Taking the cue from Steve Jobs, Bill Gates on digital addiction

MANILA -- There is a growing Silicon Valley buzz and it does not have anything to do with a new gadget, App, or any software or hardware.

It seems more and more leaders sitting in the recognized technology capital of the world are starting to realize that analog is the way to go, at least when it comes to raising their kids.

It’s ironic that the work they are most proud of, and continues to push to reach all four corners of the globe, are banned within the four walls of their respective homes.

This buzz is not really new, as seniors from Google, Intel and Microsoft, have long ago admitted that they send their children to schools that do not allow computers in classrooms.

A year before he passed away, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs told The New York Times in 2011 that he did not allow his kids to use the newly-released iPad. “We limit how much technology our kids use at home.”

Tim Cook, who took over the reins at Apple after Jobs dies, told The Guardian: “I don’t have a kid, but I have a nephew that I put some boundaries on. There are some things that I won’t allow; I don’t want them on a social network.”

Four years earlier, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates capped his kids’ screen time when his daughter started developing an unhealthy attachment to a video game in 2007.

Speaking to the Mirror in 2017, Gates shared: "We don't have cell phones at the table when we are having a meal, we didn't give our kids cell phones until they were 14 and they complained other kids got them earlier."

He added: "We often set a time after which there is no screen time and in their case that helps them get to sleep at a reasonable hour."

It would seem these men knew the dangers of exposing their children to technology at a young age as far back as 10 years ago, and yet how many of us today are taking their cue?

FROM WARINESS TO CONSENSUS

Featuring interviews with Silicon Valley technologists and parents, a New York Times report on October 26, 2018 claimed the wariness of years ago has turned into a regionwide consensus. They are now saying that the benefits of using digital as a learning tool are overblown, and worse, the risks for addiction as well as stunting development too high.

Brad Huddleston, author of two best-selling books on the subject, Digital Cocaine: A Journey Toward iBalance and The Dark Side of Technology: Restoring Balance in the Digital Age, clued in to the digital addiction problem as early as 12 years ago when he saw how some youth were using MySpace, a social networking site many call the predecessor to Facebook. He was recently in Manila to warn parents and educators of the dangers of screen time, not just too much but any amount of screen time.

While it was his first visit to the country, Huddleston’s online check showed that the Philippines ranks top of the world in social media use and that’s a red flag we all need to watch, young and adults alike.

“I can tell through social media that your country is right in line with other countries who use technology to a great extent,” he said. “I am aware of your growing economy and of course, technology plays a huge part in any corporate setting. Therefore, the Philippines has to tackle the same unintended consequences produced by the hyper-use of technology as all the other countries, richer and poorer.”

Huddleston was one of the keynote speakers at the first Global Homeschool Conference at the SMX Convention Center Taguig which promised to showcase the latest digital trends in the world of education. Yet while addressing over 1500 attendees, Huddleston’s first advice to parents: “Do not allow children under the age of 12 to use technology. This includes using technology for “educational” purposes. I realize that by saying this, I risk being uninvited to many conferences. So be it. Many of the technology executives and employees in Silicon Valley live by this rule in some form. The reasons are obvious.”

Edric Mendoza, president of Homeschool Global who organized the conference, said: "Huddleston’s views on the damaging effects of digital are both relevant (applicable to every individual and family who use screens) and reliable (based on latest neuroscience research). When we came across his book, we instantly realized we need to invite him to the Philippines.”

According to Huddleston: “The internet has now penetrated numerous developing countries. Because the world is connected to the same “pipe” known as the Internet, the resulting problems created by this relatively new medium are generally the same around the world.” And these problems are quite alarming, especially the three that Huddleston highlighted.

Digital Addiction Consequence #1 ADHD. “This condition has increased 800 percent in the past 30 years. The Internet is just over 30 years old. In my opinion and global experience, the clear majority of this 800 percent is digitally induced. It is true that some children are born with attention deficits, but that number is extremely small. The dramatic increase is being caused by hyperstimulation from digital devices.”

Digital Addiction Consequence #2 Multitasking is a myth. “Neuroscience has proven beyond all doubt that the brain is a sequential processor, unable to pay attention to more than one data stream at a time yet, schools often encourage this practice. Because of multitasking as a lifestyle, brain stress is at an all-time high and cognitive abilities are decreasing.”

Digital Addiction Consequence #3 Depression, anxiety, and self-harm. “These are the top symptoms of digital addiction. These very real conditions that result from misusing digital technology will often hamper a child’s ability to concentrate on school work.”

