todays kids: the iGeneration

Studies are showing that

technology is changing the way that

 children are growing and developing. 

I came across a book that would be fascinating to read -

Rewired:  Understanding the iGeneration and the way they learn

 by Larry D. Rosen. 

"Look around at today´s youth and you can see how technology has changed their lives. They lie on their beds and study while listening to mp3 players, texting and chatting online with friends, and reading and posting Facebook messages." 

 



In the meantime I found an article in Psychology Today, adjunct professor Jim Taylor discusses How Technology is Changing the Way Children Think and Focus in his article  The Power of Prime -The cluttered mind uncluttered.   He states that technology "isn’t just affecting children on the surface of their thinking. Rather, because their brains are still developing and malleable, frequent exposure by so-called digital natives to technology is actually wiring the brain in ways very different than in previous generations.

What is clear is that, as with advances throughout history,

the technology that is available determines how our brains develops." 

He goes on to discuss that the amount of exposure to technology actually "conditions the brain to pay attention to information very differently than reading". 

And he argues that all technology is not bad and that it is not really making children more stupid, it is just making them different. 

Jessica asked a question in regards to how technology is changing the way children are growing up, in compared to her childhood - which consisted of playing outside in the dirt, eating and sleeping! 

Dr. Taylor says "The effects of technology on children are complicated, with both benefits and costs.

Whether technology helps

 or hurts

 in the development of your children’s thinking

 depends on what specific technology is used

 and how and what frequency it is used.

At least early in their lives, the power to dictate your children’s relationship with technology and, as a result, its influence on them, from synaptic activity to conscious thought." 

His bottom line is:

"What does all this mean for raising your children?

The bottom line is that too much screen time

 and not enough other activities,

such as reading,

playing games,

and good old unstructured and imaginative play,

 will result in your children

 having their brains wired

 in ways that may make them

less,

not more,

prepared

 to thrive in this crazy new world of technology."

 

 

 

So much of what Dr. Taylor presents in his article is important to me because I find myself quite concerned with the amount of technology and media that my children are being exposed to.  Gone are the days that ended with me dumping them in the tub to wash off the dirt from a day of outside play.  Children, mine included, are consumed by the buffet of media choices; social media to technology needed for their homework.  All aspects of their life seems to revolve around an on/off button; the off being rarely used. 

It concerns me as a parent that the more time they spend being wired to technology and media the less prepared they are to "thrive in this crazy new world of technology."  I absolutely agree with studies showing that the demands of technology on this generation is changing the way they develop and I would suggest even stunting their growth.  In a sense they sit at a buffet of media in a technological world and starve to death.

Taylor, J. (2012) "The Power of Prime: How Technology is Changing the Way Children Think and Focus". Psychology Today. December 4, 2012. <http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-power-prime/201212/how-technology-is-changing-the-way-children-think-and-focus> Accessed February 2014.

#redthumbreminder

Jonathan wrote about The Deadly Side of Technology.  It reminded me of seeing this.  I thought I would share it.  Link to the website below - or click on the picture for an article about the campaign!

LINK:  #redthumbreminder 

from the website:

"THE STORY:

Inspired by my daughter's technique of tying a piece of yarn around her finger to remember something for school, I decided to paint my thumbnail red so every time I picked up my phone from behind the wheel, all I would see was a big red thumb reminding me to put the phone away. As silly as it sounds, it totally worked. And now my hope is that it'll work for everyone else. One red thumbnail at a time."

 

The Deadly Side of Technology

 

Do you consider yourself a good driver? I usually do.  I have had a couple speeding tickets, but I have never been in a car accident.  I always use my turn signals, I always check my blind spot, and I try to avoid the crazy drivers around me.  The one thing that could get me in big trouble though is my cell phone.  I often talk on my cell phone and sometimes I even text.

