Digital Smarts Blog

According to recent testing by Change the Equation, a consortium of business and education organizations, about 60% of millennials (those between ages 16 and 34) have "low" technology skills, despite spending about 35 hours each week on digital media. The trend could hurt millennials' future earning power, according to researchers. Using digital technology, communications tools and networks to get and analyze information, communicate with others and "perform practical tasks" are skills that earn higher salaries.

According to recent testing by Change the Equation, a consortium of business and education organizations, about 60% of millennials (those between ages 16 and 34) have "low" technology skills, despite spending about 35 hours each week on digital media. The trend could hurt millennials' future earning power, according to researchers. Using digital technology, communications tools and networks to get and analyze information, communicate with others and "perform practical tasks" are skills that earn higher salaries.

Parents and educators alike have been diligently working to protect student information, and a number of relevant bills on regulating student data are up before state and federal legislators. But could these regulations actually harm students who need help the most? Susan Dynarski, a professor at the University of Michigan, seems to think so. In a recent blog entry for  The New York Times' The Upshot, Dynarski points out that it already violates existing laws for companies to use student data for their own profit. She gives examples of successful studies that would have been prohibited under the stricter proposed legislation, including several that used student data to document the benefit of smaller classes and charter school performance. She also argues against the focus on stringent student data security regulations, reasoning that there hasn’t been a large-scale theft of student data because test scores just don’t have the same market value as something like consumer credit card numbers. Dynarski proposes that instead of more restrictive legislation, Congress should authorize the Education Department to penalize schools and states when they violate existing privacy regulations, to avoid “unintentionally chok[ing] off the use of student data for its original purpose: assessing and improving education.”

Parents and educators alike have been diligently working to protect student information, and a number of relevant bills on regulating student data are up before state and federal legislators. But could these regulations actually harm students who need help the most? Susan Dynarski, a professor at the University of Michigan, seems to think so. In a recent blog entry for  The New York Times' The Upshot, Dynarski points out that it already violates existing laws for companies to use student data for their own profit. She gives examples of successful studies that would have been prohibited under the stricter proposed legislation, including several that used student data to document the benefit of smaller classes and charter school performance. She also argues against the focus on stringent student data security regulations, reasoning that there hasn’t been a large-scale theft of student data because test scores just don’t have the same market value as something like consumer credit card numbers. Dynarski proposes that instead of more restrictive legislation, Congress should authorize the Education Department to penalize schools and states when they violate existing privacy regulations, to avoid “unintentionally chok[ing] off the use of student data for its original purpose: assessing and improving education.”

Nielsen recently released a new study showing that while the average number of apps that Americans regularly use has remained steady at about 30 per month, the amount of time spent using them has increased. The average person used apps for 37 hours and 28 minutes last quarter – almost a full 40-hour workweek. According to Nielson, that number has increased from 30 hours and 15 minutes just the quarter before, and a 63 percent rise over two years.

The study found that while people are spending more time using apps, they are not necessarily downloading a wider variety. Instead, they're spending more time with the ones they already have. The firm also found that more than 70 percent of all usage comes from the top 200 apps and that the average adult spends five hours a day playing mobile games.

Nielsen recently released a new study showing that while the average number of apps that Americans regularly use has remained steady at about 30 per month, the amount of time spent using them has increased. The average person used apps for 37 hours and 28 minutes last quarter – almost a full 40-hour workweek. According to Nielson, that number has increased from 30 hours and 15 minutes just the quarter before, and a 63 percent rise over two years.

The study found that while people are spending more time using apps, they are not necessarily downloading a wider variety. Instead, they're spending more time with the ones they already have. The firm also found that more than 70 percent of all usage comes from the top 200 apps and that the average adult spends five hours a day playing mobile games.

When something is posted on social media, accidentally or not, it is not always easy to delete. Mistakes such as sending an email to the wrong person or posting something out of anger can happen in the blink of an eye. It can be helpful to review a few social media lessons, complete with real-life case studies, as Raychelle Lohmann does in her article Top Five Social Media Lessons on the Psychology Today site.

When something is posted on social media, accidentally or not, it is not always easy to delete. Mistakes such as sending an email to the wrong person or posting something out of anger can happen in the blink of an eye. It can be helpful to review a few social media lessons, complete with real-life case studies, as Raychelle Lohmann does in her article Top Five Social Media Lessons on the Psychology Today site.

About 100 smartphones are lost or stolen every minute in the US. What can you do if it happens to you? Take a look at this list on USA Today in an article entitled Lost your phone? Here's how to find it for some advice. Despite the staggering statistics on stolen phones, there is one bit of good news: Smartphone thefts are falling because of the “kill switches” for smartphones installed by phone makers.

About 100 smartphones are lost or stolen every minute in the US. What can you do if it happens to you? Take a look at this list on USA Today in an article entitled Lost your phone? Here's how to find it for some advice. Despite the staggering statistics on stolen phones, there is one bit of good news: Smartphone thefts are falling because of the “kill switches” for smartphones installed by phone makers.

