Archive for the ‘cell phones’ Category
Posted by Marti Weston on May 23, 2012
In Google’s Eric Schmidt and the Curse of Constant Connection, Washington Post columnist Ruth Marcus reports on the Google executive’s commencement address at Boston University (BU). In her May 22, 2012 column Marcus describe how Schmidt made the case for a bit of balance — urging new graduates (even as they stayed connected during the graduation ceremony) to take an hour or so each day away from the digital devices that keep us so connected.
The full text of Schmidt’s speech is on the BU website, and it’s a good read for digital age parents who are seeking ways to schedule a bit more disconnected time with family and friends.
To learn more about the search for digital device moderation I recommend the book Hamlet’s Blackberry: A Practical Philosophy for Building a Good Life in the Digital Age. Author William Powers explores how people who lead connected lives (he does) need to find the time for reflection and interaction away from screens. And he describes how his family want about setting some time to be together and disconnected.
Best Quote from Powers’ Book
If we’ve learned anything in the last decade about technology and human interaction, it’s that as screen time rises, direct human-to-human interaction falls off proportionally.
Posted in cell phones, digital devices and gadgets, family conversations, online communication, parents and technology, setting technology limits | Tagged: Boston University, connected world, digital devices, digital life, digital parenting, Eric Schmidt, Google, Ruth Marcus | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Marti Weston on April 5, 2012
Over Easter weekend we'll help my parents learn how to use Skype.
When it comes to her iPhone, few learning difficulties have popped up for my mom, age 84. I am delighted at the ease with which she has transferred from her old flip phone to this one — a 3G that I retired when I updated my iPhone.
How Mom is Using her iPhone
- Her first lesson focused on typing in her contacts, and she caught on right away and also understands how to make a call using the contacts app.
- The visual cues on the iPhone screen are terrific.
- She loves being able to sit in a comfortable chair and play solitaire — no lessons required for this!
- She enjoys using the speaker feature rather than holding the phone up to her ear.
- She likes to use Safari anytime and anywhere when she wants to look something up, though like me, she is sometimes frustrated when the phone is slower because there is no wi-fi.
- She is starting to use the map app.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in cell phones, communicating with grandparents, family conversations, gadget ownership, online communication | Tagged: cell phones, digital gadgets, digital parenting, family communication, Grandma's iPhone, grandparents, IPhone, seniors, Skype, smartphones | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Marti Weston on April 3, 2012
The TED Talk site just posted the most recent lecture by MIT professor and psychologist Sherry Turkle. It’s embedded below.
In her presentation Professor Turkle illustrates several of the most compelling issues from her recent book, Alone Together. She points out that technology may give us an illusion of togetherness with others, but she challenges us to understand that digital connectedness is not a substitute for person-to-person interaction.
- Are we hiding from each other even as we are connected?
- With fewer face-to-face conversations with one another are we less able to learn how to have conversations with ourselves?
- Do feelings that no one is really listening to us make us want to spend more time with machines that make us feel like these devices are listening to us?
- Are people increasingly willing to settle for the pretend empathy of devices and robots?
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Posted in cell phones, digital learning, digital parenting, electronic communication, online communication, parent child conversations, parents and technology | Tagged: Alone Together, communication, connected world, devices, digital kids, digital parenting, gadgets, MIT, Sherry Turkle, TED Talks | 2 Comments »
Posted by Marti Weston on March 24, 2012
I’ve just finished re-reading The Price of Privilege, a 2008 book by Madeline Levine. Last week at a professional development event at my school, I heard Dr. Levine speak, while taking nearly three pages of notes and recalling some of the parenting strategies my husband and I used when our daughter, now out of graduate school, was in middle and high school.
Almost every concern that Dr. Levine raised — perfectionism, discontent, and insecurity — is familiar after years of parenting and teaching. I especially like her descriptions of effective parenting. Most importantly, when I read her book four years ago and reread it again last week, I thought about sleep and how much of a priority it needs to be for parents and children.
After the lecture my husband and I thought back to our daughter’s middle and high school years, considering all of the things we did well or could have done better. In the process we remembered the emphasis our family placed on getting enough sleep and eliminating computer screens each evening — sometimes to our daughter’s chagrin.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in cell phones, digital devices and gadgets, digital parenting, gadgets and sleep, parents and technology, teens and technology | Tagged: adolescents, bedrooms, digital kids, digital parenting, gadgets, Madeline Levine, Price of Privilege, sleep deprivation | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Marti Weston on March 22, 2012
This text message arrived out of the blue on my iPhone the other day.
