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Rabu, 20 September 2017

8 Warning Signs of Identity Theft (and How to Fight Back)

8 Warning Signs of Identity Theft (and How to Fight Back) Millions of Americans have been impacted by the Equifax data breach that was announced on September 7, 2017. Since then, they've made key personnel changes and say they’re still investigating the incident and working closely with the FBI.

Whether your personal information was stolen or not, there are important steps you can take to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft. Be sure to read or listen to my previous post, Equifax Data Breach: 5 Steps to Protect Your Personal Finances.

Since the breach, I’ve received a steady stream of questions from Money Girl readers and podcast listeners about protecting their finances. In this article, I’ll review eight major warning signs of identity theft and how to fight back if you do become a victim.

Plus, I'll answer a variety of questions about topics including protecting your kids’ credit, signing up for credit monitoring, and where to place security alerts on your credit files.

8 Warning Signs of Identity Theft

Incorrect information on your credit reports.
Charges on your credit cards that you didn't make.
Charges or withdrawals from a financial instituation that you didn't make.
Calls from collectors about debts that aren't yours.
Calls from collectors about medical bills that aren't yours.
Missing bills and statements from your snail mail.
Notice about maxed out government benefits.
Your income tax refund never arrives.

Here are details about each of these warning signs with tips to fight back.

1. Incorrect information on your credit reports.

Reviewing your credit reports on a regular basis is one of the best ways to nip fraud in the bud. It isn’t foolproof, because there are types of identity theft that don’t involve your credit, which I’ll cover in a moment.

However, if you see any incorrect information, such as a wrong address, accounts you didn’t open, inquiries from companies you don’t recognize, or incorrect balances on accounts, they are strong signs that your accounts or identity has been hijacked.

Fight back: Dispute the errors with each of the three nationwide credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) and report fraud to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Also contact creditors that have incorrect information about you to dispute it.

2. Charges on your credit cards that you didn’t make.

Even a small credit card charge that isn’t yours means that a fraudster is using your card number. They often make one or more small charges to test whether you notice before they rack up more expensive purchases.

Fight back: Contact your card issuer right away and report any unauthorized charges so they can discontinue the old card number and give you a new one. This doesn’t close your account or make you lose any payment history. They simply change the number and send you a new card in the mail.

Fortunately, the Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) says that you’re responsible for no more than $50 of fraudulent charges on a credit card. And if you report a lost or stolen card before unauthorized charges are made, you don’t owe anything. After speaking with your card issuer check your credit reports to make sure there aren’t new accounts that you don’t recognize.

3. Charges or withdrawals from a financial institution that you didn’t make.

Any transactions you don’t recognize on your checking, savings, or investing accounts means someone has access and could drain them by making purchases, withdrawals, or cashing out investments.

Fight back: Contact your financial institution to report the unauthorized use and change your account passwords. They may freeze your accounts while they make an investigation. Also check your credit reports for any other suspicious activity.

4. Calls from collectors about debts that aren’t yours.

Past due amounts in your name means a criminal has used your information to borrow money—such as getting a mortgage, car loan, personal loan, or credit card—and then not paid it back.

Fight back: Get all the information you can from the collector, such as his or her name, the company name and address, and a phone number. Request a validation notice that outlines the details about the debt in question.

According to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act you’re entitled to receive a validation notice within five days of being contacted by a collector, which lists the debt details, including how to dispute it. You can also send a debt verification request to a debt collector within 30 days of initial contact. Then check your credit reports.

5. Calls from collectors about medical bills that aren’t yours.

Medical fraud happens when someone you don’t know uses your identity or insurance to get services or products from doctors, dentists, or hospitals. Getting calls from collectors or receiving medical bills that you don’t recognize means a criminal got services and is trying to stick you with the bill.

Fight back: Contact each company or provider who billed you and explain the situation. Ask to see your medical records and make sure any fraudulent diagnosis or treatment is removed. Report medical fraud to the FTC.

6. Missing bills and financial statements from your snail mail.

If you typically get bills and bank statements in the U.S. mail, but stop receiving them unexpectedly, that could be a sign that a criminal has hijacked your mailing address. If they redirect your mail or steal it from your mailbox, it’s less likely that you’ll notice the fraud they’re trying to get away with.

Fight back: Contact the post office and any billers that have gone missing to report the fraud. Then check your credit reports.

7. Notice about maxed out government benefits.

A thief could use your identity to apply for various government assistance programs, such as food assistance, unemployment, disability, or Social Security benefits. Your child’s identity could also be used to qualify for free meals at a public school, claim Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, or to get medical services.

This fraud could happen even if you don’t receive any government benefits. And if you do need them in the future, you could be denied because records would mistakenly show that you’re already claiming them.

Fight back: Report the fraud to the appropriate government agency, notify the policy, and file an identity theft report with the FTC. Then check your credit reports.

8. Your income tax refund never arrives.

Tax return fraud is a growing problem that happens when a thief files a fake return in your name to steal a refund you may be owed. After you file your return, you could receive notification from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that more than one return was submitted in your name.

Fight back: Contact the IRS, notify the police, file an identity theft report with the FTC, and check your reports. You still need to file your state and federal tax returns and pay any amounts owed even if your identity was stolen.

If you suspect that your personal information is in jeopardy or know you’re an identity theft victim, you should place a fraud alert or a credit freeze on your credit files to prevent further exposure.

Free Resource: Credit Score Survival Kit – download this ebook and video tutorial with proven, legitimate tips and strategies to review, repair, and build excellent credit.

How to Prevent Child Identity Theft

I also received several questions about how to keep kids safe. Did you know that children are over 50 times more likely to become victims of identity theft than adults? Unfortunately, it can be easy for a dishonest family member or friend with access to their personal records to steal their information.

Most parents are clueless that their child is a victim until he or she tries to get a driver’s license, mobile phone, or gets turned down for a student loan or job.

Most parents are clueless that their child is a victim until he or she tries to get a driver’s license, mobile phone, or gets turned down for a student loan or job. By then, it’s difficult to clear up problems, like a botched credit report, debt, or even a criminal record that’s existed for many years in your child’s name.

Question: Amy S. says, “Thanks for your timely and thorough podcast on the Equifax breach. Do you recommend the same steps for checking credit reports on our teenage children even if they don’t have loans or credit histories?”

Answer: Thanks for asking, Amy. Yes, you absolutely need to get in the habit of checking your kids’ credit files when you check your own at sites like annualcreditreport.com, Credit Karma, and Credit Sesame.

