Problems with Screen Time Research When it comes to understanding the effects of screen time on kids (and the rest of us!), we want to know the “truth.” We want to use accurate information to guide our parenting. Facts matter in this world. After all, we wouldn’t want to have surgery to remove our…
Sadly, America recently experienced several mass shootings in August of 2019 leaving 53 dead. How could this happen? Are video games to blame? What caused these recent mass shootings? Trump said that “Mental illness and hate pulled the trigger, not the gun.” But then he went on to, at least in part, blame video…
My “proof” that your (and my) social media posts don’t really matter is to mean that they don’t matter significantly. When we compare the time it takes to post a photo (including time to edit, write a punny caption, etc.) to the amount of joy “likes” give us, it seems the benefits of social…
We all know what it feels like to be tethered to technology these days. It’s not just our kids – it’s the rest of us as well. Probably one of the biggest hooks is the cell phone, and there are just about as many cell phones out there (6.8 billion) as there are people…
So, I was at the gym the other day, and I couldn’t help but notice this twenty-something year old guy next to me who was lifting weights…and then sitting down on the bench for several minutes periodically to play Clash of Clans. If you don’t know about that game, just ask kid or teen!…
As I get older, I find myself more drawn to the idea that we can train our brains to make us smarter. Although the idea might be seductive, a year ago I blogged in detail about brain training and said that the evidence doesn’t show that it improves our overall cognitive functioning. Has new research been conducted since…
Technology isn’t good nor bad – it just is. In that way, it is like books. Books aren’t inherently better than computers or other technologies. For instance, Adolf Hitler wrote Mein Kampf….not the most wholesome book! Just as there are countless benefits to technology, there are countless ways that it can be harmful as well. As…
In my previous blog, I covered the controversial topic of brain training and whether it really makes us smarter. A brief addition to that blog is whether these games and techniques can actually be harmful. Here are some of my thoughts on this issue: In general, I don’t think brain training games are…
We’ve all seen and heard the ads – brain training games will make you smarter! Partly fueled by the engagement, variety, and dynamic interaction that video games offer, various brain training games (e.g., Lumosity, NeuroActive, Big Brain Academy, Brain Age) and other software (e.g., CogMed) promise to (or suggest might) improve specific cognitive abilities such as…
In a way, we can think of our lives as a video game. There is a helpful analogy with gaming that we can apply to our lives to ensure that we are meeting our needs. That we are taking care of our health meter. I originally blogged about this at the ApaCenter, but I’ve moved…