I’ve been getting quite a few media calls about the two Waukesha (WI) girls who attempted to kill their friend, believing they were trying to impress the internet-urban-legend character Slenderman. Here are some links to interviews:
Tuesday, June 3rd:
WISC-TV (Madison, WI)
WKOW-TV (Madison, WI)
Wednesday, June 4th:
WITI-TV (Milwaukee)
Monday, June 9th:
Wisconsin Public Radio (The Joy Cardin Show)
This is a big news story, of course, because it is so bizarre and tragic, but also because it exposes some special challenges that the internet poses in terms of successful parenting and healthy child development.
Garrison Keillor shares this wise quote today from Harper Lee, author of “To Kill a Mockingbird”:
“…in an abundant society where people have laptops, cell phones, iPods, and minds like empty rooms, I still plod along with books. Instant information is not for me. I prefer to search library stacks because when I work to learn…
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Are you spending lots of time on Facebook, Instagram, and other social media sites? Or have you avoided these pastimes and wondered if you’re missing something important? Are you concerned about what’s healthy and what’s not in this increasingly digital world?
How does the explosion of social media affect our interpersonal relationships? Does having more virtual…
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Disney has just announced a new feature to go along with the re-release of “The Little Mermaid” next week. Children will be invited to bring their iPads to the movie theater and to play interactive games a along with the movie while watching. Perhaps it’s a great publicity gimmick; perhaps it’s a way to sell…
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I found this in the current issue of Rolling Stone, in an interview with comedian Louis C. K.
“When you sit down to write “Louie,” what are your work habits?
Louis (slightly edited for family content): When it’s time to write, I have one computer that has no ability to get on the Internet. Because the ability to just…
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Since I’ve been getting repeated calls from the media asking for expert advice to help parents comfort their kids, here’s my advice in a nutshell:
Advice for parents to help their kids cope with the Boston bombings
1) Turn off the TV!!!
News stories like this are especially frightening to children. They raise issues of their own personal…
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In last week’s New York Times Sunday Review section, there’s an interview with J. B. Straubel, founder of Tesla Motors, which makes electric vehicles. According to the introduction, some people compare the companyto Apple in terms of “obsessive attention to design, intuitive user interface and expense.” Obviously, Mr. Straubel is a great thinker and innovator.
When…
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I went to a bar to play team trivia with my family last week. It was extremely fun but also eye-opening. It’s not that I discovered how much I didn’t know – I already was aware of that. But what kept hitting me in the face was how often I started to reach for my…
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A recent New York Times article by Nick Bilton discussed an issue I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. How do we hit just the right note interpersonally as most of our communications go digital?
Should we call, leave a voice message, send an email, or a text? Or bother with a face-to-face meeting? There’s the need…
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I was very interested when I heard about the National Day of Unplugging (sunset February 28 to sunset March 1). Since conquering cyberoverload is all about becoming the master and not the slave of our gadgets, I thought I should give it a try. But it wasn’t the easiest day for me to try to…
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