With the growing abilities of cell phones to have texting, games, internet, and almost any app imaginable, there is a growing risk of people using cell phones behind the wheel.  The distraction potential is increasing every time we “take our eyes off the road, our hands off the wheel, and taking our mind off what we are doing”. In 2008 the United States Department of Transportation reported over a half-million people injured and almost six thousand people killed because of distracted driving. (Tarafdar, Gupta, Turel, 2013)  Our use of technology behind the wheel can be a very dangerous thing and many of us have a bias that we are good drivers and that we can multitask with our cell phones.  The scary reality is that we really cannot. 

Many states have been passing laws against texting and driving or driving without a hands free set due to all the accidents and fatalities that have been associated with cell phone use. Texting is very distracting because it takes our eyes off the road, a hand off the wheel, and our mind off our driving.  When I have texted while driving I have seen this and I have had some close calls because of it.

Texting and driving is bad, but is just talking on a cell phone driving really that bad? According to Professor David Strayer at the University of Utah drivers talking on their cell phones “are just as dangerous behind the wheel as drunk drivers.” I am not sure if everyone fits this description that talks and drives, but I have seen plenty of people driving crazy and when I pass them they are talking on their cell phones. (Tarafdar, Gupta, Turel, 2013) 

Cell phones behind while driving can be bad, but it is our choice whether to use them or not. If someone texts me when I am driving I usually try to text at stop lights or I try to just call the person. A good practice would be to not text at all and if we need to make a call make it very short.  Our best practice should probably be no texting while driving and no talking while driving

Tarafdar, M., Gupta, A. and Turel, O. (2013), The dark side of information technology use.

Information Systems Journal, 23: 269–275. doi: 10.1111/isj.12015 Accessed from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.ezproxy.lib.utah.edu/doi/10.1111/isj.12015/full

This commercial brought to you....

...because technology has it's affect

 on both the young...and the old!   

Cyber Children

The question was asked of how the cyber world can affect young children.  Now days a lot of moms are able to diminish tantrums by handing them their iPhones. I know more than a few children under 8 who have their own iPods, iPads, Tablets, etc.  The ever-growing cyber world is not just affecting young adults, but it extends from young children even at age one or two, to the elderly, who are being taught to use their new cell phones, or Facebook accounts. There is really no one who would deny that cyber addiction could actually occur in young children.  Kids don’t just have the opportunity to watch shows on T.V., getting addicted that way, they have more options than ever including phone games, computer/video games, social networking (for the older ones), Netflix, etc. 

When my son, Tyler was two, I got an iPhone.  At least half of the apps that I’ve downloaded have been for him.  There are endless apps for “toddler aged” kids.  After playing them just a few times, Tyler had already learned how to work my phone, turning it on, choosing between different games, and how to play each game.  At TWO! It’s really crazy how fast a child can learn how to work these devices. Any mom will admit it can be much easier at the grocery store, doctor’s office, or what have you, if you let the child play Angry Birds or Kids Doodle while waiting, ESPECIALLY if you have multiple children. 

There are beneficial opportunities through games, and the cyber world for children, including meeting friends and connecting for those who do not do well in social interactions. Unfortunately, there are many negative effects as well.  Kids can get addicted to their cyber world.  “A vicious cycle often takes hold:  people bereft opportunities for achievement and socializing in their lives, are drawn to the cyber world, and seemingly finding what they lack, become hooked.  The more they become hooked, the more they neglect friends, family and responsibility,” (Roberts 2010).  Cyber addiction can inhibit children in learning how to interact in social situations.  Playing too many video games, phone games, or computer time can cause children to have less social skills, and they can be, “Incredibly awkward in person,”  (Roberts, 2010).  Kevin Roberts, an academic coach, also found that, “Different learners come to me for help in school, and almost 90% of the time, their poor academic performance is accompanied by excessive cyber behaviors,” (Roberts 2010).  This shows that children’s spending too much time on the Internet, or playing on phones, is with no surprise, linked with low academic performance and trouble in school. 