The credit bureaus require you to verify that you’re a child’s parent or legal guardian by providing proof of your address and copies of your identification, your child’s birth certificate, and your child’s Social Security card.

If you have an older child who’s been set up as an authorized user on a credit card or has their own car or student loan, then he or she would have a credit file. But if your young child has a credit report, he or she is likely an identity theft victim. Having a credit file means a thief used their information to open credit accounts.

If your child is an identity theft victim, place a fraud alert or a security freeze on his or her file. Then notify the police and file a report with the FTC.

Question: Travis H. says, “We’re a military family and relocate a lot. To my surprise, when my son was only three years old, we started receiving snail mail in his name from advertisers. He’s almost five now and the Equifax situation has renewed my fear for his future. How do I protect my son’s identity from theft?”

Answer: Thanks for your question, Travis. If you haven’t already checked to see if your son has fraudulent credit reports, I’d do that immediately.

Just like you can’t protect yourself from every type of potential identity theft, you can’t completely protect your child identity from theft. However, here are five tips to help keep children safe from identity theives:

Watch out for mail addressed to your child. Receiving any type of mail, but especially preapproved credit card or insurance offers, in your child’s name is a red flag that credit accounts could have been opened using their personal information.
Watch out for debt collectors asking for your child. If a thief opened a credit card or took out a loan in your child’s name, they certainly didn’t pay the bill. So collectors are likely to track you down by mail or phone.
Never give out your child’s Social Security number. While many organizations ask for a child’s Social Security number, few really need it. Push back and find out whether it’s necessary and how the number will be used and protected.
Lock up your child’s identity documents. Documents with personal data, such as birth certificates, passports, Social Security cards, and wills should be kept in a bank safe deposit box or a locked, fire-proof safe.
Teach children to keep their personal information secret. As kids get older, they need to know that their name, address, phone numbers, email, passwords, and Social Security number should never be shared.

More Tips to Stay Safe After the Equifax Data Breach

Here are a few more questions I received that may help you stay safe in the wake of the Equifax data breach.

Question: J. Johnson says, “Today I’m placing fraud alerts on my credit files. Consumer Reports says we should also contact a company called Innovis. Is that an action you also recommend?”

Answer: Thanks, J. I do think it’s worthwhile. Most people have heard of the three nationwide credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Innovis is a fourth, minor agency that’s been around since the 1970s. Through multiple acquisitions, it’s had a variety of names including ACB (Associated Credit Bureaus) Services, Consumers Credit Associates (CCA), and CBC Companies.

You can check your Innovis report and place an alert or freeze at innovis.com. Just like with the three major bureaus, you can get a free copy of your credit file from Innovis once a year—but they’re not on the official reporting site, annualcreditreport.com.

Innovis doesn’t give you an option to view your report online (like you can with the other agencies). You must submit a request to have a paper copy mailed to you.

Question: Justin asks, “Should I sign up for Equifax’s free credit monitoring?”

Answer: Equifax is offering TrustedID Premier, a free credit file monitoring and identity theft protection to all U.S. consumers regardless of whether their data was stolen. It includes 3-bureau monitoring, copies of Equifax credit reports, the ability to lock and unlock Equifax reports, identity theft insurance, and Internet scanning for Social Security number.

I did sign up for Equifax’s service; however, it’s far from foolproof. If you enroll, please don’t become complacent about watching out for the warning signs I’ve covered here, or anything else that seems suspicious.

As I mentioned in my previous post, credit monitoring services offer a thin line of defense against a small percentage of possible identity crimes.

Question: Lyndi says, “Thanks for your Equifax podcast. I shared it with all my friends who were confused about what to do. Recently I got married and legally changed my name with the Social Security Administration and the state. I checked both on Equifax’s security website, which says my maiden name was potentially impacted and my married name was not. Should I worry about this?”

Answer: Congratulations on your recent wedding, Lyndi! Since your credit is linked to your Social Security number, you should only have one file at each of the credit bureaus, even after a name change.

So, I would assume that your data has been compromised and stay alert for any red flags that I covered here and in my previous post.

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Fraud on Red Triangle Road Sign image courtesy of Shutterstock

Selasa, 19 September 2017

The Best Physical Fitness Tests, Part One

The Best Ways to Measure Your Fitness - Part One So, you have been going out for jogs, hitting the gym, riding your bike to work, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, using a standing workstation, and you are feeling great. Your pants are fitting better than ever and you are not shy about being seen in your bathing suit. You can walk for hours without getting fatigued, you can carry on a conversation while you walk up a few flights of stairs and you don’t think twice about joining in a game of shinny with your friends. And yet, something is still missing. Something about your new fit life is eluding you.

You want to be able to measure and quantify your current fitness level and not just by looking at the number on the bathroom scale. You want something bigger. Something more meaningful.

Fitness Tests

To best determine whether you're at the peak of your physical health, you can use any number of physical fitness tests out there. As you will find out, there are tons of different tests that check various aspects of physical well-being. There are tests that focus on gauging your strength, measuring your stamina, and quantifying your flexibility. There are tests that focus on one particular physical trait, a combination of two, three or ten, and even some tests that strive to measure your overall physical fitness.

Before we get into some of the most popular (and interesting) tests that I could find publicly available, let’s talk about what makes a test, any test, worthwhile.

Validity and Reliability

Consideration must be given not only to the results of the tests but also to the rigor of the testing criteria. The word “rigor” refers to the extent to which the testing criteria works to enhance the quality of the tests. In quantitative research, this is achieved through measurement of validity and reliability. In order for test data to be of value and of use, they must contain both.

Validity: does the test measure what it is supposed to? For example, timing a long endurance run workout would not be a valid measure of explosive strength but it would be a valid way to measure aerobic fitness. For our purposes, this is borderline common sense and should not cause us much trouble.
Reliability: is the test consistent or repeatable? If no variables are changed (aside from your level of fitness), a reliable test that is repeated over and over again should not yield different results. For our purposes, this is a tough one. Wind, heat, cold, hydration status, recovery state, illness and even lack of sleep can influence the reliability of our tests. But we are not trying to land a bike on the moon, so we’ll just have to do our best to control the variables we can.

So with that in mind, let’s look at physical fitness tests that some professions, physicians, schools, sports teams and researchers have concocted to help put some meaning to all this fitness mayhem that we hold so dear.

