Confessions of a Screen Zombie

I have some information for you that you can't get unless, like me, someone you know subscribes to Scholastic Scope. That information is as follows:
"The average teenager spends more than 53 hours a week in front of a screen." The question we came up with (well, she did, and it blew my mind) is this: Does that count the PowerPoint presentations?

The point of Are You a Screen Zombie is that scientists are studying the effects of social networks, texting and TV on reflexes, grades, mood and weight. Scholastic Scope is a magazine for middle-level learners. Therefore, of course, the conclusion is that teens should reap the positive benefits of their tech toys, but turn them off before they get addicted. The website linked above has some other interesting stories on it. Here's an image of the cover; hopefully, it's not tooooo copyrighted. There's very little you can get from Scholastic without paying.

For the grownups among us, in its "10 Ideas that Change Your Life" story, Time (yes, I fell for it again) has a similar two-page spread called, "Your Head is in the Cloud." The story agrees that we don't remember as much as we used to due to our increasing reliance on search engines. The memories we form, the story contends, are not of the information we find, but of where we can find the information again later on. This revelation goes a long way toward explaining some of the baffling situations we teachers face in our classrooms. This short piece ends with a warning for adults that is similar to Scholastic's warning for our teenage progeny.

I am obviously not immune to the addictive qualities of electronic gadgets. I also clearly have a magazine problem. That's a different issue, though. Currently my roommate and I are both victims of the one-yard stare, with our phones nearby and Dual Survival (my idea, and a questionable one) just ended on TV. We're now moving on to Deadliest Warrior. This week, I accepted a pinterest invite, as if I have gobs of spare time. But I have an excuse! A great excuse! I'm a licensed practitioner of public education, so I must constantly do RESEARCH. There's my excuse. That's it, that's all I've got. And I didn't remember it...I looked it up online. Therefore, I don't have to wait for the apocalypse because at times I'm already a zombie.

Notice how with this blog, I slyly turn you into one too, the long-distance equivalent of munching on your brains. :) Sorry about that. (I'll apologize, but I don't plan to stop my behavior.)

I would challenge us all to spend one hour a day away from screens, but the fact is that I love my life. Despite (oops I forgot to mention the New Super Mario Bros.) video games, the internet, the PowerPoints, TV, the iPod and the phone, I and pretty much everyone I know still take walks, read books made of paper, have meals with friends and go out on the town. Personally, I plan to keep filling my brain with more information in a year than my great-grandparents consumed in their lifetimes. 

It's About Time

What follows is my review of Time magazine's 2012 User's Guide: Essential Info for the Year Ahead. 

I was disappointed in the attempts of the writers to make political forecasts, as these forecasts do not help my quest to prepare for the uncertain future. However, there are some gorgeous maps in the issue that you social studies teachers will want to rip out and share with your students, including "Where the 1% Lives," "A Map of Trouble," and "Million-Dollar Disasters."

This last map was located in the middle of my favorite article in the issue, "Weather Beaten." I suspect that my enjoyment of the story is based on my continuing read of Erik Larson's Isaac's Storm and my lifelong love for Tom Skilling. I was devastated to learn that Tom Skilling isn't on Twitter, although I have recently liked him on Facebook.

Quoting "Weather Beaten:" "...the answer for anyone in harm's way is to quit seeing the warnings as a hassle, an inconvenience, a chance to gather for a hurricane party. It takes only one gust of wind, one loose foundation, to change your life forever. That's not sensationalism; it's the hard truth." Now THAT, my friends, is apocalyptic! Kudos to Jim Cantore. Jim Cantore has a Twitter account.

I also enjoyed "Fearing Well," because I prefer the soft sciences, and "Control Freaks," about how TV networks are dealing with the switch to on-demand streaming. Again, however, these pages offer little advice.

Finally, "The Last Party" is a fun little flow chart suggesting activities and travel ideas for "your options for how to ring in Armageddon."

There you have it. In my quest to be useful, I have saved you some time and helped you to decide whether to budget $4.99 for the issue on your next trip to the store. I am living up to my New Year's resolution. If you want online access to the content (more useful for you social studies teachers, perhaps, than ripping the maps out, especially if you don't have a document camera), all access magazine-tablet magazine-online is $30 for one year. As for me, I will save my $30 towards buying a variety of sources from the newsstands.

Happy newsmongering!