technology

Put the iPhone down and talk to your Kids!

The recent SMH article outlining author Mem Fox's genuine concern about the increasing use of technology as a replacement for parental interaction with their kids was spot-on, and should raise alarm bells - but will it? I know I'm not Gen X, Y or Z - happy to admit I am a Baby Boomer - [...]

Technology no substitute for reading time

Leading children's author Mem Fox finds it ''heartbreaking'' to see small children left alone with smartphones and tablets to entertain themselves, saying an increasing reliance on technology to teach children how to read could inhibit their empathy and social skills. Fox said parents must keep reading books - either paper or ebooks - with their [...]

Adaptability is Essential for the Future

The world is changing in front of our eyes.   Globalisation and the impact of technology means that, in many ways, the world of today is barely recognizable to that of twenty or thirty years ago.   This is particularly true of the workplace. We’ve long been aware of the concept of offshoring the work [...]

Limit teens’ web access to two hours a day, parents told

Teenagers should spend no more than two hours on the internet each day, doctors warned as they advised parents to remove laptops and gadgets from their children’s bedrooms. Many mothers and fathers remain “clueless” about the impact excessive media exposure can have on their children and need to “get with it”, it was suggested. Dr [...]

Why technology needs to be out of bedrooms

I have recently returned from a trip to Africa. In the weeks leading up to my trip I was often asked, “Why would you go to Africa to talk on technology?” Because the world is truly a global village! I have seen it with my own eyes.   Other than perhaps extremely remote areas, almost [...]

The one week TV ban

This time a few weeks ago, give or take a few hours, I was standing dripping wet in the lounge room, looking at my kids in total disbelief. Seconds into my shower they had decided to battle it out, and I had to come back in to negotiate calm. As I stood there with conditioner [...]

Girlfriend September 2013

Girl Achieving: Girlfriend September 2013 Melinda Tankard Reist As always, when I review teen girls’ magazines I look for the girls who are taking up their rightful place in the world, engaging in social action and cultural transformation. This issue we meet ‘2013 Girlfriend of the Year’ (I’m ignoring the eight pages on GF’s Rimmel [...]

The backlash against 24/7 connectivity

As every aspect of our daily lives has become hyper-connected, some people on the cutting edge of tech are trying their best to push it back a few feet. Keeping their phone in their pocket. Turning off their home Wi-Fi at night or on weekends. And reading books on paper, rather than pixels. via The [...]

Children who read on iPads or Kindles have weaker literacy skills

Children who read on an iPad or Kindle are falling behind in the classroom as figures showed for the first time the majority of youngsters now prefer ebooks to printed versions. The advance of technology means that young people who read on a screen have weaker literacy skills and fewer children now enjoy reading, experts [...]

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