Types of Fitness Tests (Part One)

The Canadian Forces EXPRES Test
The Utah Peace Officer Standards and Training certification
The Bruce Test
The Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test
Navy SEALs Fitness Test
Seattle Fire Department’s Candidate Physical Ability Test

Since I am Canadian, let’s start in the Great White North.

1. The Canadian Forces EXPRES Test

There are five “military emergency tasks” that form the basis of the Canadian Force’s physical fitness evaluation. They are:

Entrenchment dig (digging a personal trench to protect oneself against enemy fire)
Land evacuation (carrying one end of a stretcher bearing a casualty)
Low/high crawl (moving in a defensive way in front of enemy fire)
Sea evacuation (evacuating a casualty from a ship during a fire or other emergency)
Sandbag carry (in the course of erecting a barricade against a flood or other natural event)

Given the logistics of using these five common tasks as an annual evaluation for all Canadian Forces personnel, the CF EXPRES test measures and evaluates using the following activities:

Aerobic Capacity by using a 20-meter shuttle run (running back and forth between two points)
Muscular Strength by using a handgrip test
Abdominal Muscular Endurance by counting the amount of sit-ups you can do (with perfect form and no rests)
Upper-body Muscular Endurance by counting the number of push-ups you can do (again with perfect form and no resting)

That one is pretty specific to the tasks that are asked of a Canadian Forces members but not completely unrelatable to us general public folks. At its core, it is pretty widely functional (by that I mean useful in real life) and we would all be safer and more self-sufficient if we could pass this test, so I won’t go picking what I perceive as holes in it. Instead, let’s look at another one.

2. The Utah Peace Officer Standards and Training certification:

To pass this certification, a person must be able to:

Run 1.5 miles in 15:37 (or less)
Do 16 consecutive push-ups with no rest
Jump 15 inches vertically
Do 25 sit-ups in one minute
Run 300 meters in 70 seconds

Now, I like this one even more than the first one because it includes a vertical jump test (which can quantify explosive strength) and it incorporates both a distance run and a sprint (which measures both aerobic and anaerobic fitness) but I can’t help but notice that it lacks a grip strength test and, more specifically, some pull-ups.

3. The Bruce Test

This test is quite different than the first two because it was specifically designed to evaluate cardiovascular performance. The Bruce Test is also often known as the clinical treadmill stress test which was traditionally used to diagnose patients with suspected heart diseases because the results could point to coronary problems. Today, this physical fitness test is also used to measure VO2 Max, or maximum oxygen intake, among athletes.

The end of the VO2 Max test is usually signified by the athlete desperately grabbing the guardrails to stop from falling face-first into the equipment.

You begin on the treadmill at a manageable pace and incline. At certain intervals, both the incline and treadmill speed is increased and increased and increased until your threshold is reached. The end of the test is usually signified by the athlete desperately grabbing the guard rails to stop from falling face-first into the equipment.

VO2 max is calculated by measuring the amount of oxygen consumption per minute during the exercise protocol. Oxygen consumption will rise linearly up until a certain point when the oxygen consumption plateaus. This usually happens when the exercise intensity increases beyond threshold and the CO2 and lactic acid rise beyond the body’s ability to clear it faster than it is manufacturing it. This number, when the oxygen consumption has reached a maximum, is called the VO2 max.

The VO2 max can be used as a gauge of general cardiovascular health and also to monitor progression of fitness with various types of training. It can also be useful to identify the calories burned during different levels of work outs by linking the results to the athlete's heart rate.

The problem is that you generally need to work with trainers skilled in exercise physiology to use the information effectively to build nutrition and training protocols. Plus, this is not a test you want to partake in (more than once) unless you are getting paid to do it or you are some kind of masochist.

4. The Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test

In this test, they use a confusingly complicated equation to determine your fitness. It makes sense once you have completed it but at first glance it seems overly complex.

Men receive five points for every pull-up, one point for every crunch, and one point is deducted from 100 for every ten seconds slower than 18 minutes they take on the three mile run.
Women receive 1.5 points for every second on the flexed arm hang (maximum 70 seconds), while the scoring is the same for crunches and the three mile run (although they get 21 minutes for the run).

To earn a perfect PFT score of 300, men must do 20 consecutive pull-ups, 100 crunches in less than two minutes, and complete the three mile run in at least 18 minutes. For the women, it’s 70 seconds on the flexed arm hang, 100 crunches, and 21 minutes for the run.

While I enjoy the math of this test and agree that it hits three major components of fitness, I can’t help but feel that it is too simple for our needs. So let's move to some true heroes.

5. Navy SEALs fitness test

Ah, Navy SEALs. They are the toughest of the tough. The fittest of the fit. Surely they have a good test?

Before I jump into the description, let me point out that the numbers I am going to list are the absolute minimums that are absolutely meant to be exceeded. I will also list what a more competitive number would be. A prospective SEAL who simply hits the minimums will have technically passed the test but is unlikely to continue.

The bare minimum criteria is:

500 meter swim using breast stroke or Combat sidestroke (which is a modified version of freestyle) in 12:30. A competitive time would be under 10:30.
42 push-ups in two minutes. A competitive count would be more like 79 push-ups.
50 sit-ups in two minutes. A competitive count would be at least 79.
6 consecutive "dead hang" pull-ups (your body should not move except for the elbows and shoulders). A competitive count would be at least 11.
1.5 mile run in “boots and trousers” in under 11:30. A competitive time would be under 10:20.

To make this test even more impressive, once you pass this test, there is an additional 27-week long training course that not many people survive... I mean pass.

6. Seattle Fire Department’s Candidate Physical Ability Test

This one is impressive and a little nutty but what would you expect from Firefighters? These folks need to be ready for pretty much anything! A burning building, a natural disaster, a massive car accident, a raging inferno, and of course a cat in a tree. You have to be fit for all that, right?

It is important to know that you must wear long pants, a safety helmet, gloves, and a 50 pound weighted vest during this test.

