January 7, 2010

Link to Original Article 1.10.10 Here's a NEW YEAR'S resolution for parents: I will take charge of my kids' digital media activities to make them into safe assets for development and family life. I want to keep their minds and brains 'green'. This will take an ongoing commitment, just like dieting or working on a

The Huffington Post: Kids and Media: Joined at the Hip and The Wall Street Journal: A Safer Way to Text on the Road and MIT Review: Ban Texting While Parenting

Posted January 7, 2010

The Huffington Post: Kids and Media: Joined at the Hip The Wall Street Journal: A Safer Way to Text on the Road 1.24.2010 Texting and using cell phone while driving cause so many traffic accidents that they are now banned in many places. And who even heard of texting five years ago? This is yet another example of how we are reacting to the explosive changes wrought by technology in our lives. But the impact of technology on our kids and families has been just as explosive and can be just as destructive as traffic accidents, and also requires severe measures.

Daring to Live Your Life Offline

Posted December 30, 2009

Link to Original Article 12.30.09 Media consumption: Does it have to be all or nothing? Can we find ways to fit tech tools into our lives sensibly and selectively in ways that actually work for us? In other words, does it have to be feast or famine? Why not figure out sensible diets that allow us (and teach our kids) to consume media rather than having media consume us? Are there experts we can ask about the best ways to adapt our own media diets? The benefits in so many ways are enormous. But the dazzling growth of accessible digital media

An Apple tablet will give developers a bigger sandbox. But how many will jump in?

Posted December 30, 2009

12.30.09 Buy an Apple iPad for Your Child? I personally love good technology and will probably get an iPad or something like it for myself. But before bringing a new gadget home, every parent must think through its impact on the kids and family life. Kids left to themselves consume media as they do junk food. The more the media, the poorer the grades and the lesser imaginative play and family interactions. According to a recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll, 1/5 of those ages eight to eighteen now get as much as nineteen hours of media daily but report more unhappiness.

7 Tips To Release Your Stress In Minutes

Posted December 29, 2009

Link to Original Article 12.29.09 From a neuroscience POV, our brains are really wired to get the most mileage from social contact, and not necessarily from these types of activities. While these might work, so much stress relief advice these days is too self-centered, empty, and self-indulgent and over-concerned with diet, body, and self-centered thinking. What happened to touching base with a friend or relative -- 'I was just thinking of you and want to say hi' -- or showing a kindness to -- or a smiling at, or laughing with -- an acquaintance or

Here’s What I’d Like To Hear More of In 2010

Posted December 28, 2009

Link to Original Article 12.28.09 A great idea! Too many of us are uneasy - and kids 'bored' - and restless when the noise stops. The clutter of modern life -- especially the noise and unfocussed energy that digital media bring into our homes, cars, and into our hands -- are not necessarily good for our families and growing children. Connection is not friendship. Being present alone within one' s self or together with family members are moments of intimacy too rare in our current life. Here's a NEW YEAR'S resolution for parents: I will take charge of my kids' digital

Tips for Controlling Your Teen’s Facebook Usage

Posted December 28, 2009

Link to Original Article 12.28.09 Adolescence is a period of experimentation often given to such excesses, usually harmless when transient and just require watching and waiting, or gentle nudges from parents. Over-reaction from parents can make things worse when they turn into power struggles. People of all ages -- including youngsters -- who pull the plug themselves on overuse of any digital media (including video games, social media, Internet, porn, etc.) are way ahead of those who either do not do so or cannot see the need to, or who insist that their excessive use is not a problem. Excesses

KIDS, PARENTS, and TECHNOLOGY: New Blog Spot

Posted December 26, 2009

Link to Original Post 12.26.09 We are so dazzled by digital gadgets (and they truly are amazing!) that we forget to consider seriously how these ultimately impact our children and family lives -- and ultimately the picture is not at all pretty. Kids are awash in digital media and gadgets, and most are unsupervised and consume mostly junk. Parents feel helpless because they do not know -- except for restricting and filtering -- how to guide media-saturated kids' into healthy media consumption. Technology has brought lots of good stuff that can go into a healthy media diet that will actually enhance family

