It’s a challenge to find tech balance in our lives. Tech companies want us to be on our screens as much as balance, making tech balance hard to achieve. Inherently, there are many ways that technology appeals to us that make it difficult for us to consistently say limit our tech use. For instance, technology can be used to meet our psychological needs. However, it makes it so easy to do so, that we keep reaching for our smartphones. Ironically, constantly reaching for our smartphones interferes with our ability to meet these psychological needs. For example, we have an basic need to connect with others to form need-satisfying relationships. Technologies, such as social media, enable us to do just that. But, they make it so easy to connect with others and receive status updates that we disconnect from those around us to do so.
Also, it is important to understand that tech balance is a process, not a destination. In this way, it is never “achieved.” It is more of an aspirational goal and a lifestyle to try to maintain tech balance.
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…
Are the worries about Generation Z merely hype or is there something to them? I recently posted a blog on the topic of whether “Generation Z” is in trouble. Is this really just a case of generational finger-wagging or is there something to this concern? If you didn’t read my blog but are interested in this…
Are you seeking a happier life in this tech world? Here’s how to start. I’ve started a YouTube channel for Tech Happy Life, and this is my introductory vlog. Yes, I get the irony (hypocrisy?) of using YouTube, Psychology Today, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc. as a medium to try to help people to unplug more often. Hey,…
Strong friendships make our lives better. We must carve out connecting time. I’m a longtime fan of “alternative” music. While it’s hard for me to keep up with the many great bands these days, I still keep my ears open for catchy songs. One song that I ran across a couple of years ago…
What can we do as parents when screen problems begin to emerge? Here’s the latest video from my Tech Happy Life YouTube channel. There is much greater detail in my book, Tech Generation: Raising Balanced Kids in a Hyper-Connected World. It’s through Oxford University Press and is available now! Cheers!—Dr. Brooks Recap of the Tech…
In an age of screen challenges, how do we prevent problems? Hello! I’m back from a family vacation—a road trip to the Grand Canyon! I was trying not to be TOO much like Clark Griswold from National Lampoon’s Vacation, but there might have been a little of that. Screens were sometimes a challenge with my three…
It’s tough to get kids off screens during the summer. Here are some tips. If you are parent, then your kids are either out of school or wrapping up. With three boys (ages 6, 11, and 14), my wife and I share the near universal struggle that parents have these days: limiting our kids’ screen time….
I recently was interviewed by Tara Parker-Pope of the the New York Times for a story she did entitled, “Are Today’s Teenagers Smarter and Better Than We Think?” Unfortunately for me, I didn’t end up getting cited in her article. Ah, my brush with 15-minutes of fame! My book, Tech Generation: Raising Balanced Kids…
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 smartphone. As of 2016, there were about 2.1 billion smartphones worldwide. Considering there are about 7.6 billion people on…
Technology has come so far, just consider what we can do with it. Through our smart phones, tablets, and computers, we can: Play countless completely engaging and immersive games – and all the classics too! Basically listen to any song we want to hear at any time Buy anything we can afford (well, and things…