This was a fun study to read, especially because it tells the stories of the tech and family lives of Gabriella Guzman and Sierra Ramirez (ages 8 and 7, respectively) in the Los Angeles area. Of the children author Lori Takeuchi of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center writes, "They were somewhat ordinary as far as their digital media use was concerned. None were budding moviemakers, prodigy programmers, or … [Read more...] about The complexities of raising kids in a digital age: Study
digital media
The teen sexting ‘trainwreck’ & state laws
US Rep. Anthony Weiner's very public personal disaster story has made sexting top-of-mind again, but there's good news in all this: More and more states are considering "relaxing penalties for teen sexting," as the Boston.com headline put it, because lawmakers throughout the US are now recognizing that "the problem of teen sexting didn’t exist when they enacted harsh punishments for child porn and … [Read more...] about The teen sexting ‘trainwreck’ & state laws
The problem with sexting legislation
The good news about proposed legislation in New Jersey is that "teens caught texting or posting sexually explicit photos online could avoid prosecution under a measure that would give first-time offenders the chance to complete a diversionary program," as reported in the Washington Post. The bad news is that the law is focused on the person doing the sending – and that lawmakers don't seem to … [Read more...] about The problem with sexting legislation
Today’s engine of innovation: Videogames, not military
Remember the military-industrial complex? Now it's the entertainment-industrial complex. For centuries the military drove tech innovation; now videogaming does, according to a Wall Street Journal commentary by author and former hedge-fund manager Andy Kessler. "That's right – every time someone fires up a videogame like Call of Duty or World of Warcraft, the state of the art in technology … [Read more...] about Today’s engine of innovation: Videogames, not military
US parenting & the Net: Study
Remember the old "no TV for a week" verdict when we misbehaved? Well, that's being nudged out by the new "no Internet for a week" one, according to the 10th-annual USC Annenberg Center for the Digital Future survey. "Parents are now limiting their children’s Internet access and television use in nearly identical ways," the Center reports. While for years three in five American households restrict … [Read more...] about US parenting & the Net: Study