The 15 Most Influential Games of the Decade

Posted December 26, 2009

12.26.09 A thoughtful inventory to remind us that digital games can indeed be both esthetic, successful, and even pro-social, challenging all the hoopla that they are always toxic to children. Parents should join kids in playing these wonderful games. Here's a NEW YEAR'S resolution for parents: I will take charge of my kids' digital media activities to make them into safe assets for development and family life. I want to keep their minds and brains 'green'. This will take an ongoing commitment, just like dieting or working on a

The Best iPhone Apps for Kids

Posted December 26, 2009

12.26.09 Here's a NEW YEAR'S resolution for parents: I will take charge of my kids' digital media activities to make them into safe assets for development and family life. I want to keep their minds and brains 'green.' This will take an ongoing commitment, just like dieting or working on a marriage. Over the past decade of working with kids and families, I have seen how interactive digital technologies have invaded homes helter-skelter and have become lightening rods for conflict, while the potential benefits have received almost no attention. In my practice, I see more and more vacant kids and families surprisingly

Neato Robotic Vacuum to Take Over Household Cleaning

Posted December 26, 2009

Link to Original Article 12.26.09 Another great application of technology in the home, and one that kids can easily appreciate and learn from. Explain to them how it works, and segway into other topics about using technology in their lives per my KIDS, PARENTS & TECHNOLOGY: A GUIDE FOR YOUNG

Family Focus – Is TV Bad for Babies?

Posted December 26, 2009

Link to Original Article 12.26.09 Keeping baby's brain green must be our first priority, since it is such a complex environment with sensitive - but highly resilient -- ecologies. Managing media from early life is an important commitment -- and parents go need guidance. This will take an ongoing commitment, just like dieting or working on a

Home Digital Media: Assets or Liabilities for Children and Family Life?

Posted December 25, 2009

From Addicting Games Takes on the Teen Market 12.25.09 Over the past decade of working with kids and families, I have seen how interactive digital technologies have invaded homes helter-skelter and have become lightening rods for conflict, while the potential benefits have received almost no attention. In my practice, I see more and more vacant kids and families surprisingly empty and superficial. Connectivity has exploded. It is not the same as friendship nor intimacy. In fact, connectivity seems to trivialize intimacy and friendship, except for girls of at certain ages, where it may be developmentally helpful (although certainly not necessary.) Effects

Gadgets to Bring Holiday Cheer to Little Travelers

Posted December 24, 2009

Link to Original Article 12.24.09 We are so dazzled by digital gadgets (and they truly are amazing!) that we forget to consider seriously how these ultimately impact our children and family lives -- and ultimately the picture is not at all pretty. Kids are awash in digital media and gadgets, and most are unsupervised and consume mostly junk. Parents feel helpless because they do not know -- except for restricting and filtering -- how to guide media-saturated kids’ into healthy media consumption. Technology has brought lots of good stuff that can go into a healthy media diet that will actually enhance family

The Power of Magical Thinking: Research Shows the Importance of Imagination in Children’s Cognitive Development

Posted December 23, 2009

Link to Original Article 12.23.09 A wonderful article that demonstrates how clever nature is in designing our children's minds and brains. Let's keep these precious ecologies 'green' and protect them by putting kids on media diets that enhance family life and development. See my KIDS, PARENTS & TECHNOLOGY: A GUIDE FOR YOUNG FAMILIES where I discuss this subject

The Future of Social Media with Gerd Leonhard

Posted December 23, 2009

12.23.09 We must take charge of how media affect our lives rather than merely reacting to the wonderful innovations that come to market and embrace the benefits they bring. This is especially true in raising children and teaching them to live in a technology-rich

The Greatest Gift We Can Give

Posted December 23, 2009

Link to Original Article 12.23.09 A parent's greatest gift is the devotion to his children and actions that demonstrate this commitment. Currently, our kids are flooded with media and are soaked to the bone with technology. Let us give them nutritious media diets to nourish them and keep them from junk media. Make a New Year's resolution to do just that for your family. In KIDS, PARENTS & TECHNOLOGY: A GUIDE FOR YOUNG FAMILIES I show

