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Impact of Technology on Kids Today and Tomorrow.

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Hand a smartphone or tablet to a kid, and they likely know exactly what to do with it. As technology use increases, and the users get younger and younger, it’s vital to know how it impacts their future. Learn how technology directly impacts the development of young children.

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5 negative impacts of technology on kids

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5 negative impacts of technology on kids

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The best parental control app that empowers parents to balance children’s screen time, understand usage patterns and control the child’s mobile device. Try now!

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9 subtle ways technology is making life worse

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9 subtle ways technology is making life worse

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For many of us fully immersed in the digital age, it's hard to imagine a world before the advent of the internet, cloud storage, and smartphones.

Experts have found that in addition to making our lives more convenient, but there's a negative side to technology - it can be addicting and it can hurt our communication skills.

Extended screen time can result in health ramifications like insomnia, eyestrain, and increased anxiety and depression.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Technology has become so ingrained in society - and our daily lives - that it's hard to remember what the world was like before it.

Can you imagine doing your job without the help of technology of any kind? What about communicating? Or traveling? Or entertaining yourself?

5 major differences between the lives of millennials and baby boomers

While we owe a debt of gratitude to the brilliant minds who have gifted us such innovations, it would be shortsighted to consider technology as solely a boon to humanity. Often, it can be a bane, having both seen and unseen effects of innumerable kinds on individuals, groups, and mankind as a whole.

Here are nine ways technology has made humanity worse.

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9 subtle ways technology is making humanity worse

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For many of us fully immersed in the digital age, it's hard to imagine a world before the advent of the internet, cloud storage, and smartphones. Experts have found that in addition to making our lives more convenient, but there's a negative side to technology - it can be addicting and it can hurt our communication skills.

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Pros and Cons of Technology in Classrooms

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Pros and Cons of Technology in Classrooms

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Technology in education is the biggest change in teaching we will ever see. For years, policy makers, teachers, parents and students alike have been weighing the potential benefits of technology in education against its risks and consequences.

Prior to March 2020, some would say that technology allowed you to experiment in pedagogy, democratize the classroom and reach Generation Z students. Others may have argued that technology in the classroom could promote cheating. But after 2020, technology in education has become essential-especially as the COVID-19 pandemic forced higher ed and public schools to swap face-to-face instruction for distance learning.

Below, we share 20 best practices for using technology in the classroom-and offer workable solutions that will help you meet the needs of your students. You can also download our free guide, which highlights how five acclaimed educators use technology to help their students excel in any course.

How technology can support learning outcomes for today's students

Students are digital natives. They've grown up with technology; it's woven into their lives. In fact, it's one of the basic 21st-century skills that they'll need in school and the workplace.

Technology integration in the classroom now begins during elementary school and carries through to high school and higher education. But using computer technology in the classroom isn't just about digital devices in class-it relates to anything that facilitates an interaction between teacher and student. Technology in education programs could be seen as a culprit, or it could be harnessed to improve student engagement and effectiveness-and that's what we'll discuss below.

"Digital education is generating new learning opportunities as students engage in online, digital environments and as faculty change educational practices through the use of hybrid courses, personalized instruction, new collaboration models and a wide array of innovative, engaging learning strategies," says David Goodrum, Director of Academic Technology and Information Services at Oregon State University.

"Furthermore, a 21st century view of learner success requires students to not only be thoughtful consumers of digital content, but effective and collaborative creators of digital media, demonstrating competencies and communicating ideas through dynamic storytelling, data visualization and content curation," Goodrum says.

Types of classroom technology

Education technology allows you to engage, interact with, and inspire students in and out of your class. Plus, certain types of technology tools like podcasts or video streaming platforms can help meet the unique learning styles of your cohort. Many of the technologies below are used to operate online education programs-including lectures, labs, group meetings or class tutorials. Plenty of higher education institutions have already integrated some of the following technology tools into their degree programs today.

Learning management systems (LMS) such as Canvas, Moodle and Blackboard allow you to manage courses, assign homework and tests, and track student grades.

Digital courseware such as ebook products by Pearson, McGraw-Hill and Macmillan can be used to create and distribute teaching resources (such as textbooks or question packs) to students as a way to create engaging homework experiences.

Classroom response systems including iClicker and Poll Everywhere help students reflect on their learning via polls or discussions in class.

Virtual classroom tools like Microsoft Teams and Zoom are used to host synchronous online lectures and let participants engage in breakout rooms or 'share their screen' with one another.

Remote proctoring software like Proctorio and Honorlock help maintain academic integrity by monitoring student behavior during tests and flag behavior indicative of cheating.

This article looks at the pros and cons of using technology in the classroom. We'll also share the advantages and disadvantages of technology in the classroom when incorporating new digital teaching and assessment techniques into your lesson plans.

8 pros and cons of using technology for student engagement

The pros:

1. Technology in the classroom helps ensure full participation

Online polling and other digital tools help to engage all students, including shy students who wouldn't normally raise their hands in class. Online engagement systems allow you to regularly check in with students for feedback on course materials and assignments. Student insights can also be used to help spot areas where learners might be struggling.

Student response systems help learners measure their understanding of a topic while professors can see what areas they need to review. For instance, iClicker offers questions that may be multiple choice or true or false. Students are then asked to identify a correct answer to a question in exchange for participation points from a professor. Clickers, virtual classroom software and assessment platforms like Socrative or Kahoot! can make for great engagement tools for educators looking to enhance their lectures. Student response systems help foster digital citizenship in the classroom and give students an opportunity to engage in class and get rewarded for it at the same time.

Another active learning technique that education technology can facilitate is offering students quizzes (not for credit). At the beginning of the class, students can gauge familiarity with a subject by taking a quick, anonymous quiz on the topic you're teaching-and this can also inform and direct what you need to focus on. At the end of the class, facilitating the same quiz again allows all students to gauge what they do and don't understand.

2. Using technology in the classroom allows you to experiment more in pedagogy and get instant feedback

Technology allows for more active learning. You can increase engagement through online polling or asking quiz questions during online lectures, with instantaneous results. If you're using a digital textbook, subject matter is dynamic and timely with embedded links to relevant materials or immersive multimedia.

Whether adding a single tool for a specific project or term, or making a more dramatic change such as a flipped classroom, being well-versed in technology can help build credibility with students and even fellow colleagues. Video conferencing software, live polls and discussion boards are all ways to form feedback loops with your students. An LMS such as Moodle and polling software like Poll Everywhere can also help educators get an instant understanding of student comprehension.

3. There are countless resources for enhancing education and making learning more fun and effective

From apps and e-textbooks to organizational platforms, there's no shortage of tools that can transform the classroom. Some instructors are turning toward classroom 'gamification,' the use of competitive scenarios, and the distribution of points and rewards to make the online classroom more fun and engaging. The key to ensuring these methods are also effective is designing them to support your course learning objectives. Digital storytelling, where students use simulations to immerse themselves in a fictional environment, can make learning more exciting and relatable for students. Gamification also allows for interactive lessons and can reduce passivity in the classroom.

Some gamification activities introduce healthy competition to your class. In role play, for example, students are asked to pose arguments on behalf of historical figures. Technology can greatly aid the implementation of classroom games, while students may be incentivized to complete their assessments. Blended learning can also play an effective role here, whereby student curriculum is partially delivered in person and partially via digital means.

4. Technology makes it simple for students to collaborate and engage in group work outside of class

Gone are the days when one student was tasked with creating a PowerPoint presentation for a group. Through technology, students can start working on a project together in class and seamlessly collaborate, communicate and bounce ideas off one another using social media, interactive whiteboards and more. Physical and social barriers no longer exist, letting students work together from anywhere and at any time. Technology has also enabled students to engage in spontaneous discussions and find instant answers to problems or questions they may have about a topic.

The cons:

5. Technology in the classroom can be a distraction

Tech savvy students may find it hard to concentrate in class when a wide range of digital devices are around them. It can be hard to keep students' attention while lecturing behind a screen, but James Lang, Professor of English and the Director of the D'Amour Center for Teaching Excellence at Assumption College, has a solution. Lang argues that change renews attention-meaning that if students are starting to tune out, it's time to incorporate opportunities for class discussions. Lang calls these moments 'signature attention activities' as they are designed to spark engagement in the midst of a slump.

Matthew Numer, an assistant professor in the School of Health and Human Performance at Dalhousie University, says in an article for The Chronicle of Higher Education that banning laptops is an "insult" to students. "Our students are capable of making their own choices, and if they choose to check Snapchat instead of listening to your lecture, then that's their loss. Besides, it's my responsibility as an educator to ensure that my lecture is compelling. If my students aren't paying attention, if they're distracted, that's on me." To Numer, students glancing at their mobile devices may indicate that a course's curriculum and instruction needs to be revamped.

This makes the notion of creating a structure and culture of respect all the more important from day one. Identify specific projects, opportunities for breaks and your intentions for participation and engagement using technology in the classroom. Creating expectations and guidelines for students-and sticking to them-will be important for them in respecting your boundaries.

6. Technology can disconnect students from social interactions

Many people are skeptical of technology and what it does to students', and everyone else's, ability to verbally communicate.

By creating assignments in class that use both technological tools as well as oral presentations and group collaboration, student learning has the potential to become more dynamic and interactive. Participation can also go beyond verbal communication. Consider how your LMS, discussion board or live chat can be leveraged to increase student engagement.

7. Technology can foster cheating in class and on assignments

Students have always found ways to cheat, but the digital age makes it even easier-from copying-and-pasting someone else's work to hiring an essay-writer from an online essay mill. Here, digital technology could end up hindering students' professional development.

While technology could be seen as yet another avenue for cheating, it's possible to structure assignments and exams in a way that makes cheating difficult. Alternatively, you can make exams open-book and focus on problem-solving and mastery rather than retention. Some classroom software allows you to set questions that are subtly different for every student, making them focus on the technique rather than the answer. Ed tech software such as Turnitin is already well-established in most higher education settings. With COVID-19, some institutions have relied on proctoring software to maintain academic integrity from a distance. These assistive tools can help professors maintain academic integrity.

8. Classroom technology doesn't necessarily make students more accountable

While it can certainly help, technology use in the classroom doesn't always mean students are more likely to stay on top of their deliverables. For example, it can be tricky to know if your students are viewing the full lecture recordings or coming to class having completed their assigned readings. Social media and other ed tech platforms don't necessarily indicate completion. Some LMS providers may show if a student has opened a file, but that only says so much. Whether students have reviewed, absorbed and are able to retain that information is a question that-like traditional learning materials-not all classroom tech can solve.

7 pros and cons of using classroom technology to increase flexibility

The pros:

9. Technology can automate a lot of your tedious tasks

Automation can speed up tedious, time-consuming tasks, such as keeping track of student attendance and performance. Engagement tools can help streamline grading for writing assignments, discussions and participation, as well as answer common student questions, which otherwise could seem daunting due to their objective nature.

The canonical example of this? One professor at Georgia Tech coded an artificially intelligent teaching assistant. ' Jill Watson' was able to answer a selection of student questions and pass any that she couldn't handle to a real person. Integrating technology in the classroom has the potential to reduce the amount of time spent on minor tasks.

10. Technology in college classrooms gives students instant access to fresh information that can supplement their learning experience

There is value in having textbooks and course materials that are always up to date, which can even include additions suggested by students. This also fosters a more collaborative learning environment-students can share information, work together on group projects and interact with their instructor online. Collaboration between professors and their students is put into practice through a learning management system (LMS) such as Moodle or Blackboard, where professors upload new content for students to review online.

Educational technology enables students to engage in an ongoing cycle of learning: before, during and after class. Student response systems such as clickers can also help learners apply their understanding of concepts covered in class and can indicate areas that need to be reviewed. For Generation Z, technology is arguably the best way to meet student needs. Demian Hommel, Senior Instructor of Geography and Environmental Sciences and Marine Resource Management at Oregon State University, uses a classroom response system to poll students every few minutes during lectures. "Using technology to help students understand the trends and patterns that are going to affect them is transformative," he says.

"Using technology to help students understand the trends and patterns that are going to affect them is transformative." -Professor Demian Hommel

11. Students have the choice to learn in real time or at their own pace

Using technology in the classroom has given students more choice in, and control over, their learning experiences. Learning tools have also given professors the flexibility in how to deliver their lectures or labs. For instance, students can tune into live-streamed lectures hosted at a specific time, while others can view lecture recordings on their own if they're unable to attend a live session. Plus, real-time lessons in online learning can help students feel a great sense of belonging and camaraderie that would otherwise be lost.

Asynchronous learning provides a new level of flexibility for both students and educators. For example, instead of waiting for students to show up at your office, host your office hours via Zoom and let your students know that they're free to drop by during a given time frame. Additionally, technology can be used to help students take asynchronous tests. Just make a test available on your LMS for a 48-hour period so that students can take their assessment at a time and place that works for them.

12. Address the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) guidelines with thoughtful technology use

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework for ensuring your course delivery meets the needs of all students. It's the ultimate way to provide flexibility in how, when and where learning takes place. The three tenets of this framework are providing multiple means of engagement, representation and expression.

