Brain Development in a Hyper-Tech World - Dana Foundation - 4 views
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andrew bendelow on 15 Jun 12The information explosion brought about by the Internet and other modern technological tools has undeniably had positive influences on society. "These are enabling technologies," said Friedlander. "I think their greatest power lies in their ability to enable people to reach out to a world that is much greater than what any child is likely to get in their home or school environment. That's all good and positive." The trick, he said, is knowing where to draw the line. "It gets down to a quantitative question: how much is too much? That's where the rubber really meets the road for most people, and that is a really tough question to answer." The responsibility for making such decisions often falls on parents, but they may not be equipped, able, or willing to do so. "We always hear the same thing, that it's up to parents to control the use of these things and teach kids how to manage it all," said Grafman. "But in order for them to do this, they have to understand better themselves what they are creating with their children. Many parents today just say, 'here's your computer, put it in your room and do your homework on it,' and that's the last they see of the kid. If that's the case, how much are kids going to listen?"