Apple’s Chief Executive Tim Cook delivered a speech recently addressing customer privacy.  Cook criticized digital companies that gain access to our most private information in return for the technology and services we can’t do without. Of course, Apple also gathers private data for advertising, marketing and engineering purposes, but the company’s defense is that it makes their products more useful to us. Cook even stated “Apple doesn’t want your data”. Apple also places more restrictions on the use of data than other tech companies do, including its decision to encrypt your iPhone data by default in a way that makes it virtually inaccessible to the government. In his speech, though, Cook failed to discuss the enormous benefits that free, ad supported services like the Google search engine have brought to consumers worldwide. Now that the topic is on the table for discussion, how do you think the privacy of your information should be handled?

Apple’s Chief Executive Tim Cook delivered a speech recently addressing customer privacy.  Cook criticized digital companies that gain access to our most private information in return for the technology and services we can’t do without. Of course, Apple also gathers private data for advertising, marketing and engineering purposes, but the company’s defense is that it makes their products more useful to us. Cook even stated “Apple doesn’t want your data”. Apple also places more restrictions on the use of data than other tech companies do, including its decision to encrypt your iPhone data by default in a way that makes it virtually inaccessible to the government. In his speech, though, Cook failed to discuss the enormous benefits that free, ad supported services like the Google search engine have brought to consumers worldwide. Now that the topic is on the table for discussion, how do you think the privacy of your information should be handled?

New research shows that there is a correlation between neuromotor immaturity (movement skills) and lower education performance, and that technology could be to blame. Babies and children that sit in front of a smartphone or tablet for long periods of time are not being taught skills that will help them read and write in the future. Researchers say these children are missing out on early learning that is done through allowing movement, simulating “conversations”, and having human interaction. Singing lullabies helps with development because singing slows down the sounds of speech, preparing the child to hear individual sounds when learning how to read, and reading out loud to children also aids in developing speech, reading, and vocabulary skills.

New research shows that there is a correlation between neuromotor immaturity (movement skills) and lower education performance, and that technology could be to blame. Babies and children that sit in front of a smartphone or tablet for long periods of time are not being taught skills that will help them read and write in the future. Researchers say these children are missing out on early learning that is done through allowing movement, simulating “conversations”, and having human interaction. Singing lullabies helps with development because singing slows down the sounds of speech, preparing the child to hear individual sounds when learning how to read, and reading out loud to children also aids in developing speech, reading, and vocabulary skills.

Do you feel like your kids are constantly in front of a device watching videos online? Though it might seem counterintuitive to watch a video that could stop your kids from watching videos, take a look at the playlist of DIY projects and science experiments provided by Edutopia. These videos can get kids (and adults) excited about getting up from the screen and trying something hands-on. There are science experiences, technology treks and even a lesson on how to make pickles, as well as a list of similar resources on science and technology.

Do you feel like your kids are constantly in front of a device watching videos online? Though it might seem counterintuitive to watch a video that could stop your kids from watching videos, take a look at the playlist of DIY projects and science experiments provided by Edutopia. These videos can get kids (and adults) excited about getting up from the screen and trying something hands-on. There are science experiences, technology treks and even a lesson on how to make pickles, as well as a list of similar resources on science and technology.

A new trend in the gaming industry is the creation of video games that teach social-emotional skills to students. Researchers are gathering together to focus on the power of play for the work of learning. One game, called “Zoo U”, uses the premise of a virtual zoo that rewards students for empathetic actions and cooperation. Numerous studies highlight the promise of building social skills with such games, but designers also are aware of the games' limitations, including kids recognizing the ulterior motive of such games and turning them off. Despite research that shows the benefits of games like this, cash strapped school districts (and parents) may not be willing to spend money on games for social skills.

A new trend in the gaming industry is the creation of video games that teach social-emotional skills to students. Researchers are gathering together to focus on the power of play for the work of learning. One game, called “Zoo U”, uses the premise of a virtual zoo that rewards students for empathetic actions and cooperation. Numerous studies highlight the promise of building social skills with such games, but designers also are aware of the games' limitations, including kids recognizing the ulterior motive of such games and turning them off. Despite research that shows the benefits of games like this, cash strapped school districts (and parents) may not be willing to spend money on games for social skills.

With so much focus these days on the dangers and ramifications of bullying, parents hope to never hear their child is accused of being a bully – online or off. As much as you may believe it could never be your child, there is a chance that even good kids may push the envelope a little too far, especially online, and fall into the bully category. So what should you do if that call does come, justified or not? You don’t want be the “scary, crazy or clueless” parent many kids describe when they find themselves in this situation. Be proactive and read the article What To Do If Your Child Is A Bully, and keep a copy of the article around just so you can read it again if this unfortunate scenario should ever happen to your family.

With so much focus these days on the dangers and ramifications of bullying, parents hope to never hear their child is accused of being a bully – online or off. As much as you may believe it could never be your child, there is a chance that even good kids may push the envelope a little too far, especially online, and fall into the bully category. So what should you do if that call does come, justified or not? You don’t want be the “scary, crazy or clueless” parent many kids describe when they find themselves in this situation. Be proactive and read the article What To Do If Your Child Is A Bully, and keep a copy of the article around just so you can read it again if this unfortunate scenario should ever happen to your family.