60 Minutes goes inside a landmark government study of young minds to see if phones, tablets and other screens are impacting adolescent brain development. This story is by 60 Minutes and Anderson Cooper. He interviews experts and, in the video, you get details from the researchers. Give it a read/listen and then share with others who worry about toddlers or should... Your local schools, by moving to computers, compound this problem. At some point a parent is going to sue tech companies and schools and claim brain damage to their children. If you have kids and wonder if all that time they spend on their smartphones endlessly scrolling, snapping and texting is affecting their … [Read more...]
How disconnecting from digital pressures can boost learning
If you've been following us you've seen articles we've shared about the negative impact "electronics" can have on learning. Test scores drop. Anti-social behaviors increase. Retention drops. All for the sake of "learning for the 21st century". Cell phones and social media distract. As screen times increases suicide risk rises. Is this ok with parents? Today we bring you another article that supports the theme...more screen time is bad for children. Take note that this article discusses France...the country of France and their efforts to stem (pun intended) the negative aspects of the digital age. If you have concerns please contact your local school district and take a stand. This article … [Read more...]
Why are students reading less and less?
Are children reading less and less? Are they reading fewer books but using more electronic readers? If they are reading less why? There is some data that suggests children are reading less and less. In the following article published at Intellectual Takeout (author is Annie Holmquist) she shares her thoughts on why this is happening. Are you seeing the same thing? Do you agree? A couple of years ago, Common Sense Media reported a dramatic increase in the number of children who rarely – if ever – read. In 1984, just under 10 percent of children ages 13 and 17 reported doing so; by 2012, those numbers had risen to 22 percent and 27 percent respectively. So why aren’t today’s kids … [Read more...]
Gray Matters: Too Much Screen Time Damages the Brain – in Children
Psychology Today - Neuroimaging research shows excessive screen time damages the brain > > > Source: Lin, Zhou,Lei, et al., used with permission. Red areas designate abnormal white matter in internet addicted teens >>> >>> “Taken together, [studies show] internet addiction is associated with structural and functional changes in brain regions involving emotional processing, executive attention, decision making, and cognitive control.” --research authors summarizing neuro-imaging findings in internet and gaming addiction (Lin & Zhou et al, 2012) But what about kids who aren't "addicted" per se? Addiction aside, a much broader concern that begs … [Read more...]