Good news for parents whose kids are ready for a digital first step such as getting a phone or joining social media. A free, simple tool can help make the transition smoother. Continue reading
The Kid Technology Talk Made Easier
Tag Archives: social media
Train Your Brain to be Happy
Athletes do endless drills to qualify for the Olympics. It takes practice to perfect any skill, whether calligraphy or coding. Now, it may be possible to train your brain for an ongoing sense of well-being.
“There is a lot of evidence that the technologies of the 20th and 21st centuries may have made us more productive and able to do more stuff, but we are not happier,” claims Ofer Leidner, developer of Happify.com. But his creation uses technology “as a means of creating happiness and human to human interaction.” Games and activities on Happify are grounded in science proving that repeating certain behaviors can reroute pathways in the brain to make happiness a habit. The goal of using his platform, says Leidner, is to obtain “a set of skills to use and apply.”
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Pediatricians to Parents: Kids Need a Media Diet
America’s pediatricians have an order for parents: get a handle on how your children are using media.
Kids are certainly getting their fill of texting, online games, social media and YouTube videos. The average 8-year-old now spends almost 8 hours a day on screens of various sizes. Make that 11 hours for teenagers.
But a new statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics warns too much screen time can “contribute substantially to many risks and health problems” ranging from disrupted sleep to substance abuse to weight increase. Continue reading
