Two articles appeared recently in national magazines which address the issue of how damaging the amount of time adolescents spend on phones/tables/computers is to them. Specifically, both articles addressed the effect of screen time on adolescent brains and behavior. The first article appeared in The Atlantic in the September 2017 issue. Jean M. Twenge is … Read more
If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know that I have mentioned more than once that male humans are more emotional than female humans, and the difference in emotional expression is particularly true in very young boys. As an example, take a look at this segment interviewing adolescent boys which recently appeared … Read more
The summer is fast coming to an end and, depending on where you live, your son is just about to go back to school, has just gone back to school, or (for those in the southern hemisphere) is in the middle of the winter term. Look at what he’s doing – is he sitting playing … Read more
My parents introduced me to the operettas of Gilbert and Sullivan when I was young and one of my favorite numbers from The Mikado was a song entitled “To let the punishment fit the crime.” I found the song very amusing especially when modernized by various productions. The idea is that when someone does something … Read more
Some years ago, someone asked how hard it was for me to go back to graduate school at age 50. “Didn’t I find it difficult working with all of the smart younger students and didn’t I find it hard to keep up with them?” Actually, no. I found my doctoral program much easier to complete … Read more
Several years ago, Ann-Marie Slaughter wrote an article for The Atlantic magazine entitled Why Women Still Can’t Have it All . She tells the story of what happened after she became the first woman director of policy planning at the State Department. She “had it all” as the saying goes. She was happily married, the mother … Read more
In a few weeks, boys around the world will receive holiday gifts of gaming devices, along with new games to play on those devices. What is likely to happen as a result of receiving these presents is that these boys will shout thanks and then plug themselves into the games for the rest of the … Read more
The prevailing stereotype is that men are not very emotional, but that isn’t true. More and more studies are indicating that while men may not be comfortable verbalizing their emotions, they certainly are emotional. Now, research shows that men who are fathers actually secrete oxytocin the more time they spend with their own infant children. … Read more