The Competitive Edge

Now that I’m going to be a parent soon, I can’t help but wonder about how all this technology is going to impact my kiddo? And what can I do about it to help them be happy, heathy, and prosperous? I recently discovered the work of Sara Filipcic who spent years studying the impact of technology on children and now has started a new company to help improve the situation called BeHumane. Her research painted somewhat of a dire picture that made it clear that we as a society need to do something about this: Adolescents using devices 5 or more hours a day (vs. 1 hour) were 66% more likely to have at least one suicide-related outcome1  Results of a 2016 Common Sense Media Report found that 50% of teens “feel addicted” to mobile devices, while 59% of parents surveyed believe that kids are addicted to their devices2 Seven-in-ten U.S. teens said anxiety and depression is a major problem among people their age in the community where they live3 Technology can negatively affect children's developing social skills