Before I start listing the activities, it is important to know that you must wear long pants, a safety helmet, gloves, and a 50-pound weighted vest while completing the following:

Stair climb. While carrying two additional 12.5 pound shoulder weights, candidates must climb a stairmaster at level three (50 steps per minute) for 20 seconds, then three minutes at level four (60 steps per minute).
Hose drag. With a 1.5-inch nozzle over their shoulder, they must drag a 200-foot hose for 75 feet, make a 90-degree turn and pull the hose 25 more feet; then, reel the hose in hand-over-hand for 50 feet.
Equipment carry. They must carry two heavy power saws for 75 feet to a marker and back.
Ladder raise (and extension). They must raise a 24-foot aluminum extension ladder from flat on the ground, then extend the 24-foot ladder hand over hand, and then lower it again (in a controlled motion).
Forcible entry. They must strike the “Forcible Entry Cumulative Force Measure Device” (which looks like the sledgehammer game at a carnival) with a horizontal swing of a ten pound sledgehammer without rest for several minutes.
Search. Crawl blindfolded through a tunnel maze and maneuver around, under, and over various obstacles to get to the end.
Rescue. Pull a 165-pound dummy for 35 feet, then turn around and return to the starting position, as quickly as possible.
Ceiling breach and pull. Using a six-foot pole they must raise a 60-pound section of ceiling three times, then hook the pole to a weighted ceiling resistance device and pull down five times. And do it again—four more times through!

Yes, these activities at first glance are very specific to firefighting but what I like about this test is that this type of fitness is extremely functional for anyone. If you go back to the Get-Fit Guy episode about What the Word Fitness Really Means, these are activities that would fit many of the examples I listed there. (Yes, even the zombie apocalypse.) I think we have a new front-runner, sorry SEALs.

Is There More?

After those last two, you may not think we need to go any further. But I am, as we say in the fitness industry, just getting warmed up! So make sure you tune in next week for Part Two of The Best Ways to Measure Your Fitness.

In the meantime, for more info on tests, tips for testing, or to simply join the fitness conversation, head over to http://ift.tt/1xq4tPg or http://twitter.com/getfitguy. Also don't forget to subscribe to the Get-Fit Guy podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, SoundCloud, Spotify, Google Play or via RSS.

Image © Shutterstock

Senin, 18 September 2017

How to Critique a Colleague's Bad Decisions in 4 Steps

A couple of years ago, my tap-dancing, genius MIT mechanical engineer, New York musical theater actor, and accountabilibuddy Timmy and I started helping each other be more productive. You can read about that in my episode about protecting work/life balance. Timmy is on to a new adventure: he’s learning to program computers. The class he’s taken has put him on a group project, building the control software for a missile that will someday be used by a renegade group of zombie hunters to enslave what remains of the post-apocalyptic world of 2024. They added him to a project team that was already up and running.

He’s thrilled! His new teammates are great people. They’ve started the project already. They’ve laid the groundwork. They’ve already programmed the foundation of the system and they’ve made a lot of mistakes. Their scripts don’t work. Their builds don’t build. They’ve simply created bad software.

Timmy is pulling his hair out (which is a shame, because he has pretty much flawless hair, like a Peter Parker crossed with a teenage Clark Kent). He wants to call his team together and tell them, “It’s an honor to be part of your team. Unfortunately you’re all incompetent boobs. Your designs are wrong. Your scripts are broken. You have no idea what you’re doing.” Then, of course, he’ll tell them the right way to do everything. They’ll be so grateful that from then on they'll listen to everything he has to say and adopt all his ideas without challenging them.

They’ll also have him kidnapped, roll him naked in Oreo ice cream cake, and leave him tied to the top of a mound of Texas fire ants. They might even test out the missile on him. This would be a terrible waste of an otherwise scrumptious Oreo ice cream cake. There’s gotta be a better way.

And there is. When you want to give your co-workers feedback that their design sucks, do it in a way that has them thanking you for it.

Giving Your Coworkers Constructive Feedback

Figure out why you are criticizing them
Ask questions to lead them to the mistakes
Let your colleague propose the solutions
Be prepared to learn

Let's dive deeper into each.

1. Figure out why you are criticizing them

The first step to lovingly criticizing your loyal teammates is to understand what you want to criticize them for.

When you think someone’s work is no good, that’s because you think it falls short in some way. It’s supposed to accomplish something that it doesn’t. For example, a marketing report may be intended to give readers a good overview of market trends, but it has no graphs that illustrate the trends. Or Timmy can see instantly that the way the team has designed the guidance system, aiming the missile anywhere in the northern hemisphere will erroneously cause it to detonate on the launchpad.

If there are several shortcomings to their solution, pick the one that is easiest to understand and will cause the greatest damage if not fixed. But keep notes on the other shortcomings. You never know when they’ll come in handy.

2. Ask questions to lead them to the mistakes

You can’t just point out the flaws to them. “Gee, you imbecile, can’t you see that your marketing report doesn’t even show any trends?” That won’t work. I’ve tried it. I didn’t make any friends at all. Fortunately, fire ants hadn’t yet appeared in North America.

Instead, make it seem as though the problem is you, and you just can’t figure out how the heck all that high falutin’ stuff works. You’re just not quite as bright as they are, and you really need their help.

“Hey, guys. I don’t really understand the guidance system here. Can you walk me through what happens when we aim the missile in the northern hemisphere? It seems to cause the detonation system to go kaboom. Could you help me understand where I’m going wrong?”

Now instead of you coming across as superior, talking down to them from on high, you’re the meek, newbie team member, asking the Knowledgable Old Ones for their sage advice.

3. Let your colleague propose the solutions

When they answer your question, listen. Even though you know where the conversation is going, let them be the ones to take it there. You know they’ll spot the problem that was obvious to you, only they’ll think they found it. They’ll feel great about their own brilliance. You, the meek, will quietly marvel at their grand accomplishments. You’ll also inherit the Earth.

4. Be prepared to learn

There’s also the chance that their answer will surprise you. Perhaps the missile’s autodestruct capabilities are intentional, because the plan is to sneak the missile into the zombie encampment, and let them blow themselves to gobs of zombie goo.

Maybe there are no graphs in the market trends report because the author doesn’t want it to be obvious that the trends are negative, and historically, bearers of bad news at this company have been burned at the stake.

A few well-placed questions got the group unstuck.

Whatever the reason, as the Knowledgable Old Ones answer your concern, you need to be open-minded enough to accept that maybe you’re wrong and they’re right. If that turns out to be the case, now you can praise their brilliance in earnest and they’ll think you’re just the cat’s meow.

Which is a good place to be. Because as you recall, you made a list of all of their design’s shortcomings. Now choose the next most important one, and start asking questions that will lead to those being uncovered and fixed as well.

When you’re right and they’re wrong, they don’t want to know it. No matter who “they” are. So instead, let them discover it on their own. Identify the shortcomings in their solution, and ask them questions about that shortcoming, framing it as your shortcoming instead. Listen to their answer, and help guide them to your answer, which was (of course) right, all along.