In order to represent content in a variety of ways, you might consider complementing a textbook reading with a podcast. Alternatively, multiple ways of expressing students' understanding could mean offering students learning opportunities through journal articles or video reflections. Finally, multiple forms of engagement might mean gauging students' interests at the start of the term through icebreakers or a student interest inventory-and then use these insights to tailor your units of study accordingly.

The cons:

13. Lesson planning might become more labor-intensive with technology

The task of adapting technology into your classroom can seem daunting or overwhelming. In many ways though, using technology can become as natural to you as any daily activity.

When you're choosing classroom technology, it's important to engage with the software vendor and make sure you have the appropriate level of support in place. Some questions you should ask include whether they supply training or onboarding, and what their reliability statistics and support functions are. After all, you don't need to be the person all the students come to if the technology goes offline.

The most important factor is to allow yourself time to learn how to use a new ed tech tool and make sure you ask for, and receive, the support that you need.

14. Students don't have equal access to technological resources

An online education should be accessible to students. But some students can't afford iPads or even the textbooks required for class. Others simply do not have reliable Internet access. Point these students in the direction of your institution's library or community resources, or create assignments that allow them to work in groups and share resources. You might also consider using open educational resources (OER), which provide a cost-effective alternative to the traditional college textbook. Don't make technology the focus of your class, and don't make it a barrier. Incorporate it in a holistic and inclusive manner-and ensure you do your part to find equitable learning solutions.

15. Technology in education can create privacy concerns

Video conferencing or web-hosting solutions have brought with them some concerns around data protection. For example, do platforms offer end-to-end encryption in basic plans provided to students? Social media handles set up as part of a tutorial or learning activity can also lead to student information being accessed by a wider audience than intended. What's more, Zoombombing-disruptive intrusions into a video conference call-became a common occurrence during the COVID-19 pandemic.

And though they maintain academic integrity, remote proctoring solutions can make test-takers feel uncomfortable. Students may not want to have their homes shown in front of a proctor and being monitored can increase stress and anxiety.

5 pros and cons of using technology to aid instructional design

The pros:

16. We live in a digital world, and technology is an essential life skill

Being digitally literate is more than obtaining "isolated technological skills," according to the NMC Horizon Report: 2017 Higher Education Edition. Rather, it's about "generating a deeper understanding of the digital environment, enabling intuitive adaptation to new contexts and [the] co-creation of content with others." Here, the traditional whiteboard is almost extinct, while technology has never been more essential in the virtual classroom. Creating presentations, learning to differentiate reliable from unreliable sources on the Internet and maintaining proper online netiquette are all vital skills that students will learn to develop in the classroom.

Technology use can also help universities deliver a better return on the investment students pay for their education-as well as make learning relevant to a primarily Generation Z audience. Mobile technology in classrooms is a must-have if students want to be prepared for almost any career today. Student achievement may be boosted if they have the means to continue working on projects outside of the classroom.

17. Classroom technology is a cost-effective alternative to traditional course materials

Technology can help save students hundreds during a semester. Rather than asking students to buy a copy of five different textbooks, some professors might want to direct students to their institution's library or adopt open source textbooks.

Using technology in the classroom has its benefits for the environment as well. Institutions can reduce the amount they spend on ink and paper by distributing important documents in a centralized digital location. As opposed to asking students to buy a print book from your campus bookstore, authoring your own digital, interactive book can help students save big. Katie Thompson-Laswell, Senior Instructor of Human Development and Family Science at Kansas State University, was able to save her students $70 on course materials in the spring 2019 semester. Two years later, new cohorts of students continue to enjoy a low-cost, interactive homework experience from anywhere.

The cons:

18. The quality of research and sources students find may not be credible

The Internet is a blessing and a curse. Your students may need guidance on identifying legitimate and unreliable sources. Many colleges have writing centers that can help with this. You can also use OER-ranging from lecture notes, examinations, assignments and textbooks-and adapt them to fit the needs of your course and students. How can you tell if content is written by a competent authority? Use these tips to find effective OERs. Top Hat's Catalog-filled with hundreds of low-cost, interactive textbooks-is also a reliable source of OER you can use, regardless of your discipline or teaching modality.

19. Some classroom technologies could eventually replace professors

Classroom technology has helped position educators as a 'guide on the side' versus a 'sage on the stage.' But that shift in the role that professors play has the potential to put them on the sidelines-especially with online learning. Technology has automated many learning processes such as grading. With asynchronous online learning especially, it's possible that students could now have little-to-no interactions with their educators compared to their experiences in the traditional classroom.

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), which prioritize unlimited participation and open access, let students gain an unrestricted learning experience without a professor present. Platforms like Coursera let students watch on-demand video lectures from leading universities and companies for a fraction of the cost of a university degree. These platforms even offer selective degree and certificate programs. Other platforms like LinkedIn Learning prioritize skill-based learning, which allows students to complete courses or learning modules at their own pace-without the guidance of an instructor.

20. Institutions' lack of IT support can make it challenging to evaluate and implement new classroom technologies

Where do you begin if you're new to teaching? Educators may understandably feel overwhelmed when adopting new tools and platforms to meet the needs of their Generation Z students. While colleges may have a site-wide license for a particular LMS, educators are often left to their own resources to decide how to bring their material to life. Depending on the scale and quality of instructional design services offered at their institution, this can be a lengthy and uneasy process.

How classroom technology can help you meet your teaching goals next semester

This past academic year has highlighted the essential role that technology plays in student learning. No matter where you're teaching next semester, the best practices for using classroom technology below can help make your course more engaging, interactive and active. For additional advice, download our free guide on how to effectively use technology in your next face-to-face, hybrid or online classroom.

Eliminate distractions in class

1. Use frequent polls to make sure students pay attention-and to hold them accountable
2. Begin lessons with a game or icebreaker to encourage focus and collaboration from the start of class

Allow students to learn at their own pace

1. Adopt a flipped classroom model where students can view lecture modules and complete quizzes in advance of live lectures
2. Complement live activities with self-paced exercises such as blog posts or video journal responses, which students can share in your LMS

Create a classroom environment where students feel comfortable speaking out

1. Incorporate an anonymous discussion board during in-class polls
2. Ask your teaching assistants to respond to, and acknowledge, students' contributions in and out of class

Help students stay accountable for their learning outside of your classroom

1. Adopt or author your own digital interactive textbook that includes comprehension questions throughout
2. Keep a digital repository of discussion board prompts or quiz questions and re-quiz students on these concepts in future homework assignments to check for subject mastery

Provide instant feedback on student performance

1. Consider employing low-stakes, multiple choice quizzes that can be auto-graded
2. Grade assignments using a built-in rubric in your LMS and provide personalized feedback upon student request

Technology in the classroom: The final verdict

It's clear that the benefits of technology in the classroom outweigh the cons. But the key to technology in the classroom is always going to be the teacher-student relationship, because that's where the education happens. Technology can be a highly effective tool, but that's all it is-a tool. In today's hyper-connected world, sensible use of technology can enhance education. By using technology as an aid in the classroom, educators can create memorable and impactful learning outcomes for their diverse group of college students. For best practices on how to integrate technology in your classroom next semester, download our free guide packed with tips and tools five professors have used to give their course delivery a boost.

References

1. Kelly, R. (2018, January 11). 7 Ed Tech Trends to Watch in 2018. https://campustechnology.com/Articles/2018/01/11/7-Ed-Tech-Trends-to-Watch-in-2018.aspx?Page=1

2. Dhami, H. (2020, August 13). James Lang's Distracted: Why Students Can't Focus and What You Can Do About It. [Blog post]. https://tophat.com/blog/james-lang-distracted/

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How to Take Advantage of Ed Tech In The Classroom | Top Hat

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Get best practices for enhancing technology in your classroom. Plus, download Top Hat's free guide to make ed tech tools work for your course.

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Pros and Cons of Keeping Wild Animals as Pets

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Pros and Cons of Keeping Wild Animals as Pets

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The popular social app TikTok is in big trouble. It’s just been hit with a fine for not protecting the privacy of its younger users.

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A few weeks ago, I was in the middle of a random conversation with my mother; she said something interesting that sparked a debate in my head. "Technology has made life so easy," she said, "but too much technology is turning kids lazy."

While I do think that technological advancements have made our lives much easier compared to the hardships faced by our previous generations, I wondered out loud if there is such a thing as " too much technology ".

We need to acknowledge that we do live in a world of tech overdose. Just compare your current day-to-day routine with the one you followed 5 years ago. It is surprising how dependent we are on modern technology.

We live in the world of iPhones, laptops, fitbits, Facebook, Amazon, Uber, Netflix, tons of food delivery apps, etc. Most students today spend long hours staring at their mobile phones either hooked to social media or some other app. Such a dependency on technology is excessive but I'm not an old school cynic or tech hater; I love and always rely on technology to make lessons interesting for students.

Excessive technology in our lives is not necessarily a bad thing. It can make our lives easier by saving time, money, and energy. But there are some negative aspects of being over-reliant on technology.

Here's an attempt to highlight the effects of "too much technology" on students by making a pros and cons list.

The Pros of Technology

1. Technology has opened new avenues of learning

How would our education system look sans all the technological advancements in the education industry?

Online learning has opened doors for personalised learning where students can learn anything and everything under the sun at their own pace from the comforts of their home. Video-based learning, flipped learning, audio podcasts etc., have provided engaging platforms of learning for students. Computers, projectors, and even, calculators have helped in evolving education to fit the needs of students of this generation.

2. There are apps to take care of the overall needs of students

There has been a boom in the app industry, with a huge number of apps on tap.

While it is almost impossible to count the number of Edtech apps that are out there, they take care of almost all the needs of students. There are apps to address almost every aspect of student learning f rom apps that teach nursery rhymes, playing the piano and learning how to paint to apps that help college students manage money. You name it, there's an app for it!

3. The Internet has made research easier

Thanks to technology, students are blessed with this wonderful platform called The Internet where they can read, research, and learn about anything.

These days, students heavily rely on Google and other fact sources like Wikipedia, Thesaurus.com, Encyclopedia.com, etc., for online research. There are plenty of fact checker tools readily available on the internet that can be utilized by students to confirm the correctness of their sources.

The Cons of Technology

1. Social media addiction and cyber bullying

In the last decade, social media platforms have become a huge hit on the internet and teens and adults are now hooked on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and others. Many spend excessive time on social media and become tech-addicts.

Spending long hours on social media makes children vulnerable to cyberbullying, trolling and they can waste precious hours just scrolling up and down their timelines.

2. Rise in physical and mental health problems

Many health experts have stated more than once that excessive use of tech gadgets can have harmful effects on children's physical and mental health.

Since most tech tools have a visual interface, there is a risk of eyesight-related issues associated with it. The growing rates of obesity, hypertension, and diabetes are a consequence of a sedentary lifestyle powered by the addictive nature of technology.

Apart from physical health issues, there has been a steep rise in cases of depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder, thanks to the overuse of mobile phones, laptops, social media, and internet in general.

3. Disconnect from the real world

Technology has made us great communicators... online. We don't hesitate or fumble before talking to a stranger or expressing our views and technology has turned many of our students into armchair activists!

But when it comes to conversing with someone in real life, basic skills of communication are lacking. Our obsession with technology is turning our children into bad listeners and public speakers who lack the confidence to express their opinions in real life situations.

Some students are so engrossed in their smartphones they 'detach' from reality; they and unaware of what's happening around them, both literally and figuratively. They might like a post about depression on social media or tweet about the war in Syria, but they are increasingly turning blind to people who are suffering around them.

4. Too much Edtech can be overwhelming for students

Over-utilising Edtech in the classroom can overwhelm students and hinder their learning process.

For example: if a teacher uses a PowerPoint presentation, writes on the board and encourages students to check out a Maths app while teaching a lesson, students will find it difficult to juggle between visual cues from all the three different platforms.

Since there are a plethora of Edtech tools out there, teachers should carefully sift through a large number of apps to find one that doesn't have a bad design or a faulty user interface.

And finally...

Technology combined with education is a very powerful tool that can change the way we learn, think, and see the world. But, it is also essential to strike a perfect balance between Edtech learning and traditional learning so that we can ensure the overall development of our students.

Edtech brings out the best in students when we smartly integrate it with conventional learning methods. If we obsess over it, though, like a new shiny toy, it is likely that our students will suffer from problems of 'too-much-technology'.

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Is Too Much Technology Having A Negative Impact On Us? via @TeacherToolkit

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A few weeks ago, I was in the middle of a random conversation with my mother; she said something interesting that sparked a debate in my head. "Technology has made life so easy," she said, "but too much technology is turning kids lazy."

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Chimpanzee: The ideal pet?

Unanimously, the experts we consulted were horrified by the idea of primates as pets, especially chimps and the other great apes (bonobos, gorillas and orangutans). The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, for example, "does not support the keeping of any wild animal as a pet. ... . Pet primates, big cats and reptiles have attacked and seriously injured their guardians as well as unsuspecting neighbors and their pets."