Time to check your holiday shopping list
While listening to Huddleston, I mentally checked my holiday shopping list which included new gadgets for family members. They have since been replaced by analog items that hopefully will stem our own digital addiction.

Huddleston argues for a digital detox but for many "wired" families who may not find if this easy, begin with "intentional."

"The first scientist and clinical psychologist, that I studied, Dr. Archibald Hart, spoke a lot about being 'intentional.' Being intentional means that we literally measure the amount of time we spend on technology (almost no one does this). Perceptually, we think we spend just a few minutes checking email, social media, etc. but when time is measured intentionally, we find that technology has in fact consumed large quantities of our time."

Ideally, your road will begin with intentional and end with detox, and for Huddleston: "Detox means stop. Parents tend to believe their child is the exception. But it’s not about balanced use. It’s not even 'okay to use on Saturdays.' Detox means stop.”

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Mobile tech reshaping health sector

WASHINGTON -- Your smartphone is not only your best friend, it's also become your personal trainer, coach, medical lab and maybe even your doctor.

"Digital health" has become a key focus for the technology industry, from modest startups' focus on apps to the biggest companies in the sector seeking to find ways to address key issues of health and wellness.

Apps that measure heart rate, blood pressure, glucose and other bodily functions are multiplying, while Google, Apple and Samsung have launched platforms that make it easier to integrate medical and health services.

"We've gotten to a point where with sensors either in the phone or wearables gather information that we couldn't do in the past without going to a medical center," says Gerry Purdy, analyst at Compass Intelligence.

"You can do the heart rate, mobile EKGs (electrocardiograms). Costs are coming down, and these sensors are becoming more socially acceptable."

The consultancy Rock Health estimates 143 digital health companies raised $2.3 billion in the first six months of 2014, already topping last year's amount.

An analysis by the global consultancy Deloitte suggests that smart glasses, fitness bands and watches, should sell about 10 million units in 2014, generating over $3 billion and that the number of devices will hit 170 million by 2017.

"Many health- and fitness-related technologies have multiple applications and encourage wearers to be more engaged in their own fitness, help modify behavior by reminding wearers to exercise or take medication," Deloitte's Karen Taylor says in a July report.

Patients take control

The California startup MD Revolution has created a system adapted from a concierge medicine practice, which allows participants to track a variety of health indicators using mobile or wearable devices.

The company uses fitness and other tracking devices to address "imminently preventable conditions such as diabetes or hypertension," says spokeswoman Lisa Peterson.

"We are creating a new specialty in digital health in which people can interact with nutritionists, exercise physiologists to receive a plan and coaching, to prevent or reverse chronic diseases," she told AFP.

Peterson said the company using existing commercial devices from makers such as Fitbit or Jawbone and plans to launch its own app for its users.

She noted that the launching of health platforms by Google and Apple "will make it easier for us to integrate more devices and apps."

Recent studies suggest that people who use connected devices to monitor health and fitness often do a better job of managing and preventing health problems.

A study led by the Center for Connected Health found that people who use mobile devices did a better job of lowering dangerous blood pressure and blood sugar levels.

A separate study published in the July 2014 issue of Health Affairs found that data collected by devices is not only useful for patients but can help doctors find better treatments.

"When linked to the rest of the available electronic data, patient-generated health data completes the big data picture of real people's needs, life beyond the health care system," said Amy Abernethy, a Duke University professor of medicine lead author of the study.

Some firms have even more ambitious plans for health technology.

Google, for example, is developing a connecting contract lens which can help monitor diabetics and has set up a new company called Calico to focus on health and well-being, hinting at cooperation with rivals such as Apple. And IBM is using its Watson supercomputer for medical purposes including finding the right cancer treatment.

Better care, good-bye office?

Joseph Kvedar, a physician and founder and director of the Boston-based nonprofit Center for Connected Health, said mobile technology has the potential to keep people engaged in their own care, and lessen the burden on the health care system.

"One of our goals is to do away with the vast majority of offices," Kvedar told AFP. "That's not because office visits are a bad thing but you should think about care as a continuous function and mobile technology allows you to do this in a way you could never do before."

Kvedar said some health platforms that required patients to upload data had a mixed record but that mobile is growing because "people are addicted to their smartphones."

Doctors should not fear this technology, he said, because patients who use it often stay healthier.

"For the vast majority of things, you the patient are in charge and we are just the sherpas," he said. "Engaged patients get better."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com