Robovie-II Grocery Shopping Robot Helping Out This Holiday Season and Neato Robotic Vacuum to Take Over Household Cleaning

Posted December 23, 2009

12.23.09 Another great example of technology application in the home. Teach your kids about how it works. Use it as a segway to discuss how they use technology per my KIDS, PARENTS & TECHNOLOGY: A GUIDE FOR YOUNG

Disembodied Androids and Robotic chair fine art

Posted December 23, 2009

12.23.09 What a great concept as a teaching toy for kids 5 and up to learn about robotics -- the concept of breaking as destruction and application of technology to repair and build -WOW. This definitely an important part of a media

Nexi: The MDS Sociable Robot

Posted December 23, 2009

12.23.09 A wonderful teaching toy. But watch out! DO NOT MAKE INTO A TOY FOR KIDS YOUNGER THAN 6 AND DEFINITELY DO NOT PUT ANY SUCH INTELLIGENT TOY INTO A BABY'S

Mom Calls 911 Over Son’s Video Game Obsession

Posted December 22, 2009

Link to Original Article 12.22.09 In my own clinical work, I have found that kids who overuse digital media can have good psychological reasons. These kids often attempt to cope and master difficult episodes and feelings. As a long-term therapist and author of KIDS, PARENTS & TECHNOLOGY: A GUIDE FOR YOUNG FAMILIES, I have seen how kids often overdo video games when upset instead of engaging in more destructive or disruptive behaviors. Obviously, the news story of the mother calling 911 gives us no clue as to what is really going on in this family. And the problem may not be

Cultivating Compassion: Meditation For Better Relationships

Posted December 22, 2009

Link to Original Article 12.22.09 A wonderful essay. Relationships are what we are about and what our brains are designed to manage and experience -- the 'I' And the 'Thou' are THE central organizers of being human and can often get lost in the clatter of our digital world. My KIDS, PARENTS & TECHNOLOGY: A GUIDE FOR YOUNG FAMILIES is all about this preserving this crucial element in our homes as we raise our

The Power Of Not Knowing

Posted December 22, 2009

Link to Original Post 12.22.09 A good set of points. Here is something else to consider here: Since we are essentially social beings and our brains primarily designed to assure our survival together, how we exchange information or knowledge and how each of us assesses others are deeply rooted in our social experience. We learn and learn how to learn from each other from the very beginning of our lives. As an expert in media and children and author of KIDS, PARENTS & TECHNOLOGY: A GUIDE FOR YOUNG FAMILIES, I believe that the digital age can bring both a false sense

Yes, Santa Claus, There is a Virginia

Posted December 22, 2009

Link to Original Post 12.22.09 "Thank you for reminding Santa Claus that there is still a Virginia swimming somewhere out there in the flood of media and consumerism. As a long-time therapist, physician, and author of KIDS, PARENTS & TECHNOLOGY: A GUIDE FOR YOUNG FAMILIES, I believe that parents must pull their media-soaked kids out of the torrent and teach them how to swim and navigate, or even stay dry in their own boat! (I apologize for mixing metaphors

Be the Change

Posted December 22, 2009

Link to Original Post 12.22.09 A wonderful poem -- something to treasure and read to families at dinner! And families should have at least one meal together daily. As the author of KIDS, PARENTS & TECHNOLOGY: A GUIDE FOR YOUNG FAMILIES and a long-time therapist and physician, I have tried to assist parents instill in their children such pro-social

Is this a Spiritual Crossroads?

Posted December 22, 2009

Link to Original Post 12.22.09 We know that that Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can last long into the future and cause subtle and not-so-subtle changes in how people see things and feel about themselves and others. The long tail of PTSD or its variants can last long into the future and, I believe, irreversibly affect communities and cultures as well as individuals, although not nearly as well studies or understood. I am pretty sure that much of our national experience as Americans is still colored by our 9/11 trauma as we search for a context for its meaning and its

Just Listen – Overcoming Holiday Shyness

Posted December 21, 2009

Link to Original Article 12.21.09 Shyness can ruin an otherwise nice holiday (and other life) experiences. One thing that modern neuroscience has shown us is how important human relationships are to setting the tone of our brains for the good and bad. A great way to manage your shyness is to nourish others, and not merely resort to micromanaging your own body and mind. Give, love, and be grateful. As an expert on kids and families in my office and the author of KIDS, PARENTS & TECHNOLOGY: A GUIDE FOR YOUNG FAMILIES, I try to provide a working general approach to

Stress Much this Season?