The experts were also unanimously saddened but unsurprised by the near-fatal attack in Connecticut. Noted primatologist Frans de Waal of Emory University wrote to say, "I was surprised that anyone would keep an adult male chimpanzee, which is really not suitable as a pet. No primate is suitable, even small monkeys are usually detoothed or else locked up in a cage, and chimpanzees are notoriously into power, so will always try to improve their position. They may not do so with their owner, who has raised them, but everyone else is fair game. So, I was not surprised at all at the incident."

The mauling "is an extreme example of what can happen," says Linda Brent, director of Chimp Haven, which operates the National Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Louisiana. Nobody disputes that young primates are cute, adorable, baby-like. But everything changes when their sex hormones start to gush at puberty, which usually starts at about age six in a chimp. "We have an 11-year-old chimp, and you would be floored by how big, how muscular he is, and how much he runs around and shows off," she says. "This is not something anybody would think would be good in the house."

Pecking order

In a chimp society, young males need to find their place in the hierarchy. "When young male chimps grow up, they start pestering all the females in a very annoying way, stealing tools and food," says Pascal Gagneux, an assistant professor of cellular and molecular medicine at the University of California. "They get beaten up the first few times, but the sexual dimorphism [difference between the sexes] is strong enough" that the males then pick fights with older males in the quest for dominance.

Gagneux rejects the "simplistic idea that male chimps are brutes. They are complicated." While studying chimps in Cote d'Ivoire, West Africa, for example, he observed a troop care for a male that had been badly wounded while chasing a leopard. The chimp "lived four or five years with an exposed body cavity, and during the first few weeks, the entire group of chimps would stop by the place he was hanging out to take turns licking his wound. They were clearly caring for one of their own; it was one of the most touching things I've seen."

The story confounds the "Chimps are brutes" story line, but it does not prove that chimps are puppies, Gagneux says. "What you have to expect, if you have a baby chimp, even if it's super cute, is that a part of his natural growing up is testing where he is in the dominance hierarchy. If he perceives you as female, that will include dominating, biting your butt, biting off a piece of your ear, doing serious damage but not killing you."

Gagneux, who spent two years studying chimps in Africa, says "Most female chimps in the wild have scars, mostly from males."

To de Waal, the severity of the assault indicates that Travis, the attacking chimp, was trying to repel an invader rather than dominate a member of his group. "The brutality of it indicates that Travis saw the woman as enemy or rival. This was not the sort of well-controlled punitive action that a male will undertake to make clear what he wants: this was an assault, similar to the way chimps in the field attack outsiders."

A horror at home?

Chimp behavior is not exactly conducive to domestic tranquility, despite their initial resemblance to babies. "People become very attached, it becomes difficult to give the animal up when it gets older," says Brent. "It's hard for the chimp too, they form an attachment with the owner, but when the natural chimp behavior comes out [at puberty], they are conflicted. They either are kept from doing their natural behavior or are relegated to the garage."

Almost inevitably, she says, "pet chimps and other apes try to bite somebody, and people decide they don't want [the animal] anymore." A chimp that turns aggressive may be lucky enough to be moved to a sanctuary, but others have to endure home-made, jerry-built solutions. "Sometimes people try to control them with drugs, or by pulling out the teeth, or they are neglected, like Henry. In Connecticut, the owner tried to keep some level of control over this wild animal, but that never succeeds in the long run, and injury occurs."

The news from Connecticut has produce a flurry of interest in sanctuaries among chimp owners, Brent adds. "A lot of people with pet chimp are saying they don't want this to happen to them, and they want to dump the chimp. But chimps live 40 to 50 years; they are incredibly difficult and expensive to maintain." All told, the sanctuaries have heard that almost 20 chimps may need alternative housing, Brent says. "It's a serious problem, all the sanctuaries run on donations," and space is tight.

About 600 chimps now live in sanctuaries in the United States; about 450 of them were once used in medical research, primarily related to HIV and AIDS. The National Chimpanzee Sanctuary, in Louisiana, houses 132 chimps, and has two forested enclosures totaling about 9 acres. "We are able to integrate chimps from various backgrounds and histories, put them into some of the largest chimp groups in the United States," says Brent. "We offer a kind of environment where they can rediscover their roots, climb trees, forage, use sticks to hunt for termites."

It's not exactly assisted living, but "Most are elderly, and have old-age problems, or other diseases," she adds. She estimates that several hundred chimps are living in some type of private home, and most of them could benefit from a move to a sanctuary.

So what was Brent's reaction to the mauling in Connecticut? "Incredible sorrow for everybody involved. It's truly a horrible tragedy, the woman being injured and the chimp being shot. There is nothing good to say. If there had been better laws and oversight, this could have been avoided. The chimp should never have been in a private home. A 15-year-old male, I cannot imagine the control mechanism they used to keep him in some measure of control. But we were not shocked."

(Sanctuaries are not perfect, however. In 2005, four chimps got loose at a California sanctuary and mauled two men. St. James Davis, 66, said he lost most of his fingers, buttocks, and was in a coma for months. The New York Daily News [see #2 in the bibliography] reported that Davis and his wife "raised a baby chimp like a human in their suburban home for three decades. They taught their 'boy' Moe to dress in plaid dinner jackets, eat with a fork and knife, drive a car, use the toilet and write his own name.")

.

Terry Devitt, editor; Nathan Hebert, project assistant; S.V. Medaris, designer/illustrator; David Tenenbaum, feature writer; Amy Toburen, content development executive

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Unanimously, the experts we consulted were horrified by the idea of primates as pets, especially chimps and the other great apes (bonobos, gorillas and orangutans). The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, for example, "does not support the keeping of any wild animal as a pet. ...

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Giant snake invasion!

Hoping to avert a biological infestation that could eventually stretch across a band of southern states, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed to ban the import and interstate transport of nine giant constrictor snakes. After the comment period expires May 11, the agency will review its options and consider whether to push forward with regulations.

The proposal was not popular with snake enthusiasts and the pet trade, but these giant constrictors are big, fearsome predators that can even kill alligators and panthers.

In short, these snakes (including the boa constrictor, four pythons and four anacondas) seem more suited to Tarzan movies than Florida travel brochures.

The major existing threat comes from thousands of Burmese pythons living in and around Everglades National Park, where the 2006 discovery of a nest confirmed that the python is breeding. It's uncertain far north the snake is established, but Art Roybal, a Fish and Wildlife Service biologist in Florida, says they are "most likely" breeding in the Myakka River drainage in Sarasota County, but "Future events will determine whether that likely population can persist, spread, or extend to additional animals." (Here's a map of Burmese python sightings in Florida).

Although Burmese pythons seldom attack humans, some have killed their owners in captivity.
Fish and Wildlife is also proposing to ban the import and interstate transport of eight other giant constrictors, including the boa constrictor, which has been established for decades west of Miami, and the northern African python, which may be reproducing in South Florida. The agency hopes to designate the snakes as "injurious wildlife" under the Lacey Act.

Over the last 10 years, more than 1.8 million live constrictor snakes, including 12 species, were imported into the United States. Most, however, are ball pythons, which are not included in the Lacey-act proposal.

The snake problem arises almost entirely from pet owners, says the wildlife agency. Some of the invaders (or their ancestors) are escaped pets. Others came from pets that grew big and were dumped into the wild by owners who did not know, or did not care, that these animals could start to play house in the hospitable southern clime.

Although snake dealers generally disdain these proposed restrictions, Gordon Rodda, a U.S. Geological Survey invasive snake expert, says "there already are tens of thousands of these snakes in captivity in the United States, and no-one is proposing any restrictions on that. Private possession of pets is a state responsibility. These proposed rules would affect only the import of new stock and transport across state lines, not the keeping of existing stock or their progeny."

The art of the invader

Invasive species, whether plants, mammals, insects or reptiles, have inherent advantages over natives: they often lack diseases or predators, and native wildlife and vegetation cannot counter their competitive tactics. "We are talking about non-native predators that our native species have not evolved to cope with," says Roybal. "They get so large, up to 200 pounds and up to 20 to 23 feet long. They are a sit-and-wait predator. The native species are not used to animals of that sort, and haven't developed behaviors to avoid them."

The large constrictors are especially dangerous to threatened and endangered species, says Roybal. "The thing that really opened our eyes was the consumption of three key largo woodrats [by the python] in the Florida keys. This is a very imperiled species, there probably are only 200 to 300 left in the wild. If a large constrictor got established in the keys, it could mean severe impacts and possibly extinction."

The Burmese python could occupy all of Florida, experts say, and even spread far beyond, according to a U.S. Geological Survey study of the snake's climate requirements.

Roybal adds that the boa constrictor, and possibly the reticulated and Burmese pythons, recently started breeding in the forests of Puerto Rico, where officials has already removed more than 100 boas. "This is not just a Florida problem," he says.

Unimpressed with the threat of invasive snakes? Then check out Guam, where the brown tree snake has eliminated 10 native birds since arriving in about 1950. As many as 13,000 brown tree snakes occupy a square mile on the island.

If the brown tree snake can be eradicated, it would be logical to restore native birds from other islands, but Rodda says most of Guam's suitable habitat is owned by the U.S. military, which is unreceptive to the idea.

This venomous snake does not shy away from housing, so it also poses a safety threat.

Brown tree snakes have since hitchhiked from Guam to several Pacific islands, yet there are finally signs of progress in controlling the repellent reptile, says Gordon Rodda, brown tree snake guru for the U.S. Geological Survey. To halt further invasions, Rodda says, "The first and most intense effort was getting them away from the port and airport; that's been very successful."

The next step, Rodda adds, is to "expand the defensive perimeter and clear the whole island" with poison bait. Because Guam has no native snakes, "We can put out bait and only the brown tree snake will eat it. In Florida, they have a large number of native snakes and ... you can't go and poison them willy nilly."

Pythons are no pansies, says an invasive species expert: "If the alligator was sufficient to control the Burmese python, it would not have spread."

When it comes to invasive species, and especially snakes, experts agree that prevention trumps eradication. The Burmese python is extremely difficult to find, as it "lives in the middle of the Everglades, the largest wilderness east of the Mississippi River, and in national wildlife refuges," says Frank Mazzotti, an associate professor wildlife ecology at the University of Florida.

"People don't really appreciate how hard it is to catch a Burmese python," says Mazzotti, an expert on snakes in South Florida. In studies of other snakes, he adds, "when people knew the snake population and had well-developed methods for finding and catching them, if they catch 10 percent of them, they feel extremely lucky. It's not unusual to catch more than 50 percent of a mammal population."

In an effort to contain the invasion in Florida, federal agents have already trapped a Burmese python on Key Largo, the first major link in the chain of fragile islands called the Florida Keys.

Snakes in general are camouflage experts, says Art Roybal of the Fish and Wildlife Service. "We are told by scientists that for every one snake that you do see, there are 1,000 that you don't see. ... Large constrictor snakes are notoriously cryptic and often hidden and immobile and are therefore difficult to detect."

"You have to understand the difficulty of finding an animal that looks like a vine that is spread over 10,000 square kilometers of woody swamps," adds Gordon Rodda of the U.S. Geological Survey. "There is no track record of success in controlling invasive reptiles and snakes. There are reasons to be pessimistic that the Florida population [of Burmese pythons] will ever be controlled."

Along with many other biologists, Rodda, who heads the USGS response to the brown tree snake on Guam, says, "Prevention is way better than fighting the crisis once it's occurred. Once the snake is established, your chances of eradication are virtually gone."

Meager options for control and eradication

When the USGS looked at predators and diseases for controlling snakes, it saw no good options. Predators are futile against snakes that can fight back against the big teeth: Burmese python can eat leopards and panthers, and Mazzotti says a captured 16-foot Burmese python threw up a 6-foot, 30-pound alligator. "'Wow!' doesn't even do it justice. It was amazing!"

In these struggles, "Probably more often than not, the alligator win, but that doesn't mean their numbers will be significantly be depressed by alligators," says Rodda. The death-tangle between a giant snake and a big toothy gator may be eye candy for TV, "but if a small alligator gets pulled from the water at night and swallowed, you are never going to see that. If the alligator was sufficient to control the Burmese python, the snake would not have spread."

When experts examined 57 potential predators to control the brown tree snake on Guam, none were deemed acceptable. Indeed, introduced predators are not much good for controlling invasive animals, according to the USGS:

"The record of successes is small, and the number of catastrophic failures (non-target species decimated or even driven extinct by the predator) is large. As a result, it is against U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service policy to introduce predator-based biocontrol agents for vertebrates (there is also a question as to which higher order predator would qualify for preying on giant constrictors!), and we will not entertain that notion further."

Could bugs or bounties work?

Pathogens - viruses, bacteria or fungi - could theoretically be used if they were specific enough to target the invasive snakes, but Rodda says that the knowledge of snake diseases "is all about snakes in captivity. Nothing is known about transmission of disease in the wild."

Considerable time and money would be needed to research pathogen control against the giant constrictors, according to the USGS.

The vertebrate immune system can adapt to many new pathogens, and viruses sometimes evolve to become less lethal. When Australian authorities tried to eliminate a massive outbreak of introduced rabbits with a virus, the virus worked at first, and then the rabbits returned to running rampant.

