Cell radiation

Have you measured your cell recently?

Although scientists still haven’t clearly linked cellphone radiation with cancer, the topic continues to be discussed in government circles…and that’s good.

Current FCC standards on radiation were set more than 15 years ago.  Those standards were based on adults, long before toddler apps became popular.   Everyday, countless two year olds watch mind-blowing bubbles float across handheld screens.

Click the link to check the radiation rates in your phone.

http://www.ewg.org/cellphoneradiation/Get-a-Safer-Phone?allavailable=1

Unhealthy TV

This month, I’ve heard more buzz about alternatives to Halloween candy than in previous years.  That’s good.

But parents need to be even more concerned about the unhealthy food and drink ads their kids see year-round on TV shows.  According to research published a couple months ago, “the average hourly use of alcohol on the tween shows matched that of the adult programs.”  Yikes.

http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~db=all~content=a912023509

Tuned in teens

I was surprised by research released last month:  more than half of teens have listened to an audiobook.  The Audio Publishers Assocation reports that “young listeners are the fastest growing market segment.”

I’m still thinking about the implication of that data.  I mean, we know kids live in surround sound, but ours is a visually-driven world.  So why do teens like to listen to books?   

http://www.publishersweekly.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA6700846

Teen Driver Safety Week

It’s National Teen Driver Safety Week, so if you and your teen haven’t signed up, yet, for the American Family Insurance Teen Safe Driver program, now is the time.

Launched in August, it’s a neat voluntary program that helps teens make wiser driving decisions.  As a result, parents feel a bit more confident (!) sharing the wheel.  One really important result has already been documented:  seat belt use improves dramatically after program participation. 

http://www.teensafedriver.com/

“Old media” still alive

Remember when forecasters predicted that the Internet would kill TV?  Or more recently, when some predicted iPods and MP3 players would be the death of “old media” like radio?

Guess what?  It hasn’t happened.

According to recent Nielsen ratings,  18-34 year olds tune into radio just as often as the rest of us, averaging 21.5 hours.

http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/media_entertainment/new-radio-ratings-say-younger-generations-still-listen/

To spank or…

Corporal punishment has made headline news since the release of new research several weeks ago. (Web MD link below)

Although researchers may debate the connection between spanking and intelligence, I look at the bottom line.  (No pun intended.)

Does spanking teach a child what’s right?

No.  Spanking only temporarily stops misbehavior.  The purpose of discipline is to teach a child what behavior he should do next time.

Corporal punishment has always been an emotional issue among parents, but if we focus on the purpose of discipline – to teach, lead or guide a child to appropriate behavior – hitting a child simply doesn’t make sense.

http://www.webmd.com/parenting/news/20090924/kids-who-get-spanked-may-have-lower-iqs?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Finally!

The Bureau of Consumer Protection for the  Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has finally promised to review the issue of advertising to kids.  Evidently, they will target a new campaign to tweens. 

That’s good, but what about down-aging? 

Developmentally, young children can’t tell where an advertisement ends and program content begins.  If the FTC is actually going to tackle this issue, programming should start in early childhood.

Cyber-safety

October is National Cyber Security Awareness month.  Do you know where you child/tween/teen is?

Research consistently shows the huge gap between what parents believe their children are doing in cyberspace and what the kids are actually doing.  Although tech nannies are helpful, we can’t abdicate our role as gatekeepers.

H1N1 Homeschool

Neat idea from Microsoft:

Teachers who face empty desks due to flu outbreaks can connect with students through a free tech resource.  Click the link (below) for access to office Live Workspace, training videos and other free ideas to connect online with homebound students.

http://www.microsoft.com/education/h1n1

Tech curfew

I see increasing concern about tweens and teens who are sleepless in textville.  Sleep deprivation, a long-time problem among teens, is hitting epidemic numbers due to widespread late night texting.

Solutions aren’t simple, especially among independence-seeking tweens and teens.   Some parents require kids to charge the phone outside the bedroom.  Other parents include a tech curfew as a condition for getting a phone.  Of course, one of the most important influences is how parents model tech control.