This text message arrived on my mobile phone.
I had not ordered LoveGenie Tips, not did I want to receive these messages. Moreover, I did not want to reply either to ask for help or to tell them to stop, because I worried that a reply might allow them to harvest more information about me.
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Posted in cell phones, fraud, parents and technology, scams and fraud | Tagged: AT&T, cell phones, digital devices, fraud, fraudulent text messages, IPhone, LoveGenie, Text messaging | 1 Comment »
Posted by Marti Weston on February 12, 2012
I’ve just finished re-reading The Price of Privilege, a 2008 book by Madeline Levine. Last week at a professional development event at my school, I heard Dr. Levine speak, while taking nearly three pages of notes and recalling some of the parenting strategies my husband and I used when our daughter, now out of graduate school, was in middle and high school.
Almost every concern that Dr. Levine raised — perfectionism, discontent, and insecurity — is familiar after years of parenting and teaching. I especially like her descriptions of effective parenting. Most importantly, when I read her book four years ago and reread it again last week, I thought about sleep and how much of a priority it needs to be for parents and children.
After the lecture my husband and I thought back to our daughter’s middle and high school years, considering all of the things we did well or could have done better. In the process we remembered the emphasis our family placed on getting enough sleep and eliminating computer screens each evening — sometimes to our daughter’s chagrin. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in cell phones, digital devices and gadgets, digital parenting, gadgets and sleep, good books to read, parents and technology, risky behavior | Tagged: bedrooms, gadgets, Madeline Levine, parenting, Price of Privilege, sleep, strategies | 1 Comment »
Posted by Marti Weston on January 7, 2012
Charging stations at Pottery Barn.
To make a positive difference in the quality of your household’s sleep, consider the purchase of one or two gadget charging stations where phones and other devices can be charged at your house. Install charging away from the bedrooms of family members. A Google search for charging stations gets you started, or you can begin with this Mashable post, 10 Chic Charging Stations.
I recently discovered, in a small way, just how a cell phone screen can affect sleep. I received a new Solitaire game app , and began playing two or three games on my iPhone before bed several nights in a row. Just a few games grew into 20 or 30 minutes of play, but when I put down the phone, it took me a long time to settle down. The fourth night I did not play, and sleep came easily. Lesson learned.
I’ve added four pictures of charging stations that my family is considering — some practical and others with a bit of whimsy. Many others are available. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in cell phones, digital parenting, parents and technology | Tagged: charging stations, digital parenting, mobile devices, sleep deprivation, sleep students | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Marti Weston on December 7, 2011
The December 6, 2011 ComScore Data Mine features this interesting data chart that graphs the reasons that people purchase smartphones. The leading reason?
People appreciate the convenience of smartphone ownership. Is staying in instant communication with kids one of these conveniences?
The challenge for parents when they purchase these gadgets for kids? Balancing appropriate use with convenience. Read the MediaTechParenting family mobile phone contract.
Check out graph and explanation at the ComScore site.
Posted in cell phones, digital devices and gadgets, electronic communication, gadget ownership, parents and technology | Tagged: ComScore Data Mine, digital devices, digital parenting, gadgets, kids and phones, phones, smartphones | 1 Comment »
Posted by Marti Weston on November 27, 2011
Made at Wordle.com.
Read You Make the Call on Kids’ Phones in the Sunday, November 27, 2011 Washington Post. Written by columnist Michelle Singletary and aimed at the parents of digital kids, the article examines the practice of giving children cell phones at younger and younger ages. The author believes that, in reality, cell phones are simply playful gadgets that easily confuse children about the difference between needing things and wanting things.
The paper edition of Singletary’s article also includes a nifty graphic depicting results from a parent survey conducted for Verizon. You can look at this and other images at SmartPhoneParenting.com.
Most Compelling Thoughts from the Article
Posted in cell phones, digital devices and gadgets, digital parenting, iPhones and iPads, parents and technology | Tagged: cell phone contract, cell phones, digital kids, digital parenting, gadgets, Michelle Singletary, mobile phone, parents, technology, Washington Post | 1 Comment »