Bounties were used to eradicate wolves from most of the lower 48 states, but bounties can boomerang if hunters breed the target animals in captivity or distribute them to new habitat. On the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, for example, bounty hunters began breeding the fer-de-lance, a deadly invasive snake from Africa, that was targeted for elimination. "Once you start assigning a value to invasive animals, there is an impetus to some people to keep them out there," says Robert Reed, a USGS invasive species scientist and herpetologist, "And there is no funding that would allow us to hire people to catch snakes."

The trapping option

Several projects have tested whether Burmese pythons in Florida can be trapped without harming native snakes and wildlife. Traps can either attract snakes with bait, or be located along a fence that intercepts the snakes and ushers them into a trap.

Reed says both types of traps have caught Burmese pythons in South Florida, but trapping experiments are at an early stage, and the ideal trap probably depends on the context. For example, some former farmland on Florida's mainland has so many rats that "attractants may not work well because the snakes don't have to hunt around for food."

Although it's too early to know how much trapping will cost, they are not a magic bullet. "Traps alone will not be sufficient to eradicate the Burmese python from the Everglades," Reed says. "It might be a great option if we are trying to locally control snakes around an area with high ecological value, such as a wood stork rookery," where reducing the snakes without eliminating them might allow the birds to survive.

A changing ecosystem?

As Burmese pythons spread through South Florida, it's too early to say for sure how they are changing the Everglades, an ecosystem that has already sustained massive invasions from other animals and plants, not to mention numerous disturbances to natural water flow.

Some rare species have already been found inside snakes, but biologists are also noticing that some common species are becoming scarce. "In the 1970s, '80s and '90s, when I used drive the main [Everglades National] park road, I would see marsh rabbits maybe every 50 meters," says Mazzotti. "Now I don't see them anymore, zero; and we are finding fewer in the stomachs of pythons. We find lots of marsh rabbits in areas without pythons. That's a correlation that does not imply cause and effect, but these are the kind of impacts you would expect."

As the spotlight turns to the nine giant constrictors, Reed says invasive reptiles are always tough to control. A recent scientific review, he notes, "saw no evidence that an introduced reptile population had every been intentionally eradicated. These are cryptic animals and by the time you notice them, the odds are pretty decent that they are already established."

Terry Devitt, editor; Steve Furay, project assistant; S.V. Medaris, designer/illustrator; David J. Tenenbaum, feature writer; Amy Toburen, content development executive

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Giant snake invasion! Hoping to avert a biological infestation that could eventually stretch across a band of southern states, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed to ban the import and interstate transport of nine giant constrictor snakes. After the comment period expires May 11, the agency will review its options and consider whether to push forward with regulations.

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It's a hot, dry day in Kerrville, Texas, and more than a hundred people have gathered in a small circular barn. The crowd is mostly men, tan and weathered from working outdoors, but three little girls perch on a bench in the front. The littlest, who wears a Frozen T-shirt emblazoned with Elsa's face, leans forward, her eyes wide, and announces to her friends: "I really want a zebra!"

You'd be forgiven for not taking her seriously - except that we're at Raz Livestock Sales, where, at a monthly exotic animal auction, zebras regularly go for $4,000.

Owning a zebra is perfectly legal in most of the United States. Nancy Nunke, who 10 years ago founded the International Zebra-Zorse-Zonkey Association ( IZZZA), estimates that 3,000 zebras roam, kick and graze in American backyards. (IZZZA itself has registered about 300 zebras, 22 zonkeys - zebra-donkey hybrids - and 13 zorses - the offspring of zebras and horses.) But it's hard to say for sure how many there are. Many states don't require zebra owners to file paperwork, and neither the American Association of Equine Practitioners nor the American Veterinary Medical Association tracks zebra ownership.

And while the thought of zebra ownership might make you smile like that little girl in the Frozen T-shirt, it's not an easy trot. Zebra owners must regularly contend with anti-exotic legislation, such as a January 2014 bill in West Virginia attempting to ban exotic animal ownership. Then there are the zebras themselves: Beautiful as they are, horsey as they seem, they're not domesticated like horses. And their kick can kill a lion.

Nunke runs training sessions for novice zebra owners at her California ranch, where she practices equine acupuncture and reiki on zebras with broken bones. She says business spiked in 2005. That's when the Hollywood movie Racing Stripes, starring Hayden Panettiere, inspired a gazillion little girls to exotify their equine fantasies.

"I got a lot of calls," Nunke said. "It was an opportunity to educate them about what owning a zebra means. We need buyers to realize they have different needs than horses."

While a zebra might just seem an exotic substitute for a horse, most can't be ridden, unlike Panettiere's creature. At least not easily. "You can train a horse in 30 days, but it took three years to train Rarity," says Timianne Sebright, 28, referring to the pet zebra she regularly rides. Sebright helps run the Rarity Acres horse ranch in Michigan, and for her, zebra ownership is a childhood dream come true. Her father wouldn't buy her one, as they were too expensive, so she raised money for Rarity by working at the local stables.

But Rarity was not the tame animal she'd been promised. He had been abused and had trust issues: "It took months of sitting with a bucket of grain for him to come up to me. Over the years I was slowly able to do more; he taught me so much, especially patience," says Sebright.

Even well-treated animals can be hard to break in, zebra owners say. Twenty-year-old Shea Inman broke her first horse when she was 14, but Joey, the zebra she bought from a Texas ranch, severely tested her confidence. "I thought it was going to be a piece of cake," she said ruefully. Cue the training montage: months of Inman gaining Joey's trust with carrots, slowly leading him around the field, and then the glory moment of saddling him, straddling him, and riding down the road, blond hair streaming behind her.

Inman sold Joey before she went to college - "I couldn't have taken him to Virginia Tech with me," she says - and has changed her view on zebras as pets: They shouldn't be kept in stalls, she argues.

Then there are the zebra horror stories. Lila Tatar was 18 when she got her zebra, and she struggled. She posted on Instagram, "Tbt to the day that I got this little bugger and was actually nice # stripes # pet zebra # evilzebra." Evil Zebra was sold in 2012.

Historical evidence of zebras as pets is rare. Pictures exist of Baron Walter Rothschild's zebras pulling his carriage through 19th-century London and Dr. Rosendo Ribeiro visiting patients atop a zebra in 1903. But they are exceptions, not the norm.

Of course, that's part of the allure - the zebras are exotic and wild, and the stripes stand out in a Disney-ish sort of way. Is that enough to justify owning one? Animal rights activists say no. "It's not necessary to pursue animals that are rare as pets," says Kate Dylewsky of Born Free USA. The organization opposes keeping any wild animal as a pet.

And while Sebright's "My Little Zebra" dream came true, don't expect yours to.

"Zebras aren't afraid to bite or kick if pushed," she says. "But a zebra who trusts his owner will have an extremely strong bond, and can be a joy to work with."
Zara Stone is a D.C.-based journalist and videographer who specializes in reporting on the intersection of technology and culture. Follow her on Twitter: @almostzara.

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My Little Zebra: It Might Be Legal. That Doesn't Make It A Good Idea

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It's a hot, dry day in Kerrville, Texas, and more than a hundred people have gathered in a small circular barn. The crowd is mostly men, tan and weathered from working outdoors, but three little girls perch on a bench in the front.

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How technology is teaching kids to care about the world and each other

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How technology is teaching kids to care about the world and each other

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The other day I was doing bedtime routine with my 4-year-old, and she said, "Mommy, we have to not just think about ourselves. We have to think about other people, too."

Of course, I felt like I had won the parenting award of the year. She had said this without any prompt from a conversation. She simply said it from the bottom of her heart.

My husband and I have had conversations about what it means to care for others with our children but not directly about empathy - that is, a feeling that you understand someone else's emotions and are even willing to walk in their shoes in order to better understand them.

My daughter's words and similar utterances from my students reminded me how aware and prepared young people are for lessons on empathy.

Studies have shown the positive impact of teaching empathy in the classroom and fostering social and emotional learning. We also know that modeling behavior from parents and teachers can help us to promote empathy and inclusion. This is especially important since studies have found our brains are wired to empathize with people who look like us. We have to consciously work to change this cognitive behavior in ourselves and our students.

And to be a better teacher of empathy, I've found more and more that it helps to use the same tools of technology that young people are already using.

To be a better teacher of empathy, I've found more and more that it helps to use the same tools of technology that young people are already using.

Educational technology, or "ed tech," provides teachers with a way to enhance student learning through tech-based tools like apps, software and videos that instill and foster critical thinking and creativity. It might include students playing a computer game to learn how a bill becomes a law or a lesson on how to write a persuasive letter to their legislator.

One of the most impactful ways ed tech has changed classroom teaching is by introducing lessons in empathy and focusing on social impact in a new and engaging way. As an educator and a parent, I now scrutinize and assess classroom ed tech in different ways than I ever did in the past.

On one hand, it's important for teachers not to feel bombarded by ed tech and remain smart to the fact that many of these companies are in business to make a profit. They have a good-sized market, too: 56.6 million K-12 students started the 2018 school year. On the other hand, it's important for teachers to know what's new and how they can leverage technology in the classroom and it's hard not to be excited by the potential that ed tech holds.

At a recent International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) conference, the most positive aspect for me of the exhibition area involved the chance for teachers to connect with other teachers, and learn more about how they're using specific tech in the classroom.

I met Edgar Ochoa, a seventh grade social studies teacher from Phoenix, Arizona, who uses Cisco's Global Problem Solvers (GPS), part of the tech giant's Corporate and Social Responsibility initiative. It consists of an animated series made up of characters and an activity that challenges students to create their own solutions to real-world problems.

Ochoa said one of the groups doing a GPS project came up with the problem of massive plastic garbage patches in the ocean, which pose a big threat to wildlife. "So, they created a device that goes out with the sensors on it, and that the government monitors at all times."

Ochoa said his students eventually decided to create a robot-like sea turtle in disguise, which goes out and does a clean up every time it senses a mess. The students created this idea out of construction paper, modeling dough and other creative classroom tools. If they could create this solution with modeling dough and construction paper, then think about what they could do using ed tech. Build a prototype? Patent their idea? Enter a student invention competition? Social impact projects are also a great opportunity for cross-grade level collaboration, so the older students work together to mentor the younger students.

Many of us are eager to find out about new technologies that will help our children learn. Developing empathy can be a powerful skill set.

As a parent and educator, Lego Education's preschool sets on emotions and empathy drew me in. Though I teach writing to teenagers, I had to see if Lego's "Emotions" were as promising as they sounded. Soon, my 4-year-old daughter started talking about why the robot was feeling sad, happy or surprised and started creating stories around their emotions and feelings.

In addition to the "Emotions" sets, Lego Education offers accompanying lesson plans that focus on being supportive of anxious peers and the important role extended family members play. The role of "play" can have a tremendous impact on the emotional and social development of young children, but I wanted to find more opportunities using ed tech to build empathy in middle and high school students.

For teenagers, the PBS NewsHour offers lessons on invention education, which involves stories of inventions that not only have a social impact on issues like climate change and endangered species, but can also lead to new industries and economic opportunities. (The second part of the series requires students to come up with their own invention that solves a problem facing their own community.) On PBS Learning Media's new interactive platform, a lesson called Design Apps that Help Others and Build Empathy teaches students how to turn an idea into reality through the steps of the invention process, how to pitch their invention to key stakeholders, gives instructions on how to apply for a U.S. patent and how to enter contests, like the Congressional App Challenge.

As educators and parents, many of us are eager to find out about new technologies that will help our children learn. Developing empathy can be a powerful skill set for students - and yes, adults, too. It's important that we sit down with ed tech, and ask, how is it making a difference in our world?

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Opinion: How technology is teaching kids to care about the world and each other

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The other day I was doing bedtime routine with my 4-year-old, and she said, "Mommy, we have to not just think about ourselves. We have to think about other people, too." Of course, I felt like I had won the parenting award of the year. She had said this without any prompt from a conversation.

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The Great Tech Debate: Is Technology Good or Bad?

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The Great Tech Debate: Is Technology Good or Bad?

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The Great Tech Debate: Is Technology Good or Bad? | 7T - SevenTablets, Inc.

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There is a great ongoing debate over whether technology is good or bad, positive or negative. Our responsibility is to increase the benefits of technology.

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The Good and the Bad: What is Technology Doing for Our Kids?

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The Good and the Bad: What is Technology Doing for Our Kids?

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It's no secret that there are many beneficial uses for technology, especially considering how much of our life is now handled remotely. Children are now learning, socializing, and playing through a screen.

But too much screen time has been found to impact brain development, especially in younger children. When it comes to the never-ending tech debate, it can be easy to find yourself fighting for either side. So how do we balance the scale?

The Good

The learning opportunities are endless. Your child can attend school and meet with their class through web conferencing, right in the comfort of their own home. They can use apps and games to learn a new language.

They can learn to collaborate with others and build projects in a way that can help better prepare them for work in the real world someday. It also allows them to experience trial-and-error and problems solving while receiving feedback on their hard work.

It encourages quicker thinking. The growing use of technology during childhood development has been shown to re-wire how our brains think. In fact, it's been shown that the use of the internet has helped us scan information more rapidly, and this leads to more efficient synaptic thinking.