Posted December 21, 2009

Link to Original Article 12.21.09 A good list. One thing that modern neuroscience has shown us is how important human relationships are to setting the tone of our brains for the good and bad. A great way to manage your own stress is to nourish others, and not merely resort to micromanaging your own body and mind. As an expert on kids and families in my office and the author of KIDS, PARENTS & TECHNOLOGY: A GUIDE FOR YOUNG FAMILIES, I try to provide a working general approach to this topic. Giving and loving and feeling grateful are wonderful ways to relieve

Facebook Fueling Divorce: STUDY

Posted December 21, 2009

Link to Original Article 12.21.09 Clearly, digital technology is reaching ever deeper into our lives. Especially when it comes to its place in family life -- and here is one example -- there is randomness and chaos in how we manage it. The larger context of the place of digital media in our lives, especially as they intersect with our values and how we shape our culture and civilization is a topic of endless fascination and reactivity. But there is really no meaningful conversation in popular culture about a systematic and comprehensive approach to this vital space. As an expert

Real-time Web, Unreal-time Life

Posted December 21, 2009

Link to Original Article 12.21.09 Good thoughts. One other aspect that I emphasize in my book KIDS, PARENTS & TECHNOLOGY: A GUIDE FOR YOUNG FAMILIES is how we raise kids in this media-rich world. As an expert on kids and families in my office and the author of I emphasize the importance of raising kids from very early to benefit from digital media as good managers of how information impacts their

With the Rise of Social Media, No Privacy for Tiger Woods

Posted December 21, 2009

Link to Original Article 12.21.09 Good in-depth discussion. Thanks! The larger context of the place of digital media in our lives, especially as they intersect with our values and how we shape our culture and civilization is a topic of constant, but random and chaotic discussion. Values education seems to be getting almost no discussion. I wish there were more discussion within a specific space KIDS, PARENTS & TECHNOLOGY: A GUIDE FOR YOUNG FAMILIES that addresses how we raise kids in this media-rich world. As an expert on kids and families in my office and the author of KIDS, PARENTS & TECHNOLOGY: A

We’re Being Bad: Are Mom And Dad To Blame?

Posted December 21, 2009

Link to Original Article 12.21.09 Values seem to be lost in the frenzied torrent of digital information and social noise flooding us. It is at home that we must all put things in proper perspective and learn decency, kindness, and compassion as we raise our kids. As and expert on kids and families in my office and the author of KIDS, PARENTS & TECHNOLOGY: A GUIDE FOR YOUNG FAMILIES, I emphasize the importance of community and

To Give And To Receive: The When And The Why

Posted December 21, 2009

Link to Original Article 12.21.09 This is great advice. We can strive to become more developed as people. In well-developed people, social relationships are the means to happiness. That is how our brains are made. As and expert on kids and families in my office and the author of KIDS, PARENTS & TECHNOLOGY: A GUIDE FOR YOUNG FAMILIES, I emphasize the importance of relationships, community and collaboration in raising kids. Values education seems to be lost in the torrent of digital information and social noise flooding them. It is at home that they must put things in proper

Inner Activism: Three Tricks For A Happier New Year

Posted December 21, 2009

Link to Original Article 12.21.09 This is great advice, but it needs to be put in a general perspective. So, please let me add that obsession with our own spirituality if it does not extend into living a life with others and a lifestyle revolving around micromanaging our own bodies and minds as a means 'to be happy' can often merely reflect an inability to form and keep relationships and truly be nourished by them. In well-developed people, social relationships are the means to happiness. That is how our brains are made. As and expert on kids and families in

Staff/Webmaster: Jessica Schwarz
staff@mydigitalfamily.org