In Robert’s article, he explains the importance of limiting children’s time in the cyber world.  To do this, he suggests linking cyber time to, “The completion of chores and other healthy activities that ensure your child has a balanced life,” (Roberts, 2010).  An example of this would be that a half an hour of riding a bike outside, or playing with their younger sibling, could be rewarded with a half an hour of playing a computer game.  An example of this for an older child would be game time coming after homework time, or after completing their chores.  Healthy activities can be rewarded with T.V. time, social networking time, phone time or whatever works for your child.  This can also work for adults, but you must have enough self-control to limit your own cyber time and monitor yourself. 

Bottom line: cyber addiction can affect kids of all ages and can have negative effects.  Try to be aware of children’s cyber time and limit it by encouraging a balanced lifestyle. 

Roberts, Kevin J. "Cyber Children: What Parents Need To Know." Exceptional Parent 40.4 (2010): n. pag. Ebscohost. Web. 20 Feb. 2014. <http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.lib.utah.edu/ehost/detail?vid=3&sid=82aab60b-3e4b-490f-9568-19c916a17b1b%40sessionmgr4002&hid=4206&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=eft&AN=508180691>.

Does the internet impact my social life?

We have had a question asked. How is cyber addiction affecting personal relationships today? To answer this question I found a study called Relation between depression, loneliness, self-esteem and internet addiction. “In this study, analyzing the effects of depression, loneliness and self-esteem has been aimed in the prediction of the internet addiction levels of secondary education students.” (Ayas & Horzum, 2013) The researchers wanted to know if depression, loneliness, and self-esteem in teenagers had any relation to internet addiction.

One of the findings in this study is that people need to have social support and interaction to help lessen the effects of depression and loneliness. “Social support has a positive importance on individuals’ not sinking into depression and not feeling lonely. Since internet addicts usually abstract themselves from the social environment, they cannot benefit from the social support.” (Ayas & Horzum, 2013) They then go on to say that because the addict has withdrawn from the social environment they will turn to the internet for the help that they need. This then makes them lonelier because instead of interacting face to face with others they turn to a machine to try to fill their void. Because they are getting some ‘satisfaction/happiness’ from the computer they become more of an addict.

I personally know someone who has withdrawn from her social environment and lives her life through the internet. Things in her life were not going the way that she planned so she decided to get some help. She wanted to learn how to make herself happy. She first started out asking people for help but they didn’t always have an answer for her. So she did what a lot of us do, she Googled it. From her research she found some things that did help her. This was great! But then some other things went wrong so she again turned to the internet for help. This is when she discovered Pinterest. Don’t get me wrong, I love Pinterest and think that it is a very useful tool. I have a Pinterest account and use it frequently. Through my friend’s Pinterest use she got the idea in her head that she was not good enough.  Because of all these “ideal” pins she began to think that she was not skinny, pretty, or worthy of love. She started spending hours on Pinterest finding new pins of how to have the ideal body, makeup, hair, etc. She compared herself to these pictures so much that she did not find herself worthy of happiness. She slowly stopped interacting with her family and friends. She stopped doing things she loved because she was either on the computer or thought that she wasn’t good enough to be happy. She is so withdrawn now that she spends most of her day on the computer. When she does interact with others she is mean and harsh. She is not the same person anymore. It makes me sad to see what she has become.

I feel like I am on a mission to get people to go outside and interact with the world. “Instruments such as Facebook, wiki, weblog, twitter make individuals interact and increase their sharing on internet more. This situation make individuals spend more time on internet. From this aspect, technological advancement is likely to increase internet addiction day by day.” (Ayas & Horzum, 2013) I believe this statement to be true. Computers and the internet are fantastic tools. But that is all that they are. They are just tools not a means of socialization. If you want to socialize talk to someone face to face, go outside and explore, live your life. Have real experiences. Don’t just sit and look at pictures of others living their lives.

Be FREE!

 

Ayas, T., & Horzum, M. (2013). Relation Between Depression, Loneliness, Self-Esteem and Internet Addiction. Education, 283-290. Retrieved from http://search.ebsochost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=88141830=ehost-live

What is the difference between just playing with technology and being addicted to it?

