Published inA Parent Is Born·Sep 12Pinwheel Phone Review: Is It Good for Teens?We just switched our 17-year old from the child-safe Gabb phone to a parent-managed Pinwheel smartphone to give him more freedom and functionality. This review is our family’s actual experience with the Pinwheel phone. Although the company sent us a free phone, we still have to pay them a monthly…Safe Phones For Kids8 min readSafe Phones For Kids8 min read
Published inChange Becomes You·May 17How to Use Stoic Philosophy for Digital ResilienceHuman Philosophy vs Artificial Intelligence If technology is affecting your quality of life, you might be looking for an antidote to the poison. There is one, and it is not an app — the solution can be found in philosophy that persisted offline through the centuries. Unlike Big Tech that sacrifices our wellbeing for profitability…Attention Economy15 min readAttention Economy15 min read
Published inA Parent Is Born·May 2Why Buying a Dumb Phone for Your Kid is a Smart IdeaBuying a dumb phone for your child is a smart move. A child-safe phone will let them grow up human, without smartphone addiction and exposure to online harms. Affiliate disclosure: we may promote screen time management solutions consistent with our mission of protecting families from addictive technology, at no additional…Dumbphone10 min readDumbphone10 min read
Published inGeek Culture·Mar 22How to Listen to Spotify Without a PhoneWe want to give our children the gift of music. Music streaming services like Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, and Pandora can provide hours of wholesome entertainment — as well as educational podcasts and audiobooks. Music can be very beneficial, especially for kids with ADHD, by helping them focus. The…Spotify7 min readSpotify7 min read
Published inChange Becomes You·Jan 314 Steps to Digital AddictionHow to use cognitive science to reclaim our freedom. — A friend of mine is a yoga instructor, and she is really frustrated with her students. When she tells her class to take a child’s pose for rest and recovery, they proceed to grab their phones and scroll on their screens instead. Who needs relaxation when you can answer work…Attention Economy13 min readAttention Economy13 min read
Published inGeek Culture·Oct 28, 2022Just Click Accept: Dark Patterns of SuggestionWhile waiting for our flight in one of the big US airports, my kids and I decided to grab a bite to eat. When I pulled out my card to pay, I was shocked to discover that the pin pad asked me for a tip — and even suggested the…Dark Patterns18 min readDark Patterns18 min read
Published inChange Becomes You·Sep 14, 20226 Simple Hacks to Control Cell Phone Distraction“Leave the distracted masses to join a focused few.” — “Leave the distracted masses to join a focused few” Cal Newport, Deep Work. What’s the best way to control smartphone distractions? We intend to work, but instead proceed to scroll through Instagram looking for inspirational quotes about productivity and time management. We look like we are working, but nothing gets done. To do deep meaningful work, we need to perform ONE essential task that is at the…Smartphone Addiction3 min readSmartphone Addiction3 min read
Published inGeek Culture·May 26, 2022Frontiers of Algorithmic DiscriminationDirt in Your Digital Footprint Finding dirt in the digital footprint of individuals is quickly becoming the new standard of risk management. It’s happening. Digital footprint can potentially be used by any industry or authority. Historically, a bankruptcy in your credit history would limit your access to credit. Riskier customers are charged exorbitant interest rates…Algorithmic Bias8 min readAlgorithmic Bias8 min read
Published inGeek Culture·May 19, 2022Healthy, Happy and Wise: Kids’ Offline Relationships in a Digital WorldWe all want our children to grow up to be happy. What would bring them happiness? Is it money? Fame? Good genes? No. There are plenty of people who have all of those, and they are utterly miserable. It turns out that what makes a good life is the quality…Digital Wellbeing8 min readDigital Wellbeing8 min read
Published inGeek Culture·Apr 19, 2022Keep Up with the New — Miss Out on the Important: Novelty Bias and Addictive Technology“We are novelty junkies”. Catherine Price, How to Break Up with Your Phone. Are you interrupted by notifications while trying to work? When you hear your phone buzz, do you find it impossible to resist checking what is NEW? Our rational thinking goes out the window as we prioritize the…Addictive Technology9 min readAddictive Technology9 min read