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The days of sitting down with the evening newspaper to marinate and mull over the national and local news are long gone.

Today’s information is delivered fast and furiously over the high-tech devices and provides supposed facts at a rapid-fire pace. News sources are under incredible pressure to get the “scoop” but the speed of instant news does not come without a high price.

It takes time and earnest thought to think things through to figure out the essence of the actual...

by editorial team and Sophia Ruan Gushée

Face-to-face interactions are key to healthy social skills. For young people, they are essential in learning to notice and interpret non-verbal cues, in connecting with others, and in developing empathy.

Our increasing time on digital screens, however, jeopardizes the development of healthy social skills, especially among our children and teenagers. Below are some estimates on our children's digital...

by the editorial team and Sophia Ruan Gushée

Building values for healthy living have long been on a parent’s radar, and most parents agree that safeguards are necessary to keep the internet a safe, secure learning environment for children and teens.

Google has provided parents with a SafeSearch filter to prevent kids from using the search engine to find unsafe or inappropriate sites for a long time. Adults wanting to avoid unsafe or inappropriate websites can use...

Give technology a bedtime.

by the editorial team and Sophia Ruan Gushée

The world wide web is a wonderland of information and entertainment. And it's great for kids when used mindfully and with adult supervision.

But it can also be an unsafe environment for kids to navigate on their own, including from online predators who are savvy in preying on children.     

After hearing about worrisome scenarios of children and the internet,...

While live streaming services like YouNow have been around for a while, many other apps have started incorporating live streaming features as well.

Facebook has Facebook Live, Tumblr has partnered with YouNow to incorporate streaming features directly into the app, and YouTube now allows videos to be streamed live as well (no editing required).

Children and adults often use these and other apps to communicate with others and play games, so it’s important for you to understand the...

by editorial team and Sophia Ruan Gushée

Cooking utensils and disposable eating utensils are often made of plastic, and sometimes vinyl (among the most toxic types of plastic). These materials may contaminate your diet with toxic chemicals as well as contaminate our environment during their manufacturing and even after you discard them. 

Plastic utensils typically contain or involve toxic chemicals such as benzene, BPA, chlorine, dioxins, and...

Forcing connections in the offline world can lead to some of the truest connections.

by editorial team and Sophia Ruan Gushée

Social media and other internet-based arenas are popular communities among adults, teenagers, and middle schoolers. These online platforms are popular ways to connect with friends, family, and classmates.

Ironically, while it connects us like never before, it can also increase feelings of anxiety and isolation—sometimes...

by Sophia Ruan Gushée

An environment—like in our homes, schools, and workspaces—can be designed to support therapeutic effects. Evidence has found that many hospital patients can enjoy better recovery than those in spaces without healing elements.

And many of these healing elements can be applied to our daily lives.

Optimal Healing Environment (OHE), a term coined in 2004 by the Samueli Institute, is used to describe a healthcare...

by editorial team and Sophia Ruan Gushée

Selfies—self-portrait photos taken by one’s smartphone—is a modern phenomenon.

24+ billion

estimated number of selfies that were posted on Google's servers in one year (Google 2016)

93+ million

estimated number of "selfies" taken each day by just Android users (Silicon Valley Business Journal 2014)

Cell phone accessories—selfie mirrors and lighting—are available to improve...

by the editorial team and Sophia Ruan Gushée

Digital screens and other technologies have made it more challenging for parents to get their kids to exercise.  

The American Association of Pediatrics (AAP) reports that the majority of kids spend almost 7 hours per day engaged with some kind of technology. However, with a little ingenuity, parents can help their kids reap the many benefits of movement.

Exercise is Essential in Mental, Emotional, and Physical...