"Screen Time at Holiday Time"
Completion requirements
I will moderate a discussion for KCRG-TV's "Ethical Perspectives on the News." If time allows, I would like to hear your opinions on the subject of our discussion.
We will talk about the ways in which attention given to electronic gadgets has subtracted from the quality of our direct, face-to-face communication and ways in which mobile technology is bringing some people in fuller communication with their families, friends, workmates, and so on.
Here are some questions to guide our discussion:
- For what purposes (news, sports, work, studies, messages) do you use your smart phones, tablet computers, and laptops?
- At what time of day do you first check your devices?
- Do you ever leave your devices behind?
- What kinds of guidance have your parents given you (or have you given your children) for the responsible use of electronic devices?
- Are there rules for the use of phones, tablets, and laptops in your classroom?
- Do you sometimes worry that you are giving too much attention to the Web, and so giving too little time to more important things?
- How do you define balance in your own life?
- How has the development of these technologies changed your life?
Here are some articles that might stimulate thinking about our subject.:
- "Prof: Unplug from the smartphone during holiday family gatherings" from Purdue University
- "Tips to Reduce Screen Time" from the National Institutes of Health: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
- "New screen time rules for kids, by doctors" from CNN
- "How much screen time is right for your kids" from CBS
- "Internet Addiction: The New Mental Health Disorder?" from Forbes
- "Is Internet Addiction a Real Thing?" from The New Yorker
- "Internet Addiction May Be as Hard to Kick as Drugs" from WebMD
- "Be Nice on the Internet" from RealSimple
- "Schools seek balance for cell phones in class: Are they a teaching tool or distraction?" from The Boston Globe
- "As schools lift bans on cell phones, educators weight pros and cons" from NEA Today
Last modified: Monday, December 19, 2016, 8:44 AM