Technology can keep them occupied. While it's always best to encourage your child to play outside or with others, sometimes you've got work to do and need to keep them nearby and safely within your field of vision. There's no harm in letting your kids kick back with a few videos so you can get some work done, but the key here is moderation and clear set boundaries.

The Bad

Technology negatively impacts social skills. Most importantly, it can hinder the development of their communication skills. Instead of picking up on nonverbal cues, facial expressions, and body language, they are more likely to turn to texting because, frankly, that's what they have access to. This can affect their listening skills, eye contact, and even their sense of empathy.

Screen time is linked to poor sleep. Children who spend more time than others on technology have been shown to get less sleep. They take longer to fall asleep and end up clocking fewer hours. And to top it off, the sleep they do get tends to be shoddy quality. To keep your child's dreams happy, be sure to limit their screen time, especially before bed, and avoid tablet use in very young children altogether.

It comes with health risks. The more time spent online, the less active children tend to be. When your child opts for online games instead of running and playing outside, they are at a greater risk for weight gain and childhood obesity. These can lead to more serious health problems over time.

The Bottom Line

There are both good and bad sides to using technology, but it can greatly benefit your child's life as long as you don't let it become harmful. It's also an opportunity for you to set a good example for your child. Instead of mindless scrolling, use it for informative, educational purposes. Avoid screen time before bed. Consider placing limits or parental controls on how much time can be used on specific apps. And above all else, set guidelines to keep your child safe. Whether they're surfing, scrolling, or streaming, it's important that you keep an eye on their whereabouts and limit their tech-usage as needed. At the end of the day, the most important thing is finding balance.

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The Good and the Bad: What is Technology Doing for Our Kids?

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It's no secret that there are many beneficial uses for technology, especially considering how much of our life is now handled remotely. Children are now learning, socializing, and playing through a screen. But too much screen time has been found to impact brain development, especially in younger children.

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10 Reasons Why Exotic Pets Should Be Legal

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10 Reasons Why Exotic Pets Should Be Legal

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Should Owning Exotic Pets Be Legal?

This article presents 10 arguments in favor of exotic pet ownership. In my opinion, it should be legal to keep exotic pets for the following reasons:

1. The term "exotic" is completely subjective.

2. Exotic animals are not necessarily harder to care for than domestic ones.

3. The risk of zoonotic disease spread from exotic pets is misrepresented.

4. If they escaped, exotic pets would have the same type of invasive effect on the environment as regular pets would.

5. Exotic pet ownership generates niche jobs.

6. Exotic pets are mostly only 'dangerous' if they are large-just like other animals.

7. The black market is already illegal.

8. The right to own pets is as fundamental as it gets.

9. Exotic pets are just pets.

10. There are no good, reasonable arguments against owning them.

1. The Term "Exotic" Is Completely Subjective.

First of all, "exotic pet" is just a term that means "non-traditional or uncommon pet", and what constitutes such is completely subjective depending on the culture. In other words, for most Americans, all animals that aren't dogs, cats, or common farm animals. This includes some "domesticated" animals. The very fact that most existing arguments against exotic pets do not clarify this reveals that people are not engaging in a rational debate, rather, they are reacting to the presence of animals that make them uncomfortable due to lack of familiarity and their own ignorance.

Exotic pets, like all pets, have different needs, and when one argues that a certain pet is "too hard to for", they are just failing to realize that not all animals are suitable for every owner. Just as most people do not have the room for a horse, doesn't mean they should be banned as pets. The same logic applies to large exotic pets.

Exotic vs. Wild

Exotic pet = Uncommon pet

Wild animal = Animal that lives in the wild or is un-socialized (can be domesticated)

2. Exotic Animals Are Not Necessarily Harder to Care For Than Domestic Ones.

Many people place "domesticated" animals in the suitable pet category, and "exotic" or so-called wild animals in the "bad pet" category. But some exotic pets are easier to manage than some domesticated animals-including dogs and cats. Owners of working dogs love to talk about how the average owner can't handle their border collie, or 'high-drive' Belgian Malinois. Caring for feral cats is not unlike owning a wild cat from Africa, yet owning both is legal without question. No one seems to question the ethics of owning these domesticated animals, which could easily suffer if placed with the wrong owner. Improper husbandry is not an issue unique to "exotic pets".

3. The Risk of Zoonotic Disease Spread From Exotic Pets Is Misrepresented.

Monkey pox, an outbreak originating from imported African rodents in 2003, is the "go-to" example of disease that is often brought up by activists to prove the exotic pet trade can result in a deadly pandemic. Salmonella, prevalent in some reptiles (and to a lesser degree in even dogs and other mammals) is also frequently mentioned. Just like bad husbandry, capacity to spread disease is not an issue unique to exotic pets.

In fact, since traditional pets have far higher numbers, in many cases, they prove to be a bigger disease hazard. When it comes to lethal zoonotic diseases such as rabies, domesticated pets, notably cats, are the most common pet-type animal to contract it and spread it to humans. Unlike animals that actually come from the wild, exotic pets that have been captive-bred scarcely are associated with significant disease outbreaks.

4. If They Escaped, Exotic Pets Would Have the Same Type of Invasive Effect on the Environment as Regular Pets Would.

While the always-accepted domesticated pet species are not only what exotic pet owners are urged to acquire instead of their preferred choice, said species are causing the environmental problems that people theorize can occur with exotic pets to an extreme degree...and very few people seem to care or want to do anything about it.

Cats have a widespread invasive presence in the environment, from Maine to California, Hawaii to Alaska. Other prominent invaders are fish and plants that do not come from the pet trade. How many people are passionate about stopping the ornamental horticulture trade? Some exotic pets that happen to be more accepted are causing big problems, although their populations are restricted to small regions within the country.

It is incredibly rare for invasive populations of exotic mammals that have originated from the pet trade to form. The only established populations appear to all be in small parts of Florida. This just again shows that people concerned with exotic pets are biased against something they perceive as unusual, and therefore wrong.

5. Exotic Pet Ownership Generates Niche Jobs.

Many veterinarians and vet techs specialize in exotic pets. Numerous retail stores fulfill the exotic pet niche. Many individuals begin their animal-related and STEM careers as exotic pet owners and some develop interest in the cause of animal conservation. The exotic pet trade develops job opportunities, strengthens the economy, and shapes lives. It should be accommodated and appreciated just like any other hobby involving the natural world.

6. Exotic Pets Are Mostly Only 'Dangerous' if They Are Large-Just Like Other Animals.

Wild animals aren't dangerous. If they were, we wouldn't be able to leave our homes with all those squirrels and deer running around. Some animals are dangerous, of course, it just isn't an inherent trait of so-called exotic pets or wild animals. There are both dangerous exotic pets and dangerous conventional pets. Tigers, being a powerful cat weighing hundreds of pounds, are dangerous. Believe it or not, your average cat would be just as dangerous if it were the same size, maybe even more.

We need to stop labeling exotic pets as dangerous because it makes no sense and fuels blanket bans for all species, regardless of any valid evidence.

7. The Black Market Is Already Illegal.

Most species considered to be exotic are not majorly threatened by the pet trade. Most of those that are affected are declining due to habitat destruction. The few exotic pets that are threatened by the pet trade in modern times are collected and sold in their own country, or countries that are not the U.S. Most of these animals are birds and reptiles, which often are more accepted than exotic mammals. Many species have been impacted from unregulated collection in the past and while their populations might have sustained permanent damage, laws were put in place to prevent it from happening in the future.

As the illegal wildlife trade is illegal and being dealt with accordingly and effectively, this is not a strong argument to have blanket bans on all species, rather, each species should be assessed individually.

8. The Right to Own Pets Is as Fundamental as It Gets.

The idea of someone making it illegal to own a dog or cat seems unfathomable. It is irrefutable that the ownership of these species has problems, but no activist would dare try to ban the right to own them. They know they would be laughed out of the room, anyway.

Our culture recognizes the profound need for pets. Pets have been shown to lower blood pressure and increase longevity in humans. Pets may improve mental health for some people. The benefits of pets outweigh the negatives. That special pet that makes a positive difference in one's life might not be a dog. Some people gravitate towards exotic pet species instead of conventional ones (or both) but are denied in most states simply because that species is not popular. Banning someone's pet deer, fox, or kinkajou is no different from banning someone's cat, and it causes the same distress.

9. Exotic Pets Are Just Pets.

It's no surprise PETA is against owning exotic pets when they are against owning all pets, zoos, and the use of animal products. But how does hate for owning exotic pets spread to average people who aren't against barbecues, honey, and ice cream? Most people agree that the substandard conditions in battery farms needs to change; yet just banning the entire industry is not what most consider to be reasonable.

Such people are seething mad at the idea that someone wants to own a certain pet-and whether the pet's care needs improvement, or if it appears to be pampered-that doesn't stop them from declaring that exotic pet owners are selfish egomaniacs that need to have their pets taken from them. People need to see and understand that just because a pet happens to be an unusual species doesn't all of the sudden change its moral standing. Exotic pets aren't "special" or unsuitable for captivity, they generally just have different needs that can be met by some people.

10. There Are No Good, Reasonable Arguments Against Owning Them.

"Should people be taking these animals out of equatorial habitats so they can be pets? We're not crazy about that idea."
-Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesman Joe Lewandowski on the subject of allowing sloths and kangar

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10 Reasons Why Exotic Pets Should Be Legal

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This article presents 10 arguments in favor of exotic pet ownership. In my opinion, it should be legal to keep exotic pets for the following reasons: The term "exotic" is completely subjective. Exotic animals are not necessarily harder to care for than domestic ones. The risk of zoonotic disease spread from exotic pets is misrepresented.

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Wild Animals Aren't Pet's Let People Have Exotic Pets

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Wild Animals Aren't Pet's Let People Have Exotic Pets

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Wild Animals Aren't Pet's Let People Have Exotic Pets

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Cell Phones at School: Should They Be Allowed?

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You love your video games, but how much is too much? Find out in this article for kids.

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Video games can be a great recreational hobby. However, video game addiction can lead to several issues. The negative effects of video games include effects on our mind, body relationships, job performance, and more.
It is important to remember that video games are not inherently evil. Most of the negative effects of video games arise from excessive use and addiction. Here are ten negative effects of video games:

1. Dopamine addiction

2. Reduction in Motivation

3. Alexithymia and emotional suppression

4. Repetitive stress injuries and other health risks

5. Poor mental health

6. Relationship issues

7. Social disconnection

8. Exposure to toxic gaming environments

9. Poor academic or professional performance

10. Escapism and getting stuck in life

Let's explore each of these effects in more detail and look at how we can combat the negative effects of video games.

Learn more about a problematic relationship with gaming by taking the problematic gaming quiz below:

Dopamine Addiction

The reward circuitry in your brain is one of the reasons video games are fun. Your brain releases a neurotransmitter called dopamine, which regulates the feeling of pleasure from video games. When dopamine activity happens in the nucleus accumbens, the pleasure center of your brains, you feel joy.

When you play video games, your brain releases a constant dopamine supply, with occasional random bursts. Over time, your brain gets used to this steady supply of dopamine, and the nucleus accumbens requires even more dopamine release for gaming to feel fun. That prevents you from enjoying anything that is not as stimulating as a video game.

Even if you try to give up gaming, your mind will attract you to other forms of stimulation, such as browsing YouTube or scrolling through social media. Simple activities will seem completely unappealing, and you will not be motivated to do anything that isn't exciting. That is the height of dopamine addiction. If you let your gaming habit get out of control, this is a real possibility.

Negative Effects of Video Games on Motivation

Unlike the nucleus accumbens, we cannot map the triumph circuit onto the brain as easily. It does not localize to one part of the brain - it's just a general pattern of psychology and cognition integral to human beings.

The triumph circuit makes us feel good when we overcome a challenge. In evolutionary biology, there's a strong story about venturing into the unknown, finding something valuable, overcoming some kind of problem, and then bringing it back to society. That has shaped social psychology - we as human beings value people who overcome odds.

Video games have hacked this circuit. They have found a way to deliver all the psychological rewards that we often seek to gain from the real world. What we want from video games is often very similar to what we want from life. We want excitement, adventures, friendships, victories, and status. Games have found a way to serve that to us with little effort on our end. As a result, a person's ability to engage the triumph circuit suffers when they can just engage it with video games.

Negative Effects of Video Games on Emotions

When we experience fear, worry, shame, or other negative emotions, the amygdala becomes active. The amygdala is the part of that brain that governs these negative emotions. It is also integral to our learning circuitry since it creates connections to the hippocampus, the center for learning in our brain.

However, fMRI studies have shown that if we start to play video games when our amygdala is active, it calms down. The effects of this are two-fold:

Constant suppression of negative emotions can lead to a condition called alexithymia. If a person is alexithymic, then that means that they have trouble determining their internal emotional state. Alexithymic people find it hard to pinpoint the emotions that they are feeling. However, that does not mean that those emotions do not affect their behavior.