I thought about this question and tried to find the line that divides the two.  I found an article that defined what an internet addiction is.  These are the characteristics that they explained “being preoccupied by the Internet, feeling the need to use it, repeated efforts to stop using it, being restless without it, staying longer than intended when using it, readiness to suspend social relationships, lying to other close friends or family, and using the Internet as a way of escaping from problems.” (Israelashvili, Kim & Bukobza, 2012) I think that each of these characteristics could apply to any addiction. 

I grew up playing a lot of video games and watching a lot of TV.  I remember some summers in middle school that I would wake up and get my laptop out and play almost all day, just taking breaks to eat something and go to the bathroom.  After a while of doing this I would feel horrible because I felt that I had just wasted my whole day.  Even though I played that much I do not think I was addicted to it because I did not feel a super need to have to play or that I could not do anything else.  I just spent way too much time playing games. 

On another hand during high school I watched a lot of TV.  I would stay up really late and surf the channels over and over trying to find something to watch.  I usually went to bed at 10:30pm so I could get enough sleep, but I started really getting addicted to staying up until 1:00 am or later.  I would find something stupid on just to entertain myself even if it was something I hated.  I would rationalize starting to watch a new show saying to myself ‘I will only watch for a few minutes’ then I was sucked in to watching for another hour.  I started to question myself of why I was staying up to just watch TV.  It felt like I was out of control. 

Each of these situations helped me to learn and maybe my later TV watching came because I played video games for too long when I was younger.  You can get addicted to things like TV and the Internet easily if you do not control yourself.  I have tried to stay away from playing games and watching too much TV but I sometimes catch myself wasting too much time.  I usually just set boundaries and time limits and that seems to help.  Now that I am married my wife also helps me to spend time doing other things and not spend too much time wasting away by myself watching TV or playing video games. 

Israelashvili, M., Kim, T., & Bukobza, G. (2012). Adolescents' over-use of the cyber world –

internet addiction or identity exploration?. Journal of Adolescence, 35(2), 417-424. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com.ezproxy.lib.utah.edu/science/article/pii/S0140197111000868

The Dark Ages....aka - those days without internet?

I am listening to a conversation between my husband and my 12 year old son - fascinating really.

I started listening... [mind you I am the best at multitasking...I can overhear a conversation, watch the All Stars Basletball Game while doing homework and planning a Youth Activity via text message] ...back to me eavesdropping...I heard the younger ask the older, "Did you have internet when you were a kid Dad?"  Aging himself my husband answered, "No", and went on to tell a tale of the first computers and how technology is changing so fast these days compared to when he was growing up.

My sons response to all of this was reminescent of days past when he found an old "phone" that he ever so innocently asked his "elderly" father - LOL - if  this [photo below] was his cell phone when he was a kid.

"how did this fit in your pocket Dad?" 



Mind you all I did not even have a cell phone until my oldest child was 9 or ten years old - how did I survive those toddler years without a way to post all my childrens amazing accomplishments from hour to hour, right!

Lest I digress - in regards to the lack of internet during my husbands childhood my son said to his father "Dad - is that why they called it the Dark Ages?"

The effects on this generation growing up NOT knowing any other life than a life with multiple facets of technology and media is certainly going to be interesting.  I look forward to reading up on what professionals think the future will be for them.

posted by Stacie, not for credit

Phones: Convenience or Addiction?

So we all know that feeling when your driving in your car, late to school, work, or whatever your doing that day, you check your pocket and boom it hits you. Your whole day is ruined!  You feel naked and lost.  What time is it?  You just know that today will be the day that there will be some sort of unsolvable emergency because you just found out- you left your phone at home.  GREAT.

            Today phones are used for just about anything.  If you leave your phone at home, you really do feel naked.  What if your girlfriend/boyfriend can’t get ahold of you?  What if your babysitter has a question about your child?  Without a cell phone there could be no way to communicate with others.  You don’t have your camera with you.  You can’t check your bank account.  Even more phones lately are being used with new “mobile wallet” apps.  So without your phone you can’t even buy things that you need, say you need to buy gas, but you left your phone at home.. oops.  There are even phone apps that can be linked to your door at home, so you can lock the doors. 

