Do you scroll Facebook while watching television? Or listen to music while typing a research paper? Play a game on your smartphone as you listen to an audiobook? According to a new study, you may be hurting your memory and attention span. Media multitasking– consuming more than one source of media at a time– […]
Research links media multitasking to distractibility Read More »
Did you know the average person spends almost 3 hours a day on their smartphone? That’s about 20 hours a week– the equivalent of a part time job! Here are three reasons to take a well-deserved vacation from your smartphone. 1.Your brain needs quiet A growing body of research shows that downtime is essential
If you feel a little blue today, too much time on social media may be the culprit. A study published by the Public Library of Science found logging into Facebook predicts a decline in subjective well-being. In other words, Facebook is a mood killer. Researchers texted the study’s participants five times a day for two
Some people rant and rave online, but have a hard time standing up for themselves in person. Some people create shiny social media profiles that omit the gritty side of life. Some people make intimate confessions online they could never bring themselves to say out loud. No matter your style, if the discrepancy between your
“He was hooked on porn for eight years. Then he learned to fish.” Thus begins a Washington Post account of a pornography addict, Dave Barnette, looking for support, self-mastery, and new meaning in life as he struggled to rid his life of so-called adult entertainment. The article (which you can read in full
Researchers from the University of Copenhagen say we’d all be better off if we quit Facebook. The study, published on the Happiness Research Institute’s website, followed over a thousand people. These individuals were surveyed about their social media use and well-being– a social science term for life satisfaction and mood. *Almost all (94%) of
A recent study suggests taking some tech-free time may improve tweens’ ability to recognize emotional cues from others. The study, published in the academic journal “Computers in Human Behavior,” tested two classes of sixth graders (aged 11, 12, and 13 years old) on their ability to recognize nonverbal emotional cues. This was done by asking
Unplugging may improve social skills, study suggests Read More »
Melinda Gates helped invent Microsoft Publisher and Expedia. You’d think she would be well prepared to help her kids navigate technology. Bill and Melinda Gates are undoubtedly wonderful parents. But, according the Washington Post editorial Melinda penned titled, “I spent my career in technology, I wasn’t prepared for its effect on my kids,” she
As the number of mobile devices per household grows, doctors and researchers are increasingly worried about the effect of screen time on our health. Based on the latest research, here are three easy screen rules your family can follow to be healthier. 1) Put smartphones to bed– in the living room Between the blue
3 Screen rules that will make your family healthier Read More »
Think you can fire on all cylinders with your smartphone out? Think again. A new study suggests simply your smartphone’s presence drains your brain power. Researchers recruited 520 undergraduate students and randomly assigned them to one of three groups. One group was asked to leave all their belongings outside the lab. The students in
