{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"","title":"#30 How The Internet Is Messing With Our Brains. Abigail Baird: How Do We Fix It?","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/6100770b31fd81f125b34d81/610077419a9767001477dcc9.jpg?height=200","description":"We love our smartphones, tablets, and laptops. But what is the explosion in mobile technology doing to our brains?\n\nOur guest, Professor Abigail Baird,is a developmental psychologist,expert on the teenage brain and mother of two young children. She says technology has great benefits, but also could have a negative impact on our conversations, memory and social life. \n\nThe brain's craving for novelty - for constant stimulation and instant gratification - makes our tech toys seem irresistible. So how do we put balance in our lives?\n\nAbigail's fixes include time-out zones and no-screen places and events. Parents, she says, \"should consider what is best for their families. For instance, I love the idea of 'no phone in the car.'\"\n\nAnother tip for parents is to beware of tethering - when college students sometimes call home at least several times a day.\n\n\"Hard as it is for parents, once kids head off to college, they really need to rely on their interpersonal networks at school, not calling home.\" \n\nAnother fix: \"As adults we have to set good examples to our children and not get too attached to our own screens.\"","author_name":"DaviesContent"}