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…
It’s safe for me to assume, since you are reading this, that you are a human being. Since you are, I know that there are times that anger has gotten the best of you. I know it has for me. I am not proud to say that I had quite a temper when I…
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…
Here’s my family scene from a few of months ago: My wife and I were at the airport waiting for a flight to go to New Mexico for a skiing trip. This would be the first time that our three boys (ages 7, 12, and 15) had ever gone skiing, so they were quite…
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’ve all seen movies or read books about technology becoming evil or dangerous, right? The first movie that comes to my mind is James Whale’s Frankenstein. Its running theme is the power of science and its unintended consequences. The same goes for plots from every Michael Crichton book (e.g., Jurassic Park, Westworld). It’s scary to think, but many…
“Always try your best” is a sage piece of advice almost every parent has shared with their kids. This saying is seemingly innocent, but in reality it’s not. When we really examine what we are saying, we’ll realize its inherent contradiction. Let’s say we are trying to take our own advice and always do…
If you have kids, especially a boy or male teen, you probably know a little bit about Fortnite Battle Royale already. It’s a 3rd person survival-shooter that game that can be played across multiple platforms (e.g., Xbox One, Playstation 4, tablets). As of March 2019, it has 250 million registered players. At any given…
Time to Say Goodbye to Sleep Loss There is a new article in the Washington Post on the importance of sleep. I first blogged on this in 2006(!), and I have blogged on this topic a few times over the years. But it seemed to be a good time for an update and refresher…
Despite the benefits of our screens, why don’t they improve overall happiness? You might have read my blog on the topic of why our screens don’t make us happier from several weeks ago. I followed that up with this video on my Tech Happy Life YouTube channel. This should be the last video in which I’m covering…