A few well-placed questions got Timmy’s group unstuck. The missile was not intended as a trojan horse to destroy the zombie army from within. The accidental detonation was, indeed, a bug. Now the team is so grateful to Timmy that they’ve asked him to take the lead designing their new Zombie Body Part Recycling Center. I’ve looked over Timmy’s design and it’s flawless. Well, except for one teeny, tiny problem that I’m sure he’ll want to hear all about.

Follow Get-It-DoneGuy on Twitter and Facebook. I give great keynote speeches on productivity, Living an Extraordinary Life, and entrepreneurship. Find me at http://ift.tt/1l2uWN6.

Work Less, Do More, and have a Great Life!

Image © Shutterstock

What are Extremophiles?

Did you know there is a creature that can produce its own antifreeze in order to keep its surroundings from freezing it to death? How about a creature that prefers to live in water but can survive being deprived of even a single drop of water? Creatures like these that can adapt to survive in extreme environments were first dubbed extremophiles (meaning “extreme-loving”) by NASA Ames scientist Dr. R.D. MacElroy in 1974.

What is an extremophile?

Extremophiles test the limits of the types of environments where scientists think life can possibly survive. These creatures have found ways to adapt to the most extreme conditions found here on Earth, which can include extreme temperatures, pressure, acidity, high salinity, high metal concentrations, or even radioactivity. For example, some extremophiles found in very high or very low temperatures are found to have modified the composition of their cell membranes to adapt to the temperatures. Other extremophiles may produce extra solutes inside their cells to balance extremely high concentrations of salt.

Some of the extreme environments here on Earth may represent more normal conditions on other planets. Thus, the search for extraterrestrial life includes efforts to study the extremophiles, and where they thrive on this planet, to understand where else we might find signs of life in our solar system.

The study of extremophiles, and in particular the enzymes they produce to deal with their harsh climates, also has potential applications in industry. The “extremozymes” or the enzymes produced by extremophiles are able to inspire chemical reactions despite their harsh living conditions, a trick that may be useful for triggering chemical reactions under the similarly harsh conditions of many industrial applications. Some of these enzymes are already used in the production of biofuels, as well as cosmetics. Extremozymes, and their ability to adapt to their environments, may also prove useful for developing medications like antibiotics or antifungal drugs.

Let’s investigate just a few examples of these extremely unique creatures.

Examples of Extremophiles

Thermophiles and the Rushing Fireball
Psychrophiles
Tardigrades (or Water Bears)

Let's explore these further.

Thermophiles and the Rushing Fireball

Thermophiles are a type of extremophile that can survive at very high temperatures. For example, the thermophile known as thermus aquaticus, found in the hot springs in Yellowstone National Park, not only survives but thrives at temperatures as high as 160 degrees Fahrenheit (or 70 degrees Celsius).

One kind of microbe so extreme even by thermophile standards that it is known as a hyperthermophile is Pyrococcus furiosus, or the “rushing fireball.” The fireball microbe was first discovered in the geothermally-heated waters around Italy’s Vulcano Islands. Scientists from the University of Georgia have been investigating how to use this little extremophile to take in carbon dioxide and turn it into fuel.

Psychrophiles

While thermophiles and hyperthermophiles may prefer extreme heat, psychrophiles have adapted to survive temperatures at the other extreme end. Water temperatures deep in the ocean can reach as low as -12 degrees Celsius without freezing, since salt content affects the freezing point of water.

Animals in frozen conditions have to worry about the expansion of ice in and around them as water expands when it freezes. Some psychrophiles survive these conditions by producing their own antifreeze proteins which lowers the freezing point of water around them. Others are able to effectively force themselves to flash-freeze. In other words, the freezing of any of the liquids in their bodies sets off a chain reaction that causes the rest of the body to freeze, and freeze fast, before any potentially dangerous, large ice crystals can form.

Tardigrades (or Water Bears)

Tardigrades are small, water-dwelling invertebrates that can survive being thrown in boiling water or being frozen in ice. Although aquatic in nature, they can be dried out completely and are able to survive by replacing the water that should be in their bodies with sugar. Despite being only about a millimeter in size, they have even survived being launched into space and thus exposure to a vacuum, cosmic rays, and dangerously high levels of ultraviolet radiation.

Tardigrades are known as polyextremophile because they are capable of adapting to many varied types of extreme conditions. They have hose-shaped mouths full of sharp teeth but are still often considered nature's cutest extremophile. If you cannot imagine how such an animal could be considered cute, check out the video on National Geographic’s blog of a water bear swimming and see for yourself.

We still have not fully explored all of the ecosystems present on our home planet and thus there are likely many more extremophiles waiting to be discovered. One potential extremophile habitat consists of nearly 400 high pressure, underground lakes under the Antarctic ice cap, including the largest example, Lake Vostok. These lakes exist under ice layers several kilometers thick and are heated by geothermal activity. Thus, their conditions are expected to be similar to the underground lakes on the frozen moons of Jupiter.

For more on extremophiles, check out the Life in the Extreme trading cards from the NASA Astrobiology Institute.

Until next time, this is Sabrina Stierwalt with Everyday Einstein’s Quick and Dirty Tips for helping you make sense of science. You can become a fan of Everyday Einstein on Facebook or follow me on Twitter, where I’m @QDTeinstein. If you have a question that you’d like to see on a future episode, send me an email at everydayeinstein@quickanddirtytips.com.

Image © Shutterstock

Minggu, 17 September 2017

6 Simple Tips to Motivate Your Lazy Kid

tips to motivate your lazy kids

I grew up the oldest of five siblings and was used to being a “take charge” kind of kid, even in young adolescence. It was no surprise to my parents that as a tween I was in high demand as the neighborhood babysitter. In fact, my own parents had to up the ante and persuade me to take care of my own brothers and sisters because the local neighbors were offering competitive pay to watch their kids.

Maybe it was my birth order that paved my ambitious drive to do extra chores around the house and score paying jobs at the age of 12. Whatever the case, I was a “mover and a shaker” and definitely not a lazy couch potato. And to be totally honest, my younger brothers and sister followed suit when it came to venturing into the workforce and earning a paycheck. All five of us had part-time jobs by the age of 15, and if we weren’t working at a pizza place or babysitting, we asked our parents what we could do around the house to earn a few bucks and buy things we knew they weren’t going to provide just because we wanted them. Imagine that?

