Posted in digital change, parents and technology

Phone Books: Are They Useful Anymore?

My newest phone book.

Yesterday in my town the new phone books arrived on our porches. I brought mine in and put it in the cabinet where I keep them, pulling out the oldest one and depositing it in the recycling bin.

My neighbor used a different strategy. She took the new phone book off of her porch and put it immediately into the recycling bin.

I began thinking about the last time I used the phone book. I haven’t opened that cabinet for at least six months, perhaps longer — definitely a long time ago.

Are phone books at all useful anymore?

On the other hand, Northern Virginia, where I live, just experienced an epic storm, and many people were without power for four or five days. Even streetlights were dark. Landlines worked, but the Internet did not. Cell phones ran out of power. I wonder if anyone used the phone book?

Posted in digital parenting, future tech employment, kids changing lives, parents and technology

Are Technology Jobs Really Out There for Your Kids?

Lots of parents think about the types of jobs their children will hold as adults, but today these days fast-paced technology changes loom large, so adults may need to adopt a new mindset when it comes to understanding the ever-changing nature of employment that today’s children will encounter.

In a July 12, 2011 column in the New York Times, Pulitizer Prize-winning writer Thomas L Friedman (The World is Flat), writes about jobs and the technology world. (or as he often calls it the “flat world”). In his opinion piece, The Start-Up of You, Friedman points out that all of the employees from the big, but newish tech firms (such Facebook, Twitter, and Groupon) can fit into Madison Square Garden with seats to spare. Basically, these firms are not creating that many jobs.

Continue reading “Are Technology Jobs Really Out There for Your Kids?”