The amygdala is a core part of our learning circuitry. Painful experiences get imprinted onto our memory, and we learn from them. However, people find it hard to quit playing video games because their amygdala does not make connections with their hippocampus as smoothly. They don't learn from the painful experiences of not doing well in school or at work. Their learning circuitry gets sabotaged, and it becomes difficult for them to quit gaming.

Negative Health Effects of Video Games

Playing video games is not an unhealthy activity on its own. However, if done for hours on end, it can quickly become detrimental to one's physical health. Here are some health issues that can arise due to video game addiction.

Repetitive Stress Injuries

Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSIs) are relatively common among gamers. Gaming requires strenuous, repetitive motion on the hands and wrists (sometimes for hours on end). These motions can cause inflammation and injury. Here are some RSIs that you can develop from gaming:

Gamer's thumb is a nickname given to a condition called de Quervain's Tenosynovitis. It is a condition in which the tendons that move our thumb become inflamed, which leads to pain and limited movement.

Trigger finger, also known as Stenosing Tenosynovitis, is a condition in which a finger gets stuck in a bent position. It may bend or straighten with a snap, like a trigger being pulled or released, hence the name.

Tennis elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis) is also a potential RSI that you can develop by gaming too much. It is a painful condition in which the tendons in the elbow get overloaded, usually due to repetitive movement of the wrist and arms.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is another RSI that can be caused by gaming too much. Its characteristic symptoms are numbness, tingling, or weakness in the hand. It occurs due to pressure on the median nerve. This nerve runs from your forearm into your hand through a part of your wrist called the carpal tunnel.

Other Physical Health Issues

We all know the feeling of getting lost for hours in a game, often forgetting to eat, or snacking on unhealthy foods. It should not be a surprise then, that obesity and malnutrition are risk factors from gaming too much. There is also some preliminary evidence that excessively playing video games can lead to obesity in teens.

Eyestrain is a pervasive issue among gamers. Staring at a screen for hours on end. The eyes focus much differently on a video screen than any other flat surface, such as a notebook. It is less strenuous to stare at a notebook because the distance is constant, and the eyes know where to focus. However, on a video screen, the focus is continually changing, leading to eye fatigue. It becomes difficult for the eyes to focus on other objects, even after the gaming session is over.

A study done on Australian adolescents found that prolonged periods of sitting at a computer could alter their developing neuromusculoskeletal system. Posture problems are incredibly common among gamers. The body tries to obtain the least energy-demanding position when it finds itself in one spot for prolonged periods. As a result, rounded shoulders, head leaned forward, a curved lower back, and back and neck problems later in life are common among gamers.

Video Games Can Affect the Brain Negatively

Video games do not necessarily lead to mental health problems. However, you can be at high risk for video game addiction if you already suffer from depression, anxiety, or other mental illness. This is due to the way video games affect your brain.

A study that looked at the effect of gaming on mental health found that problematic gaming habits correlated with maladaptive coping strategies, negative emotions, low self-esteem, a preference for solitude, and poor school performance.

While one of the benefits of gaming is an increase in the ability to concentrate, excessive gaming may lead to the opposite. A study done on 3000 children and adolescents from 12 different schools in Singapore found a bidirectional causality in play between video games and attention deficit disorders. While excessive gaming could contribute to a lack of long-term concentration ability, it is also likely that children who already show signs of attention deficit disorders would be more attracted to video games, due to the variety of experiences they can provide.

Relationship Issues

Relationship issues resulting from playing too many video games is a common issue among gamers and their families. When people get too addicted to video games, they start to neglect other parts of their lives. The first parts to go are wholesome and supportive relationships with family, friends, and loved ones.

Relationships need work to maintain. They are like a plant - if you neglect one long enough, it will wither up and die. Relationships need to regular nurturing for them to grow or even maintain. However, when a person spends most of their time playing video games, there is almost no time left in the day to talk to friends and family, let alone pursue romantic relationships.

A healthy amount of gaming with friends and family can lead to stronger bonds. However, excessive gaming often results in isolation. Therefore, it is much more important to keep an eye on your relationships and see if they are moving down a path that you do not desire.

Social Disconnection

Social disconnection is a real problem in the gaming community. Out of all the negative effects of video games, this one is touted a lot. Though we play multiplayer games, we rarely end up connecting with the people in our games. Some communities are more conducive to authentic human interaction than others. However, those are the exception. Isolation can be extremely detrimental to your mental health. Evolution did not design human beings to be solitary creatures. We thrive in groups where can we can support each other.

An Iranian study done on second-grade students in 2009 found that individuals who were addicted to video games tended to have lower social skills than those who were not. Social interaction is a skill, and if you spend most of your time alone in your room, playing games, and not interacting with other people in real life, then that skill will deteriorate. That can lead to social anxiety, which makes the problem worse.

Toxic Environments

In our society, men are culturally only allowed to express one negative emotion: anger. If they express other negative emotions, such as shame or fear, they are seen as weak or overly sensitive. That makes men more susceptible to developing alexithymia, especially if they are addicted to video games.

Statistics on the gender breakdown on the internet say that it consists of about 54% males and 46% females, as of 2019. However, some spaces such as Twitch are male-dominated. That is a lot of people in the gaming community who might feel that anger is the only acceptable emotion they can express. Hence, it is no surprise that these communities are so toxic.

Some gaming communities are more toxic than others. A potential reason for that could be that some games are more competitive than others, and competition sometimes does not bring out the best in us.

Negative Effect of Video Games on Academic Performance

If you are addicted to gaming, then your academic and professional success is likely to suffer. People who play games excessively find it challenging to pay attention to their jobs or school. It is quite common to turn to video games when your performance in these areas suffers. Games turn into an escape when the responsibilities in your life feel overwhelming.

A cross-sectional and longitudinal study of adolescents in secondary school showed a negative association of screen time with school achievement one year later, independent of their physical activity, age, gender, and socio-economic status. It suggests a link between increased gaming and poor academic performance.

You can have a healthy gaming habit and still maintain excellent performance at school or work. But due to the way games affect your brain, it is much easier to lose yourself in the virtual world then to try to tackle hardships in the real world. For example, many children and teenagers start gaming because they find a community that does not judge them for their socio-economic background or physical appearance. They get attached to this community and start to become disinterested in their performance in school, which leads to their grades taking a hit.

Escapism and Being Stuck in Life

We know that video games provide a safe space for people to escape to when they do not feel equipped to deal with the problems in their life. However, sometimes this can become problematic. If video games prevent you from finding ways to deal with your issues, then that is an issue.

If you spend 10 hours a day playing video games, then there is a chance that you are not facing the problems in your life head-on. While it can be quite painful to do so, it is also one of the best ways to move forward. You don't have to quit video games. You can maintain a healthy balance by taking one step at a time to take back control of your life.

Conclusion

As you might have noticed, most of the negative effects of video games arise from excessive use. Even the health issues mentioned only become a problem when a person spends hours in one place playing video games.

While it may seem like video games can create a lot of problems, there are plenty of gamers that lead successful lives and still play video games. Moderate doses of gaming make all the difference between playing games for enjoyment and gaming controlling your life. If you can address the underlying issues that make you want to play video games for 10+ hours a day, you can take back control of your life.

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If you feel that your gaming habit is affecting your life, we can help. Sign up to work with a Healthy Gamer Coach, trained by Dr. Alok Kanojia himself. Healthy Gamer Coaches are gamers who have taken control of their life, and know exactly what you're going through.

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10 Negative Effects of Video Games | Healthy Gamer

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Video games can be a great recreational hobby. However, video game addiction can lead to several issues. The negative effects of video games include effects on our mind, body relationships, job performance, and more. It is important to remember that video games are not inherently evil.

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Video game addiction is different from other addictions such as alcoholism and substance abuse addictions. While video games can affect your brain, they do not have the same kind of effects as alcohol.

However, if you look at some of definitions of video game addiction, they are simply the description of alcoholism with the word "alcohol" substituted by "video games". This is a disservice to people who suffer from video game addictions, because their experience of the addiction is much different than an alcoholic's. Video game addiction is a behavioral addiction, which means it has different triggers, manifestations, and underlying causes.

The World Health Organization defined "gaming disorder", also referred to as video game addiction, in the 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) as:

1. A pattern of gaming behavior characterized by a lack of control over gaming.

2. Prioritizing gaming over other, more important activities.

3. Continuing to play games despite the occurrence of negative consequences.

In this article, we will explore the signs of video game addiction, how it affects your brain, and how you can start to overcome it.

Signs, Symptoms, and Causes of Video Game Addiction

One of the most common questions we get is: how much gaming is too much?

The simple answer is that if it causes a problem, then it is a problem. If the amount of time you spend gaming prevents you from doing the things that you need to do in life, then it is a problem.

You might ask yourself the following questions:

"If I finish a week of finals, and then play World of Warcraft for the whole weekend, do I have a gaming problem?"

"Is it bad if I play video games for 12 hours on Saturday and Sundays, after studying very hard the rest of the days of the week?"

It really depends on which stage of life you are in, and how much time you can afford to spend playing video games. For example, a 12-year-old child needs to focus on school, but if their grades are good, they are mentally and physically fit, and they have healthy relationships with family and friends, then they can afford to spend time playing video games.

Some people might prefer to play video games for only an hour every day, while others might not play the entire week and then play a lot over the weekend. Every individual gamer has different preferences.
In this video, Dr. K talks about recognizing video game addiction.
Here are some of the common signs of video game addiction.

Preoccupation with video games.

Being unable to stop playing video games when needed.

Being unable to cut back on time spent playing games.

Prioritizing gaming over other parts of your life.

Problems with daily functioning.

Compromised physical or mental health.

Deteriorating relationships as a result of too much gaming.

Inability to move forward in life due to time spent gaming.

Click here to read more about the Signs of Video Game Addiction
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Stages of Video Game Addiction

Video game addiction typically presents itself in three stages:

You play video games for several hours and have fun.

You play video games for several hours, but you don't have as much fun. They still help you improve your mood.

You play video games for several hours, but they are neither fun nor do they improve your mood.

Recognizing the three stages of video game addiction is important because it informs the kind of steps you need to take in order to overcome your gaming habit.
Click here to read more about the Stages of Video Game Addiction
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Are Video Games Addictive?

Video games are designed to be addictive. However, even though the problems that video games create are getting worse, they do NOT create a biological dependence. Therefore, they are fundamentally different from other addictions.

Video games are addictive because:

They stimulate our brain's pleasure centers and cause the secretion of dopamine.

Games engage the Triumph Circuit in our brain and allow us to feel challenged and victorious.

Video games suppress negative emotions, and they become an excellent way to cope with negative emotions and therefore result in dependency.

Click here to learn about if Video Games are Addictive
Video Game Addiction Statistics

Video game addiction is a rapidly growing problem that most experts do not understand very well.

There are about 2.5 billion active gamers all around the globe. Minecraft, the blocky sandbox adventure game, dominates the market with 480 million registered accounts and 126 million monthly players as of May 2020.

In a study conducted on adults in the US, UK, Canada, and Germany, researchers found that 0.3% to 1% of the general population fit the criteria for an Internet Gaming Disorder diagnosis.

A national survey of "internet addiction" was carried out in Japan, and the samples that exhibited signs of IGD ranged from 0.7% to 27.5%.

Another study done on gamers from Norway found that 1.% of the sample could be classified as addicted gamers, while 7.3% of the sample were problem gamers.

Learn more Video Game Addiction Statistics here
Why do People Start Playing Video Games?

Many gamers start playing video games at a young age. This is not a coincidence, a fair number of gamers start playing video games to escape from problems that they face in real life. Some of these problems are:

Being bullied at school

Not being challenged enough at school

Low self-esteem and self-worth

Living in an abusive household

Lack of guidance around coping with negative emotions

Having special needs

For example, when a child gets bullied at school, they have to go back the next day and face the bully again. They do not have any control over that. However, in the online world, if someone is mean to you, you can simply choose to not talk to them.

In online gaming, nobody knows how you look, whether you are rich or poor, what you wear, etc. You are judged on the basis of your skill at the game. Quite often, these can lead to authentic relationships that are not superficial.

Moreover, on the internet, you get to pick friends that share your interests. You can find these people in online groups much more easily than in real life. There are many fifteen-year-olds who play games online and talk about philosophy. They talk about their hopes and dreams. The connections that we form online are authentic.

As a result, gaming is not just an activity that people engage in to have fun. It is also about the communities that we participate in, online.

How Does Video Game Addiction Affect the Brain?

Dopamine Exhaustion

Dopamine is the primary neurotransmitter that regulates pleasure in the brain. When dopamine activity happens in the part of the brain called the nucleus accumbens, we feel pleasure - it is the pleasure center of our brain.

If you have never had caffeine before, the first cup of caffeine that you ever have in your life is going to make you completely wired. However, over time your body develops a tolerance to that caffeine. As a result, if you don't have caffeine, you feel really tired. Moreover, if you have caffeine, it will not actually hype you up - it will just make you feel normal.

Similarly, video games release a constant stream of dopamine, and in response, the brain down-regulates that dopamine response. People who play video games a lot tend to not have fun when they're playing video games. However, if they stop playing games, they just don't feel normal.