Today’s kids grow up with an entitled mentality due to heavy exposure from non-stop advertising, TV shows and movies that glorify materialism, and peers at school who always seem to have the latest gadgets or the hottest labels—and often just because they feel like having these things. This ultimately leads to parents giving their kids much more than they need—and sometimes, more than their family can really afford without requiring them to even earn these items.

In 7 Strategies to Build a Strong Work Ethic in Your Kids, Dr. Ruth Peters, a psychology contributor to NBC’s The Today Show and author of Overcoming Underachieving, says: “Daily in my practice I see parents who have made the mistake of not taking the time and attention to teach their children to be workers and achievers. These kids have learned to settle for less rather than to face and challenge adversity, to become whiners rather than creative problem solvers, and to blame others for perceived slights and lack of success.”

If you’re faced with a child who seems to be on the lazy path of life, Mighty Mommy shares six tips to help him or her reroute and choose a more energized direction instead.

Tips to Motivate Your Lazy Kid

Don't make it too easy.
Be the example.
Set expectations.
Get kids involved in the kitchen.
Make giving and volunteering a habit.
Go outside and enjoy Mother Nature.

Tip #1: Don’t Make it Too Easy.

Growing up I remember how frustrated my siblings and I would get with my parents when we had a simple request—asking for movie money or wanting sneakers that were currently in fashion—and the answer would be “no” or “what can you do to help contribute to the cost of this?” At the time it would infuriate all five of us because we felt we deserved these things at no cost. Looking back, however, we now realize the value of earning these things as opposed to having them be handed over on a silver platter.

My parents raised a large family (just as I am doing) and made the choice to show us the importance of working for extras rather than allowing us to assume we were entitled to little luxuries and handouts. By not making it too easy for us, we all learned to put forth the extra effort for those wants that were really important to us.

Tip #2: Be the Example.

There is an old expression that really fits the bill when it comes to setting an example for how we live our lives in front of our children: “Monkey see, Monkey do.” In other words, this means that someone will imitate another person's actions, good or bad, simply by having watched them before.

So if you love to lounge on your comfy sofa in the middle of the day with a cold glass of soda while watching your favorite soap opera rather than tending to laundry, paying bills, or taking your child to get some exercise in the backyard or the park, you can’t get all worked up when you see her plopped on her bedroom floor with a cookie and her iPod rather than putting her clean clothes away or taking the dog outside for a brisk walk. Your child will accept your lazy actions as normal and will follow suit.

If you relish high standards for a vigorous household where chores are done consistently and correctly, homework is completed on time, and exercise and healthy eating are the norm, then be the example for your kids and live an energetic lifestyle, not a lazy one.

Tip #3: Set Expectations.

Whether you have pre-school aged children or teens, there are plenty of age-appropriate chores that kids can do. If you are just introducing the concept of chores to your kids, sit down with them and in a positive and upbeat manner explain to them that they will now be contributing to the upkeep of their home. Be very specific when explaining job duties. Don’t assume that your four-year-old knows how to put away his toys in their proper place if he’s never had to do it before. Invest the time and positive energy in teaching him about where things belong so he’ll not only learn to do it right and by himself, but he’ll ultimately learn about the benefits of organization in other aspects of life as well.

If you have teens that give you a hard time about helping around the house, don’t give up! Set some time aside to share why it’s important that they start helping with chores such as laundry or loading the dishwasher properly. If you “show and tell” instead of nagging about how sick and tired you are of doing everything by yourself, you’ll have a much better chance of getting your teen on board.

In my house, I offer incentives such as movie money or gift cards when they help out willingly and without constant reminders. Don’t forget to praise your kids for at least trying. Kids want to please, so be genuinely appreciative when you see your child doing one of his chores and if he isn’t doing it correctly, use it as a “teaching moment” so he’ll learn constructively, not critically.

Tip #4: Get Kids Involved in the Kitchen.

One of the largest expenses in most households is the grocery bill. Food is essential for every family and it’s not cheap. If you have kids that are picky eaters or are wasteful, it adds even more to the price tag of those weekly grocery runs. Years ago, kids regularly helped in the kitchen—preparing food, setting and clearing the table, and enjoying family meals sitting around the table talking and connecting with their parents. Now, with the overwhelmingly busy lives most of us lead, families barely eat together, never mind take part in the process of meal preparation.

I’ve found that by involving my kids in the grocery shopping, meal planning, and preparation they tend to eat nearly everything I serve and don’t complain about what’s for dinner each night. It also gives them something to do many evenings rather than sitting on the couch and playing on their electronics and smartphones.

When kids learn to give back, they also learn to appreciate the art of using their downtime.

Tip #5: Make Giving and Volunteering a Habit.

Set aside toys and clothing that are in good condition. Deliver the items to a deserving cause all together, as a family. Talk about the process and why you think it's important to do this. Tap into organizations like Global Giving that offer a virtual marketplace for making a difference.

Even if a child is too young to feel the pain of those who have less than she does, she can still learn at a young age to appreciate what she has by being exposed to those who are less fortunate. This isn't to say you should all pile in the car and take a driving tour of the nearest slum. There are other options.

Soup kitchens, literacy programs, food drives, volunteering at an animal shelter. My kids and I go to an annual holiday dinner for the homeless in our town and they see firsthand how excited these kids are to receive one gift from the Santa figure that comes—usually a board game, a doll, a skateboard—maybe a bike—not the plethora of electronic gifts they ask for and receive every year.

When kids learn to give back, they also learn to appreciate the art of using their downtime and their resources to help with worthy causes, which in turn keeps them active and not being wasteful of their time. Check out my episode 5 Fun Ways to Encourage Kids to Volunteer for more ideas on encouraging giving.

Tip #6: Enjoy Mother Nature.

In recent years, numerous experimental psychology studies have linked exposure to nature with increased energy and heightened sense of well-being. As the noise of our crazy culture fades, your mind calms and you experience silence and stillness. Getting outdoors with our families can lighten our moods and help us relax and be comfortable in our own skin.

When you’re exposed to the elements of nature there is nothing to compete with, no 24/7 technology, incoming texts, overdue bills, or book reports. Instead you can be frolicking with your kids and puppy on a hiking trail or splashing each other in the waves or even planting a garden together. When you invite Mother Nature to spend more time with you and your family, you’ll get back to basics and in turn can become reenergized and a lot less lazy.

