The Sleepy Connection

A study from the National Sleep Foundation on the relationship between communications technology and sleep has found that 43 percent of Americans say they rarely or never get a good night's sleep. Nearly 95 percent of those surveyed said that they use some kind of electronic device in the hour before bedtime. Those between the ages of 13 and 29 were far more likely to use interactive technology, such as the Internet, cell phones and video games in that hour than passive technology such as televisions.

The problem, according to the NSF, is that artificial light -- such as the glow of a screen -- can be disruptive to the body's production of melatonin, which helps you sleep. Participating in interactive activities also keeps your brain engaged, which can make it difficult to fall asleep. Gadgets beeping and blinking can also disrupt your sleep and the study found that around a tenth of 13- to 18-year-olds are awakened after they go to bed every night or almost every night by a phone call, text message or email. The study recommends sticking to a sleep schedule, avoiding bright lights in the hour before bed and cutting out late afternoon naps to help you catch up on sleep.

Never Too Old for Technology

For the older family members in your life who would like to stay connected with technology, an article in The New York Times entitled Staying in Touch with Technology has a raft of suggestions that may even ring true for not-so-connected under-50 crowd as well. Ideas for how to stay entertained, in touch, organized and in the midst of what’s new are included.

Fitness Tips for Computer Users

I've just been away for a week on a college road trip with my son, but one of the many revelations I had while away was that I'm spending every waking moment in front of my computer these days. So what hope is there for someone like me to get and/or stay fit? All is not lost, at least according to an article called Fitness Tips for Chair-Bound Computer Users. Advice in this upbeat column ranges from remembering to get up every 30 to 45 minutes and move around to get your blood circulating to trying the FLOW system that offers a video of five-minute chair exercises that work all of the muscle groups. Also take a look at the Geek-a-Cycle, a combination recumbent bike and computer desk. And here's a suggestion for teens -- skip instant messaging and get up to give a friend a message.

Choosing the Right Headphones

There are so many kinds of headphones on the market these days, but which ones are right for you and your kids? Having the right headphones can be crucial to long term hearing health so CNet has put together one of their handy tip columns on choosing the right style of headphones. The ears you protect may be your own...

Teach Kids about Caring

FableVision, one of our favorite sites for educators, invites you and your children to join in Generation Cures, a new Website dedicated to curing and caring. The folks at FableVision are working with the folks at MIT Education Arcade to produce the site for Children's Hospital Boston. Targeting ages 8-12 year olds and their parents, the site hopes to help children learn about compassion and giving through online games, animated webisodes, and kid-directed videos. The Web stories and puzzle-adventure games are created by award-winning designers. The site is free, safe, and fun for kids, but it's still in the Beta version. After visiting the site, if you have ideas that you think will improve the site, you'll want to let Paul Reynolds at FableVision know.

How Many Steps a Day?

There's so much talk today about childhood (and adult) obesity and about how we need to encourage our kids to be active. One of the best ways to get kids going is with a pedometer. Many schools purchase pedometers for physical education, and the kids love to use them and families should think about following suit. Keeping track of their step count pushes them forward to more steps each day. It's known that most adults take about 2000-5000 steps in a normal day, but the number they need to be considered active is 10,000 to 12,500. According to Penn State's Guy C. Le Masurier, kids generally take more steps than adults, but after the elementary years, the total begins to decline. Girls are said to take fewer steps a day than boys. So to get our kids stepping away from obesity, get them started on a lifetime walking program. If you are looking for online incentives related to walking and pedometers, Walk4Life honors,  in February of each year, outstanding schools whose kids are "caught being active."  Awards include a trophy and cash. At WalkSmart Active Schools, teachers, parents and students can download materials that encourage activity.

Japanese Kids Told to Cool It On Cellphones

Most parents in this country can probably identify with the Japanese government's feeling that they need to start a program about limiting cell phone use among children. In Japan the government is worried about how elementary and junior high school students are getting sucked into cyberspace crimes, spending long hours exchanging mobile e-mail and suffering other negative effects of cell phone overuse. It seems that in Japan, as well as here, cell phones are being given to children at a younger and younger age. A government panel is also asking Japanese cell phone makers to develop cell phones with only the talking function, and GPS , or global positioning system, because the latter  feature that can help ensure a child's safety. Most mobile phones in Japan are sophisticated gadgets offering high-speed Internet access called 3G , for "third-generation." The panel said better filtering programming is needed for Internet access to protect children. Some youngsters are spending hours at night on e-mail with their friends. One fad is "the 30 minute rule," in which a child who doesn't respond to e-mail within half an hour gets targeted and picked on by other schoolmates. Other youngsters have become victims of Internet crimes. In one case, children sent in their own snapshots to a Web site and then ended up getting threatened for money.

Safer Sounds for iPods

A couple of parents, tired of telling their children to turn down the volume on their iPods and unable to find players or earbuds with a volume control, decided to come up with their own safer version of earbuds. Launched in 2006, Ingemi's iHearSafe earbuds may look like any standard pair, but there is a difference. A small volume-reducing circuit, placed in the length of the earbud wire prevents sounds from exceeding 85 decibels (about the level of city traffic) but still allows the rocking beat to rattle through. Selling for $20 on Amazon or at Ingemi.com the founders are hoping their product will be on store shelves for the holidays.

Fatal Spam

Yeah, we're all pretty sick of that spam that pours into our email boxes unsolicited and unwanted, but now authorities are saying that answering some of those spam ads can prove to be fatal. Take the Vancouver woman who in 2006 died of heavy-metal poisoning after consuming common brand-name drugs purchased inexpensively online or in 2003, the 19-year-old Rutgers University student who overdosed on Xanax purchased online without a prescription. These are two different scenarios, but both illustrate the dangers of unregulated, rogue pharmacies that are active online today. Welcome to "brandjacking", basically which can be defined as a criminal or fraudster getting in between you and a company you intend to work with or buy from. An example?  You think you're buying a pair of Nike shoes but get cheap knockoffs instead. But shoes are one thing, and bad drugs are another. Talk to your kids about these rogue pharmacies and how what they sell may be a deadly bargain.

MySpace vs. Facebook - Class Divisions?

Every generation has had its divisions. Greasers versus Rockers. Preps versus Hippies. The list goes on and on. For the present generation, class divisions may just fall along what social networking site you contribute to. Now Danah Boyd, a well-known commentator on teen culture online is arguing that there is a class division over who uses MySpace.com versus Facebook. In essence, Boyd writes, MySpace is home to a large population of "burnouts," punks or alternative-scene teenagers whose parents likely didn't go beyond a high school education. Facebook, in contrast, is a bustling hub for jocks, school nerds and prom queens planning for their university years. Have you noticed a preference at your house? (My teen is now strictly on Facebook.)