            Society today depends are their phones for a lot of things, to the point that I wonder if convenience has priority over safety?  Say someone steals your phone. They now have access to your wallet, house, kids pictures, family’s contact information, your boss’s email, and many other things that can or should be private.  It may be embarrassing to admit it sometimes but I have felt that feeling of anxiety that I don’t have my phone with me.  But it’s not always a safety issue.  Many people feel the need to have their phones right next to them all the time, always on, always accessible.  In the research done in the Pew Internet & American Life Project (2008) it was discovered that, “81% of users who only own a cell (and not a landline) always keep their phones turned on. In addition, of Americans aged 18 to 29, 31% reported feeling like they have to answer their cell phones even when it interrupts a meal or meeting,”(Pew, 2006).   What do you think this means for our communication with others we are close to? 

            For me, I can see how this can affect the relationships that I am in, for example, if my husband were to answer the phone at dinner all the time, that would really bother me! We are at a stage in our life where we are so busy, that it is a miracle we are eating dinner together in the first place.  It may be the only time during the day that we can catch up with each other before we move on to the next thing which is either me, going to my night job, or cleaning up dinner and getting the kids ready for bed.  Another way always being on my phone could affect me, is when I use it instead of paying attention to my children.  As I mentioned in the “About Me” section, I have a toddler and an infant. If a parent is constantly checking their phone, going through Facebook, texting, etc, it is likely their child is there, getting ignored.  I do not want to seem like I am saying phones are bad for parenting, but there is an extent to which so much phone usage can have an effect on your kids.  They want to spend time playing with their parents, not playing next to their parent who is talking on their phone or texting.  Watch this YouTube video to see how cell phones can affect relationships- its pretty funny I have to admit!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OINa46HeWg8

           

For anyone who knows that feeling that you can’t do anything without your phone maybe just try to decrease your dependence on your phone.  Try to use your memory for important numbers, have a backup (real life, old school) wallet, or just maybe even try to remember that doing something like having a conversation with a person (not Siri), or enjoying the outdoors is more important than using your phone all the time.

            
Pew Internet & American Life Project. (2006, April). PEW Internet Project data memo: Cell phone use [Press Release]. Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2006/Americans-and-their-cell-phones/1-Data-Memo-Findings/11-Implications-of-these-findings.aspx

A Magazine Is an iPad That Does Not Work

 

YOUTUBE 

Explanation of video: "Technology codes our minds, changes our OS. Apple products have done this extensively. The video shows how magazines are now useless and impossible to understand, for digital natives. It shows real life clip of a 1-year old, growing among touch screens and print. And how the latter becomes irrelevant. Medium is message. Humble tribute to Steve Jobs, by the most Important person : a baby."  Uploaded [by UserExperienceWorks] on Oct 6, 2011

Taylor asked a question:

My question to you guys is what is this doing to young children?

There are a lot of parents that hand their 2 or 3-year-old

 child their phone when the child is upset

 just to keep them quiet.

It doesn't take long for the kids to learn how to work it

 or how to get what they want,

 so what effect is this having on the young kids who are still growing?

 

 

I just thought the video visually answered his question but I will be interested in finding out more about what he asks - especially
"what effects technology at such young ages has on kids who are still growing" and how it might interfere with development, as suggested in this video. 

 

Thanks for the question!

 

 



Also - I wasn't sure when I responded to Taylors comment - I mentioned the 'baby' saying "it doesn't work" - listening to the video again that is exactly what the baby says about the magazine.

The New - and not Improved - Multitasking Family

Being a mother and a student I often find that what I am learning overlaps into my daily life - with a double major in Anthropology and Human Development and Family Studies you can imagine...I am consistently applying my research and study of family life to deal with tribal behaviors that you can liken to war or blood sacrifice rituals, aka the life of a mother with four teenagers. 