How do you motivate your lazy child? Share your thoughts in the comments section at http://ift.tt/1zMEe2L, post your ideas on the Mighty Mommy Facebook page. or email me at mommy@quickanddirtytips.com. Visit my family-friendly boards at http://ift.tt/1wyJKr5.

Jumat, 15 September 2017

7 Creative Uses for Mason Jars

If you’ve been following me for a while, you probably know that I grew up on a farm in South Dakota. Being a farm girl, my fall months were spent helping my mom and grandma can fruit and vegetables from our gardens to eat during the winter months. For decades, glass canning jars had just one use, and that was to store food for the future. Lately though, I have started to use Mason jars for a variety of other uses. Keeping just a few of these around your home means you can have them handy for a number of everyday uses.

1.) Drinking Glasses

One of the cutest ways I’ve seen glass jars used is as drinking glasses. Yes, you can go buy a set of drinking glasses, but using jars offers a cute, country look to your beverages. Whether you keep them in your cabinet and use them on a daily basis, or you have a bunch of them that you prefill with adult cocktails for a party, the jars are a cute and handy way to serve drinks.

A bonus about using the jars for party drinks is that you can premix the drinks, pour them in the jars, screw on the lids, and toss them in to a cooler or tub of ice. It cuts down on the amount of hands-on work that needs to be done during the festivities, which means you can have more time with your guests.

2.) Smoothies

Another way you can use Mason jars for drinks is for your morning smoothies. My husband and I go through phases where we drink smoothies as a meal replacement in the morning. I had been using travel cups to drink these on the road, but that caused issues a few mornings where my hands were full. I realized that I needed a better option to seal up my smoothie so I could throw it in my purse and drink it when I got to the office. Know what works great for that? Mason jars.

I used the pint size jars to store my peanut butter and banana protein shakes or my green drinks until I got to my desk. Then I’d pop off the sealed lid and toss in a straw to enjoy my smoothie. It was a quick and easy way to make sure that my smoothie got in my mouth instead of the bottom of my purse or the front of my shirt.

3.) Salads

Now that you have the drinks covered, it’s time to look at some food storage options that you can use the jars for. One of my favorites is to use the jars for lunch salads. At the beginning of each week, it’s super easy to layer the salad ingredients in to several jars and have them ready to grab on your way out the door.

When you assemble the salad ingredients, it’s important to put the dressing on the bottom of the jar, then put in more sturdy ingredients that won’t wilt. Good examples are carrots, celery, tomatoes, or meat. Continue to layer ingredients, with your leafy greens being the last ones added to the jar so they don’t touch the dressing and get soggy. When you’re ready to eat the salad, tip the jar over and let it sit on the counter for a few minutes. The dressing will work its way down to coat all the ingredients so then a quick shake will help evenly disperse it and mix your ingredients. You can eat it straight from the jar or pour it in to a large bowl.

4.) Pantry Storage

This next idea came from a client who hired my organizing company to make-over her pantry. She had a whole bunch of large Mason jars in her pantry already, but didn’t really have a good use for them. She wanted to incorporate them into her pantry, and asked us how we thought they could best be used. While there are literally hundreds of ways they could be used, we decided to use them for her baking supplies, like flour, sugar, and even muffin liners. The large jars were a great option to store these panty staples, and a few cute labels made them equal parts storage and decoration.

5.) Snack Storage

Another option for food storage is to use glass jars to store individual candies and treats, cereals, or pourable snacks like pretzels. By removing these items from their bulky and unattractive packaging, you can more easily see if you are running low and keep your pantry looking much cuter. Keep in mind that this storage method is better for homes without small children. Kids are creative, and no matter how high of a shelf you store these treats, they will likely try and figure out a way to get to the treat jars. The last thing you want is a broken glass jar in your pantry when your child jumps off the chair to retrieve a piece of chocolate. Only use this option for treats if you have a house full of people who are old enough and coordinated enough to be able to safely open the treat jars.

6.) Vases

The next tip is one that is not at all food related, and it’s to use Mason jars as flower vases. There’s no need to buy expensive vases that just create clutter around your home. The same larger jars that are great for salads can also be used to display a bouquet of flowers. A few weeks ago I gave one of my employees a dozen roses for her 3 year anniversary with Moxie Girl. She is in the process of moving, so I didn’t give her a vase because I didn’t want to give her one more item to move. A few hours after I left the flowers with her, I received a picture of the roses in a glass jar and they were adorable! I know that she uses Mason jars for a whole lot of things around her house, so it was fun to see how she was able to reuse one to display the flowers. No need for expensive and bulky vases when you have a few Mason jars hanging around your home!

7.) Storing Small Stuff

The final way I like to use Mason jars in a home is to corral a bunch of small items that you are keeping around the home. A set of small jars on a bathroom counter can keep a supply of cotton balls, cotton pads, and cotton swabs within reach and still looking nice. Another small jar on the counter can contain bobby pins or safety pins, and yet another jar in your closet can collect all the extra buttons that come with every new dress shirt.

There are hundreds of ways to incorporate glass jars in to your daily routine and your home’s storage. These are just a few of my favorites, and hopefully they give you a few ideas to get you started. You can likely come up with a dozen more uses that will make your life easier or cuten up your current storage options.

Also, check out this fun fall mason jar craft from Mighty Mommy and another cool use for mason jars: outdoor lighting!

Until next time, I’m the Domestic CEO, helping you love your home.

Mason jar image courtesy of Shutterstock.

Screen Time for Kids: 3 Questions You Should Be Asking

screen time for kids - is it healthy?

Want a surefire conversation starter with any group of parents? No, it’s not bullying, college applications, or even the defective wiring of toddlers. If you want parents to talk, bring up the idea of kids and screen time.

Last year, Time magazine ran an article about how tech in the classroom leads to worse educational outcomes and noted that over two hundred studies have linked increased screen time to ADHD, depression, anxiety, increased aggression, even psychosis.

So what gives? Are screens really that bad for our kids? If so, we’ve got a problem on our hands even bigger than when your kid tries to eat chips and hear Epic Rap Battles of History at the same time.

I don’t have to tell you that screens are everywhere. A 2013 report out of the London School of Economics found that 25% of three- to four-year-olds in the U.S. have used the internet. In the Netherlands, it was 78%. And in the past few years, it’s probably safe to assume the percentage has grown. Fast forward to adolescence: a Pew study found that 97% of all teens play video games and one in two play video games on any given day.

In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics released screen time recommendations in 2016 to inform families on device usage.