This process also makes gamers have difficulty finding pleasure from other activities. If a gamer is unable to enjoy books, it might be because their dopamine circuits have been so down-regulated because of the consistency and intensity of dopamine release from gaming. As a result, gamers find it difficult to enjoy things that other people enjoy.

Triumph Circuit

The triumph circuit is different from the dopamine circuit. It is not as easily mappable onto the brain. It does not localize to one part of the brain - it is a general pattern of psychology and cognition that is important to all human beings. The triumph circuit is the part of our brain that makes us feel good when we overcome a challenge.

Games are addictive because we experience a challenge that is followed by achievement. When a gamer beats a difficult boss in a video game, they feel amazing. Where does that rush come from? Why do human beings relish a challenge followed by success?

The answer lies in evolutionary biology. There is a strong narrative of going out into the unknown, overcoming an obstacle, and coming back with a reward. This pattern is wired in our circuitry - that is why, as a society, we value people who accomplish difficult things.

Video games have done a great job of hacking into this circuit. In fact, they strive to strike the balance between being challenging enough to feel like you accomplished something and being easy enough to not create frustration. That is the sweet spot where games are the most engaging, and it is because of the Triumph circuit.

However, the Triumph circuit was originally designed to motivate us to achieve difficult things in life. It was not meant to be exploited in the way video games have. Video games give gamers the feeling of achieving something and feeling triumphant by activating the triumph circuit. The downside of this is that gamers who are addicted to video games no longer need to solve real-world problems to feel triumphant. As a result, they get stuck - it robs them of their motivation to move forward in life.

Suppressing Negative Emotions

Video games suppress negative emotions. The amygdala is the part of the brain that governs our feeling of negative emotions. However, fMRI studies have shown that if we start to play video games when our amygdala is active and we're experiencing fear, anger, frustration, sadness, or any other negative emotion, then our amygdala starts to calm down. Our emotions get suppressed. That is why gaming is such a good coping mechanism.

The learning circuitry of the brain (located in the hippocampus) is closely related to the negative emotion circuitry. In fact, that is why pain is such a good teacher. If a five-year-old touches a hot stove, they get burned and learn to never touch it again. We learn from pain and try to avoid it in the future.

Since video games suppress the amygdala, they also suppress the amygdala's capability to access the hippocampus. As a result, gamers have a hard time learning from their mistakes. That is one of the main reasons why they cannot stop playing video games. Their amygdala's ability to access the hippocampus and teach them something gets compromised.

Does Video Game Addiction Affect Gamers' Problem Solving Capability?

Gamers are very good problem-solvers. However, there are two types of problem-solving: open-ended and close-ended.

Video games give us particular objectives and certain tools or assets to achieve them. For example, in an RPG, a character has certain abilities. In a sports game, we are given a team of players. The game forces you to figure out how to use those abilities or that team of people to accomplish a certain objective. The game also enforces some rules, and you have to use that set of rules to achieve those objectives.

So when gamers are given the task of getting from point 'A' to point 'Z', they can do it very easily. If they have a problem, an objective, and a set of tools, then they can reach their goal.

However, when our brain spends a lot of time playing video games, it starts to optimize for working within that close-ended framework. That is why gamers have trouble with abstract ideas, such as "becoming healthy" or "gaining financial independence" or "losing weight" because those abstractions do not exist in video games.

The solution to that is to operationalize those problems. For example, if you wanted to operationalize the task of gaining financial independence, you would break it down into creating a bank account, earning enough money to pay rent, and finding a place to live.

Gamers have trouble operationalizing tasks because games tend to do that for them. They are good at putting the pieces together, but they struggle with figuring out what the pieces are. As a result, gamers often come to the conclusion that they are lazy.
Click here to read more about whether video games make you lazy
Other Resources
Do Video Games Make You Smarter? Why Do Video Games Make You Angry? 10 Negative Effects of Video Games
How Does Video Game Addiction Affect Mental Health?

The media often talks about how video games have a negative effect on mental health. Gaming seems to result in people becoming anxious, depressed, angry, or even violent. While that may be the narrative pushed by the mainstream, it does not paint an entirely accurate picture.

Video games are not bad by nature. They do not necessarily cause anxiety or depression. However, video game addiction can certainly make these issues worse.

Other Resources
Video Games and Mental Health Video Game Addiction and Depression
How to Stop Playing Video Games

There are three primary ways to stop gaming:

Quitting gaming instantly.

Slowly reduce the amount of time you spend gaming.

Find a competing interest that pulls you away from video games.

Simply putting an end to your gaming habit will not necessarily fix your life. However, you have a better chance of having a healthy relationship with video games if you figure out why you play video games
Click here to learn strategies to stop playing video games
Find A Competing Interest

A competing interest is something that you care about and want to do, that is not related to gaming. Even though wanting to get a job, move out of your parent's house, and move forward in life are admirable goals, they are not competing interests.

While they are things that you want, they don't drive you to change your behavior - they are just desires. Desires and motivators are very different things.

A competing interest puts a cost on your gaming. Every minute you spend gaming is a minute not spent working on your competing interest. It's hard to stop gaming because you do not lose anything you care about by playing video games. A competing interest solves this problem and is probably the most effective video game addiction treatment.
Click here to learn about overcoming video game addiction using a competing interest
Other Resources
12 Alternative Hobbies to Video Games Healthy Gamer Coaching
Helping A Child With Video Game Addiction

The first step a parent should take is to disarm their child by talking to them. When you speak to your child about their gaming habit, the first thing that will pop into their mind is that you will take away their video games.

That thought will make them defensive, and anything they say will come from the mindset of "them + their video games vs. you."

Therefore, you need to get on their team. Try to explain to your child, "I want to talk to you. I'm not saying that we're going to make any changes. First, just help me understand."

The most important thing when trying to help your child gain control of their gaming habit is to communicate to them that you care and that you are on their team. Take an active role in helping them understand what video games do for them. Help them realize how other activities can be just as engaging. That is one of the best answers to how to break a child's video game addiction.
In this video, Dr. K talks about why its so hard to quit playing video games.
Does Video Game Addiction Cause Bad Behaviour in Children?

Plenty of parents are concerned about their resident gamer. There is a growing sense among parents that when their child gets engrossed in their video game, their behavior completely changes.

If children are addicted to video games, they become very confrontational and defensive about their gaming habits. They feel like they have to protect themselves and their games, which puts you and your child on different teams.

Due to the societal and cultural influences, anger is the only emotion boys feel allowed to express. That gets exacerbated by alexithymia, as all other negative emotions get suppressed, and rage is the only emotion that finds its way out.

Moreover, children may act out when they feel threatened that their parents might take away their video games. They might get defensive, angry, and start to disobey and disrespect their parents. This behavior comes from fear, but due to alexithymia, they don't know how to communicate this fear without expressing anger.
Click here to learn about how video game addiction causes bad behavior in children
Alternative Hobbies to Video Games

One of the biggest obstacles that parents run into when trying to get their child to stop playing video games is when they say, "No gaming for a week. Read this book instead" or something along those lines.

Nobody in that relationship understands that the child cannot enjoy and engage with that book - they just don't have the capacity to do that, not in the way that we do.

As a parent, you have to understand that when you give your child a small alternative to gaming, they will not be able to enjoy it. You have to pull them away from video games in a significant manner to get them to have a healthy dopamine-functioning brain.

Art, dance, or music lessons

Nature activities such as whitewater rafting or hiking

Martial arts

Learning to code

Internships at startups

Competitive Sports

Boy Scouts/Eagle Scouts

Volunteering

Tutoring

Learning creative art forms

Playing the stock market with phantom portfolios or small amounts of money

Roller coasters

To break a child's video game addiction, you need to give them a hard but engaging task. That is due to how video games affect the triumph circuit in our minds. Triumph requires adversity, so your child will be the most responsive to activities that are challenging, yet fun.
Click here to learn about why these hobbies can replace video games.
Other Resources
How to Detox Your Child from Video Games Healthy Gamer Action Plan
Mental Health Resources for Video Game Addiction
Healthy Gamer Coaching
Healthy Gamer Videos on Video Game Addiction
Video Game Addiction Playlist Interview with a Video Game Addict Father and Son Talk about Gaming

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Video Game Addiction: The Comprehensive Guide | Healthy Gamer

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Video game addiction is different from other addictions such as alcoholism and substance abuse addictions. While video games can affect your brain, they do not have the same kind of effects as alcohol. However, if you look at some of definitions of video game addiction, they are simply the description of alcoholism with the word "alcohol" substituted by "video games".

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The Video Games Your Child Plays Has an Effect on Their Behavior

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The Video Games Your Child Plays Has an Effect on Their Behavior

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With in-person activities for kids on hold a lot during the past year, video games have taken the place of ways for kids to connect while being socially distanced. Is this a good thing? Well, that depends.

Video gaming has become a popular activity for people of all ages since the 1980s. Many kids spend large amounts of time playing them, although the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends kids have more than two hours total of screen time a day. Video gaming is a multi-billion dollar industry, and video games have become very sophisticated and realistic. There are multi-player games, which allow kids to play with their friends across different platforms. However, there's always the possibility that kids can connect with not-so-friendly people out there, too.

While some games have educational content, many of the most popular games emphasize negative themes. They promote the killings in war-like scenarios, sometimes criminal behavior, disrespect for the law and other authority figures, sexual exploitation or violence towards women, racial, sexual and gender stereotypes, and foul language and obscene gestures. Examples of video games not acceptable for children because they have these themes include Grand Theft Auto, Call of Duty, and Mortal Kombat.

There is growing research on the effects of video games on children. Studies of children exposed to violence have shown that they can become immune or numb to violence, imitate the violence they see and show more aggressive behavior with greater exposure to violence. Studies have also shown that the more realistic and repeated the exposure to violence, the greater the impact on children. Kids can become overly involved and even obsessed with video games, which I've been seeing a lot lately, especially in kids who are doing only online learning.

I have parents often asking me how to get their kids off of video games and back onto their classwork. Unfortunately, I don't have any special tricks. But the best thing is to have them do their classwork where you can see them and know what they are doing. Also, check their grades frequently. And if you see a lot of missing assignments, then it's time to limit the video games until school is caught up. Too much video game can lead to poor social skills, time away from family, school work and other hobbies, lower grades, reading less, exercising less, becoming overweight, and having aggressive thoughts and behaviors. I can say that I have definitely seen and heard from parents that decrease grades and increase weight have been directly correlated to kids staying inside and playing video games over the past year.

So how can you, as a parent, protect your child against these types of video games? First, you can check the Entertainment Software Rating Board ratings to learn about the game's content. Every video game will actually have a label on the front to tell you what type of game it is. If it says M for mature, it's not for your child. Our kids have their system set up so they can't purchase a game, even if it's free, without me getting a notification. They're usually pretty good about saying, "Hey Mom, can I get this game so I can play with my friends?" And if it's not one I approve of, they know it's a hard no. We also have it set up in the living room so I know exactly how much time they're playing, what they're playing, and who they're playing with if it's on a group chat.

You can also play the video games with your child to experience the game's content and know exactly what your child is playing. Set clear rules about the game's content for both playing time in and outside of your home. Like if they go to a friend's house. Strongly warn your children about the potential serious dangers of Internet contacts and relationships while playing online. It's sad, but there are a lot of online predators that will look for children specifically playing video games and can lead them into them meeting in real life. Finally, remember that you are a role model for your child. Make sure the video games you play as an adult are ones you would be okay with your child playing.

If you are concerned as a parent that your child is spending too much time playing video games or your child starts becoming obsessed with aggressive or violent video games, make sure you set some limits. Expect some push back because you're going to get it. But kids actually need and want boundaries, and if you set them, eventually they'll surprise you and they'll appreciate that you do monitor them and that you do set limits. I was floored when both of my boys told me that at different times over the past year, that they approved the limits and the monitoring because they know that it's because of what we prioritize in our house and what our family expectations are.

By being aware of what games are out there, who your child is playing with, and what they care playing, and how long they are playing, you can help your child make appropriate decisions about gaming. Video games are a great outlet for some kids, and it helps them connect with their friends when they can't always play in person or when they're older and play dates aren't cool anymore. Most important thing as a parent is to be aware of what your child is doing while gaming and help reinforce positive behaviors and socialization without giving in to excessive gaming time and inappropriate content.

updated: August 9, 2021
originally published: April 6, 2016

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The Video Games Your Child Plays Has an Effect on Their Behavior

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More and more research is emerging with evidence of the negative effects violent video games have on children. The most popular video games are also some of the most violent, and pediatrician Dr. Cindy Gellner speaks about the numerous effects they have on kids.

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Should Kids Have Cell Phones? Experts Pick Sides

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Should Kids Have Cell Phones? Experts Pick Sides

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IBPA - International Bullying Prevention Association

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Should Kids Have Cell Phones? Experts Pick Sides

Becoming too connected used to be an issue kids had with stuffed animals and pacifiers. Now it's a matter of smart phones and tablets. And whether this is a positive development remains to be seen.