Last semester I took a class dealing with Home, School, and Community Connections.  One of the weeks discussions was regarding cognitive development and multitasking.  I had always thought multitasking meant doing the dishes, a load of laundry, helping three kids with homework, and making dinner while planning a political walk out to save a community garden.  I was surprised to learn that in todays terms multitasking has more to do with the number of electronics that we are using at the same time that we are doing the dishes, a load of laundry, or writing a 10 page mid-term that was due yesterday!  One of the discussion questions asked if I have ever personally experienced any of the negative effects of multitasking and if so did it affect my work, family or psyche?

"Have you ever

 personally experienced

 any of the

 negative effects

 of multitasking?

 If so, how did it affect your work,

 family

 and/or

 psyche?"

I really like the question that was proposed for my ponderings....and in-between all of the above stated tasks I became more and more disturbed at the affects that I could see my own family experiencing because of multitasking and technology.  This is something that is really concerning me as a mother.

Two summers ago I boasted, mostly to myself, that my children were not addicted to technology.  We didn't have cable TV, they had electronics but mostly played basketball outside or messed with each other and board games.  My kids were noisy and ....well, kind of engaged in other stuff.  It wasn't too much of an issue.  Obviously I bragged too soon, and must of have forgotten to knock on wood.  [Superstitions!]

That summer I had them earn X-bucks to spend on time playing the X-box.  It was pretty successful - they earned half the amount of time they read, or a specified time for each chore they did.  They did a lot of reading and chores and really did not spend even half the bucks they earned.  Fast forward to now - lately my boys have been "spending" an average of 3-5 hours on handheld electronics, i.e. iPad, iPod, texting.  The average of 3-5 hours is spent after school - when I am distracted with my own studying or in class.  The only denominator difference in the amount of time they are spending now (compared to before) that I can see is that I am not as engaged as a parent with my children.  My schedule has changed and with me being less involved they have become more technologically "addicted". 

To me this is a very negative effect of multitasking; multitasking on my part because I am doing so many things that I am not focused on the most important part of theirs and my day together, and multitasking because they are on so many forms of electronics, phones, games, Netflix, TV (we have cable now), snapchat and twitter.  It is atrocious.  Really!  And I feel like I am failing.

Quick Flashback:  it wasn't that long ago we were driving somewhere and my daughter leaned forward, grabbed a water bottle, and handed it to her brother.  No conversation took place - just a silence as they were both focused on their phones.  I asked my daughter if her brother had texted her to hand him his water and she texted me back - "YES".  (No lie!)

I was recently reading a Time Magazine article titled "The Multitasking Generation" by Claudia Wallis and in it she states: 

"Plato warned (correctly) that reading would be

 the downfall of oral tradition and memory.

  And every generation of teenagers embraces

 the freedoms and possibilities

 wrought by technology

 in ways that shock the elders:

  just think about what the automobile did for dating." 

I do find that I am probably just as likely appalled by the effects of technology on my own little family over the past year as is suggested by dating and the back seat of an automobile!!


I share some of my thoughts from reading "The Multitasking Generation" writing this:

"The Multitasking Generation, or generation M, as discussed by Claudia Wallis in Time Magazine, is a generation whose baby “selfie” was likely posted, tweeted, blogged and Instagram’d all before the infant took a second breath.  Wallis points out that this new trend of technology is alarming to cognitive scientists (Wallis, 2006, 3).  Cognitive development is an identified risk factor that, as discussed by Wallis, includes a level of technological multitasking previously unchartered by the Baby Boomer (40’-60’ era) to the X (1965-1980) generations.  For Generation X the mere size of a home computer may as well have doubled as a refrigerator, and further had no internet (Wallis, 3).  The Millennial era, those born after 1980 and before the Generation Y (2000), really don’t know life before technology and have never heard of NOT having the internet.  Technology has developed and advanced in a way that it is hard for even the baby boomers to ignore.  Wallis states, “Fifteen years ago, most home computers weren't even linked to the Internet (2006, 3).

As families engage with new technology to a level of multitasking far beyond any generation before, family members tend to disengage.  Why is multitasking technology, embraced as a genius development to our human culture and function, and allegedly an advancement to our civilization, an identified risk and an intrusion to intellectual development and familial dysfunction?