Screen Time Recommendations by Age

18 Months and Younger: Avoid screen media other than video-chatting.
18 to 24 Months: Parents can slowly introduce high-quality digital programming to their toddler.
Ages 2 to 5: Limit screen use to one hour per day.
Ages 6 and Older: Place "consistent limits" on time spent using various types of digital media.

Parents should be asking the following three questions regarding what effect screen time has on our kids, their brains, and their lives. As we walk through each question, I'll offer evidence on both sides of the scientific debate and conclude with my own thoughts.

Are screens educational?
Do screens drive us apart or bring us together?
Does screen time mess with our social abilities?

Let's begin.

1. Are screens educational?

Yes, screens can be educational.

App stores are well-stocked with apps and games that are fun, well-designed, and effective. A number of studies show that quality educational apps help kids learn more and faster.

There’s also the argument that "interactive" equals "engaging," which in turn increases comprehension and retention. Indeed, my own kids have used a number of educational apps and don’t even realize they’re learning. Who among us wouldn’t have wished for an engaging algebra app?

But here’s the flip side.

Screens aren’t a replacement for a good, in-person teacher. A classic study from 2003 showed just this. The study participants? Babies! Specifically, nine-month-old babies who heard only English spoken at home.

The researchers were curious about the phenomenon of sitting one’s baby in front of Chinese- or Spanish-language television, hoping they’d pick up some new vocabulary. Did it work? The researchers investigated.

To do this, babies either got to play in playgroups led in Mandarin by a teacher who was a native Mandarin speaker, or in English by a native English speaker. They read stories and played with toys. But here’s the twist. The Mandarin playgroups were also video recorded. And later, a third group of babies watched the Mandarin playgroups, but on a screen. Exact same content, exact same teacher.

After twelve playgroups, the researchers tested all the babies and found that those who had heard the live Mandarin teacher responded to Mandarin syllables, while the babies in the English playgroups, predictably, didn’t notice Mandarin syllables at all.

But what about the Mandarin-on-a-screen group? Turns out they didn’t learn a thing. Their phonics discrimination was the same as the English-only group. So even though they had been exposed to the same material by the same teachers as the live group, something about viewing it on a screen stopped them from recognizing Mandarin.

Therefore, at least when it comes to language learning, live interaction is the way to go.

The conclusion?

Nothing is inherently wrong with reading or algebra apps or videos, and a lot of them do improve learning outcomes, both anecdotally and in studies. However, technology should be the icing on the cake.

Here’s what I mean: computer scientists have something they call the Law of Amplification, which means technology is a tool that amplifies—not replaces—human power. So good teaching, parental involvement, and a rich educational environment all come first and technology can be the cherry on top. In short, screens can magnify good education, but they can’t make up for bad education

2. Do screens drive us apart or bring us together?

Yes, screens can bring us together.

Think of a family watching and discussing a classic movie, playing Pokemon GO, or working up a sweat to Just Dance. The research term for this is joint media engagement. Furthermore, app designers and TV producers take seriously the idea of user interactivity. Dora the Explorer asked questions of her audience, Netflix has created several choose-your-own adventure kid shows. The people who produce Sesame Street even created a design guide to encourage joint media engagement.

But here’s the flip side.

Rather than getting out the timer and focusing exclusively on quantity, focus on quality.

A 2016 study in the journal Frontiers in Psychology challenged whether joint media engagement was as good as plain old joint engagement. The researchers asked moms and 7-to-9-year old kids to read a story together. They created four groups based on whether Mom or child read and whether they read on paper or on a tablet.

Among others things, the researchers evaluated something called interaction warmth, which is basically the technical term for having a nice time together. Interestingly, warmth was lower for screen than for paper, particularly when the kids read on screen, and it worsened the longer Mom and kid read together.

One possible reason, the researchers said, was that both moms and kids tended to hold a book where both of them could see, but hold a tablet as if they were using it on their own, forcing the other to “shoulder surf” and crane their necks to get a better view.

The conclusion?

You can do anything together, from crafting to cooking to playing Minecraft to reading. And this is what counts. It’s not that screentime is always bad and digging worms is always good. It’s not the activity—it’s that you’re together. But we’re not really together if we’re alone on our devices, even if we’re cuddled next to each other on the couch.

3. Does screen time mess with our social abilities?

One side says it totally messes us up.

An ingeniously simple study sent fifty 11-to-13-year-olds to an outdoor camp with no screens for five days. When they came back, they were compared to fifty of their media-consuming peers. Turns out five days of using their thumbs to make friendship bracelets instead of texts resulted in the campers being significantly better at reading human emotions than kids who had access to phones, TV, and computers. The conclusion? Without screens, kids had to communicate face-to-face, which accordingly sharpened their skills not only in s’mores roasting and scary storytelling, but in reading human emotion.

But the other side says stop freaking out.

Another study in the prestigious journal Psychological Science examined over 120,000 British teenagers and found there may be a “digital sweet spot” where screen time still affords the benefits of education apps or social media connections but isn’t harmful. Indeed, teens’ overall well-being—defined as happiness, psychological health, social functioning, and life satisfaction—improved as screen time increased, but only to a point. After that point, more screen time began to take a toll.

What were the magic numbers? For smartphone use, the tipping point was 1 hour and 57 minutes. For video games, 1 hour and 40 minutes. Watching videos and web surfing were higher, respectively clocking in at 3 hours and 41 minutes and 4 hours and 17 minutes.

A good media diet includes moderation and some healthy goodies, but can handle some junk food, and, notably, benefits from the occasional fast.

But before you decide to take away your teen’s iPhone after two hours, know that the association between screen time and well-being was relatively weak—weaker than eating breakfast or getting a good night’s sleep.

The conclusion?

Rather than getting out the timer and focusing exclusively on quantity, focus on quality. Are your kids sedentary and isolated? Or are they doing activities and talking alongside friends? Life should definitely include screen-free time with friendship bracelets and campfire stories, but it would be a shame not to keep in touch with those newfound camp friends on Facebook after summer’s end.

So, Are Screens Bad for Your Kids?

To sum it all up, think about your kids’ digital intake like you think about their food intake. A good media diet includes moderation and some healthy goodies, but can handle some junk food, and, notably, benefits from the occasional fast.

For even more savvy, get every Savvy Psychologist episode delivered straight to your inbox by signing up for the Savvy Psychologist newsletter. Or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher, listen on Spotify, or like on Facebook.