Sure, growing up in the technology age has its fair share of benefits: instant access to endless educational possibilities and preparation for the jobs of the future, just to name a couple. But it also exposes young people to a host of issues far less benign than anything even the Velveteen Rabbit could throw at you. From radiation exposure and childhood obesity to cyberbullying and sex crimes, kids these days must run a gauntlet of technological issues in order to get into a good college, earn a decent wage and ultimately lead a happy, healthy, prosperous life.

Among the important decisions parents must therefore make - along with screen-time limits and whether to monitor social media - is when to give a child his or her own cell phone. Is there an ideal age? What parental rules and restrictions should accompany the privilege? And, perhaps most importantly, should phones be allowed at school?

Researchers from the London School of Economics found that students in high schools with cell-phone bans received about a week's worth of additional education each year and scored over 6% better on standardized tests. But how far can we extrapolate such findings, both in terms of younger children and beyond school grounds?

For additional insight that may help guide parents, we posed one simple question - "should kids have cell phones?" - to a panel of leading experts in the fields of education, family studies and technology. You can check out their bios and responses below. And if you'd like to join the discussion, you can share your thoughts in the comments section at the end of the page.

Why Kids Should Not Have Cell Phones
Highlights:

"Infants, toddlers and preschoolers should not have cell phones. The argument has a few simple points - cell phones are expensive, screen time is bad for kids this age, and the kids don't know what to do with the phones."
Ross Hunter // Director, Washington State Department of Early Learning

"There are several reasons why kids should not have cell phones. Kids with cell phones are likely to spend too much time on them, keeping them from doing more productive things like exercising and reading. There is increasing evidence of addiction to electronic devices, which like any other kind of addiction is destructive. Many kids with cell phones lose sleep because of talking at night or because of being anxious that they do not miss a call, and as a result suffer from headaches and sleepiness during the day, which interferes with learning at school."
David O. Carpenter // Director, Institute for Health and the Environment & Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, University at Albany

"Kids should not have cell phones. I may be alone on this, but I don't see a real need for them, and I certainly don't see the benefits for young children. I actually know of a five-year-old child who owns a cell phone. Children's excessive use of cell phones can lead to issues with both health and safety."
Georgia S. Thompson // Vice President of the Programs and Affiliate Network, National Black Child Development Institute

"We go to great lengths to protect the child brain with car seats and bike helmets, yet we are exposing them now to an agent that many governments control/ban/restrict. Due to their thinner skulls and unique physiology, children can receive twice as much radiation into their brain and up to ten times as much into their skull compared at an adult. Children's developing brains are the most vulnerable."
Theodora Scarato // Clinical Social Worker & Director of Public Affairs and Educational Programs, Environmental Health Trust
Why Kids Should Have Cell Phones
Highlights:

"As digital natives, many kids begin using technology at a very young age. Having a cell phone seems to be a natural extension of that. Does that mean a kindergarten student should have one? No. Does it mean it should be automatically ruled out? No. Rather than simply answering no or yes to a child having a cell phone, one must consider the purpose for having it. As kids and society become more technologically savvy, the answer will often be yes, a cell phone will be a benefit for the child."
Jan Urbanski - Director of Safe and Humane Schools in the Institute on Family & Neighborhood Life at Clemson University

"I think age 9 is a good time for a cell phone-the student is in the 3rd or 4th grade and they are learning about the world. However, it is key for students to be given training around using a cell phone. For example, students should know about turning on/off the cell phone in school as well as lowering or muting the volume of the ringer during classes."
Beth Rosenberg // Director, Tech Kids Unlimited

"The real issue is not a question of yes or not but instead one of how. In other words, what we should be focusing on is whether young people are using cell phones responsibly and judiciously and how well we are teaching them to do both."
Robert Crosnoe // Chair of the Department of Sociology, University of Texas at Austin & President-Elect, Society for Research on Adolescence
Why It's a Situational Decision
Highlights:

"If the question were whether teens should have cell phones, I would answer yes in most circumstances. However, children are receiving cell phones at younger and younger ages, and I am not a fan of elementary school children owning cell phones. While there is not a magic age or a one-size-fits-all for when a child is ready for a cell phone, there is often little reason to rush toward ownership. While children may very well need access to technology at school, there are a variety of devices (tablets, for example) that can allow internet access without opening a young child up to the continued distraction and pressure to be 'always available,' which is what cell phone ownership often demands."
Patti Agatston // President, International Bullying Prevention Association & Co-author, "Cyber Bullying: Bullying in the Digital Age"

"To answer this question, I consulted a 16-year-old who uses her phone extensively for texting and social media. I expected a resounding "yes" from her, but her first reaction was "No, it's too distracting and addictive." But then she began to think of the positive uses - ability to reach parents easily, consulting with friends about homework, etc. - and she concluded that it's a complicated question. I agree. The answer varies by the age of children and their needs."
Joan W. Almon // Co-founder and Director of Programs, Alliance for Childhood

"It depends on a multitude of factors. For example, how old is the child? A two-year-old does not need a cell phone, but a six-year-old might. So now ask yourself why does the child need a phone? If s/he is a child that is left alone often either at home or at series of scheduled practices/events, having such a tool can be quite handy for the family as well as make everyone feel safe. If having a phone is simply a fashion, social, or economic statement, I would say no."
Christopher P. Brown // Professor of Education, University of Texas at Austin

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Should Kids Have Cell Phones? Experts Pick Sides - IBPA - International Bullying Prevention Association

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Should Kids Have Cell Phones? Experts Pick Sides Becoming too connected used to be an issue kids had with stuffed animals and pacifiers. Now it's a matter of smart phones and tablets. And whether this is a positive development remains to be seen.

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Children and Cell Phones: Weighing the Risks and Benefits

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Children and Cell Phones: Weighing the Risks and Benefits

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We live in a world full of technology and, for many of us, our children understand it better than we do. Parents may feel pressured by their children to provide them with a cell phone at an early age, but aren't sure when children are actually ready for this responsibility.

When is the right time for your child to get their first cell phone?

In short, there is no good answer to that question. Many parents will begin to think about providing their child with a phone during the middle school years, when kids are more likely to be involved in after school activities and more likely to be home alone. According to a Nielsen report released in February 2017, approximately 45 percent of U.S. children between the ages of 10-12 had their own smartphone with a service plan.

Consider the Benefits

The ability to communicate in emergency situations. Many families don't have home phones and public pay phones are a thing of the past.

Opportunities for social contact with peers - texting, use of social media and (less likely) actually talking on the phone.

Ability to gain immediate knowledge for personal or academic use - even in elementary school it's hard to do school work without electronic access to apps, web research and Google docs.

Entertainment - What kid doesn't want to spend hours watching people do silly things on YouTube?

Explore the Risks
Is your child responsible enough to carry a cell phone? If they often can't find their shoes or homework, should you really provide them with an expensive phone?

What about the impact on health? The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released information about exposure to radiation from cell phone usage. Risks of media in general include obesity (due to sedentary screen time), decreased sleep and distractibility contributing to poorer academic performance (because YouTube is more interesting than math).

What can go wrong socially? Thinking about your child's maturity level and ability to recognize social cues is important.

Do they understand that repeatedly texting a friend with no response from the friend could be considered annoying?

Are they aware that anything they post on social media accounts can be used against them in the future (see many examples from athletes, politicians and celebrities who thought their past was behind them)?

Research has suggested that children in the third through fifth grade who owned a cell phone were particularly vulnerable to cyberbullying and that they had been cyberbullies themselves.

According to the AAP it is estimated that 12 percent of 10-19 year old youth have sent a sexual photo to someone else.

The Bottom Line
In general, setting guidelines and limits up front is their (and our) best opportunity for success. Here are some ideas:

Limit the amount of time spent on the phone.

Experts suggest no screens for at least one hour before bedtime, so consider having your child turn in their phone in the evening. Remove your child's phone from their room at night so the temptation of a late night "hello" or, worse, with friends, is not there.

Create a distraction-free homework time where cell phones are put away.

Consider "phone free" meals or family times during the day (yes, that means you too, parents!) to promote communication and relationship building.

Require children provide parents with cell phone, email and social media passwords.

Do random checks of text messages and other phone content.

Consider using parental controls on the phone and apps.

Be your child's social media friend to keep tabs on what they are posting.

Educate yourself on the latest apps.

Be honest and let them know you will be holding them accountable from the beginning so that there are no surprises.

Communicate openly with your child about the risks of cell phone usage.

Help them understand safe websites, recognize cyberbullying and the risks of chat rooms and communication with "friends" you've never met before.

Promote open communication and questions by actively listening, withholding judgement and corrections and allowing them autonomy to problem solve when appropriate.

Consider developing a Family Media Use Plan. Use the tool www.HealthyChildren.org/MediaUsePlan as a starting point.

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Children and Cell Phones: Weighing the Risks and Benefits

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We live in a world full of technology and, for many of us, our children understand it better than we do. Parents may feel pressured by their children to provide them with a cell phone at an early age, but aren't sure when children are actually ready for this responsibility.

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Should you let your kids have a cellphone in school?

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Should you let your kids have a cellphone in school?

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Should you let your kids have a cellphone in school?

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Digital device policies are all over the map in U.S. schools. Parents and teachers are divided on whether to curb or ban phone use on school grounds.

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OPINION: Parents, teachers must help students use cell phones in healthier ways

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OPINION: Parents, teachers must help students use cell phones in healthier ways

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Kim Brent / The Enterprise

In her guest column in The Enterprise this past week, Beaumont ISD Superintendent Shannon Allen admitted something that many teachers and administrators probably agree with:

"I can honestly (say) that I think everything in school would be better if cell phones disappeared," Dr. Allen wrote, "for no other reason than the distractions associated with the negative side effects of having them. An enormous amount of time and effort is spent by campus administration combating the effects of students' addiction to their devices."

Her sentiment is understandable, but as Dr. Allen and everyone else knows, cell phones aren't going anywhere. In fact, they have become the single most important device for many people, replacing their camera, calendar, watch, etc. That group of people includes children and teenagers too. Many of them handle most of their social life on their phones.

That's understandable, because the phones are so amazing and there are so many social media platforms for them to use. But as many parents would undoubtedly agree, supervising a student's use of a cellphone has become a real challenge. Kids can spend too much time on their phones, and during the school year, that can detract from their learning.

As Dr. Allen noted in her column, cell phones have contributed to the spread of disinformation and videos of fighting. "Our community and others across the nation," she said, "have seen a recent spike in student misconduct, including vandalism and fighting encouraged by social media and TikTok challenges."

That's not good for students in Beaumont, or any district. And the same problems discussed by Dr. Allen apply to other school districts in the region, from the larger ones to the smaller.

Since turning back the clock is not an option, parents and teachers should be prepared to take some basic steps to minimize this problem.

At home, parents should limit their children's screen time and monitor their social media platforms. There's a lot of X-rated stuff in cyberspace that's completely inappropriate for children and teens. Parents can oversee this by activating the privacy settings and parental controls on their child's phones, as Dr. Allen and other experts have advised.

Schools can and should take a harder line on phone use. When a child is in class, that phone must be off. If it isn't, it may need to be confiscated by the teacher - and held until the parent pays a fee to get it returned. If that happens once or twice, the temptation to repeat that problem goes down considerably.

Schools should designate times and places where phone use is OK, such as during lunch hours. Even then, phone use should be limited. Some children - like some adults - can't pry themselves away from their phone once they start looking at it. They need firm guidelines to avoid wasting too much of their life staring at that small screen.

During a school year, homework and extracurricular activities fill a lot of the spare time for many students. Excessive cell phone use will interfere, causing lower grades and less participation in sports or clubs.

Again, cell phones are mesmerizing. They can bring us to worlds we could never visit otherwise and open our minds to places and ideas that were once beyond our reach. But as wonderful as they are, they aren't a substitute for real life, and certainly not complex human interactions with friends and classmates. Our schools should help their students learn how to handle these devices in ways that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.

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OPINION: Parents, teachers must help students use cell phones in healthier ways

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In her guest column in The Enterprise this past week, Beaumont ISD Superintendent Shannon Allen admitted something that many teachers and administrators probably agree with: "I can honestly (say) that I think everything in school would be better if cell phones disappeared," Dr. Allen wrote, "for no other reason than the distractions associated with the negative side effects of having them.

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Former Teacher says cell phones cause problems in school, parents would be 'horrified'

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Former Teacher says cell phones cause problems in school, parents would be 'horrified'

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Former Teacher says cell phones cause problems in school, parents would be 'horrified'

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Baltimore County (WBFF) - A former teacher says cells phones are causing serious problems in classrooms, and it’s time for the local school systems to crack down. Marcella Dimarco spent nearly seven years as a substitute teacher in Baltimore County Schools. As a substitute, Dimarco says she worked in about 15 county schools before she left in 2016.

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Newsela | A modern-day dilemma: At what age should phones be allowed in school?

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Newsela | Instructional Content Platform

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Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

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Newsela | Skunks! Dragons! Sugar gliders! Store caters to folks who want strange pets

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There is not a huge demand for pet skunks, but some people want one. So a small pet store sells them, along with dragons, rats and other unusual creatures that big stores don’t bother with.

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Newsela | Instructional Content Platform

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Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.