Wallis discusses multiple facets of technology and multitasking; “highly scheduled” (2006, 7) living “leaves little time for old fashioned socializing and family meals”.  She suggests “overcommitted students” and families need to “slow down”, “unplug”, “log off”, and “take time to think”.  She discusses Jordan Grafman, NINDS chief of cognitive neuroscience, predicting that people “aren't going to do well in the long run", and Wallis specifically states that “Decades of research (not to mention common sense) indicate that the quality of one's output and depth of thought deteriorate as one attends to ever more tasks.” (Wallis, 2006, 4)"

 "the quality of one's output and depth of thought deteriorate as one attends to ever more tasks."

[so...that is what is wrong with me, i say to myself]

Putting down a technology that is distracting a parent or a child from the nurture that is necessary to develop real relationships is within the “hands” of each individual.  I have increased in understanding on how important hands off technology and hands on interaction between parents and children, in the home, as a family, and at the dinner table.  Hand on parenting in tandem to hands off technology is a way to protect and buffer youth from one risk factor - among so many risk factors they face daily!  An intervention is needed - that is simply a matter of making time for “old fashioned socializing and family meals” (Willis, 7).  Dinner time is one protective factor that families can enjoy together, laughing out loud!


There are so many things today that are out of the control of the family -- but putting technology in time out, especially for parents and children, can alleviate the distractions and make room for the opportunities that are crucial for the development of real relationships.  This power is literally within the hands of each individual person.  Mothers, fathers, children, even grown up college kids!  You never outgrow your need for family connections, for developing relationships.  I have gained a better understanding of how important hands off technology and hands on interaction between parents and children, in the home and as a family.


If you like what you read here check out the 2006 Time Magazine article by Claudia Wallis:

Wallis, C. (2006) “The Multitasking Generation”. Time Magazine. March 19, 2006. <http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1174696,00.html> Accessed November 2013.

What am I spending my time on?

Through this blog I hope to learn more about how I am spending my time. I am on the computer frequently doing homework assignments, catching up on social media (Pinterest is my absolute weakness), learning what is happening in the world, and just wasting time on mindless activities. Is what I am doing actually good for me or is there something that I could be doing instead? I challenged myself this week to pay attention to how I am spending my time. I wanted to learn if I was doing things that I was proud of or things that I would not want people to know how much time I spent. I realized that I spend about 5 hours a week on Pinterest alone. I believe that Pinterest is by far my greatest addiction. Throughout the week I realized that every morning, afternoon, and night I am getting on there to see what new things people have pinned. Don’t get me wrong I believe that Pinterest is one of the greatest inventions ever but is it really as important as I make it out to be? Am I using this site as a tool or as cover for who I am and want to be? While searching the web about Pinterest addiction I came across an article written in the Washington Post. This is an exceptional article on how the website got started and where it is today. It was originally designed for middle class women. Really when you think about it, it is an excellent idea to have a website that allows you to find information on a certain topic from all over the web. It makes it easy to find recipes, places to go, cleaning tips, etc. This article is raising the question that is Pinterest really a great thing or is creating a monster inside of women? “The bulletin boards are simple, clean spaces filled with cool pictures of food, crafts, travel spots, home remodeling and decorating ideas, fitness tips, hairstyles, furniture, architecture, kid projects, cute animal photos, cheeky sayings and wedding plans. It’s the photo scrapbook of hopes, dreams and desires for grown-ups, mostly those of the female persuasion. And that raises the question of whether that’s actually a healthy thing for grown women to be spending time compiling a virtual hope chest.” (Dvorak, 2012) This article was fantastic and eye opening for me. If you are like me and are also addicted to Pinterest, you should read this article.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/addicted-to-a-web-site-called-pinterest-digital-crack-for-women/2012/02/20/gIQAP3wAQR_story.html

Dvorak, P. (2012, February 20). Addicted to a Web site called Pinterest: Digital crack for women. The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/addicted-to-a-web-site-called-pinterest-digital-crack-for-women/2012/02/20/gIQAP3wAQR_story.html