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Families and Technology Blog

The Families and Technology Blog is written from the perspective of people who really like technology while loving their families.

Have a look if you're interested in news about how technology affects families and resources that show us how to use technology to enjoy family life and raise better kids.

Parenting and Technology Forum

Converse with like-minded people about technologies effects on your family, on education, and on kids.

The SoftwareTime Forums are a great place to ask a question, share a link to an article, or share an opinion.
 

Newsletters
 

Books We Like

How Computers Affect Our Children's Minds and What We Can Do About It
Healy is a professional educator of wide experience, and a recovering techno-fundamentalist. She is scrupulously fair about the evidence presented in various studies on the ways computers help or hinder learning, and quick to offer positive anecdotes where there are positive ones to be had. (She freely notes, for example, what a miracle computers have been for some handicapped children.) But her conclusions about the routine use of computer technology in the classroom are overwhelmingly—and persuasively—negative.
The Plug-In Drug: Television, Computers and Family Life
In The Plug-In Drug, Marie Winn demonstrates "with devastating persuasiveness" (The Washington Post) that television has a negative impact on child development, school achievement, and family life. But rather than focusing on program improvement as a solution, Winn proposes that the problem lies within the seductive act of TV watching itself. Extensive TV watching alters children's relations with the real world, depriving them of far more valuable real life experiences, especially playing and reading.
Safety Monitor : How to Protect Your Kids Online
Safety Monitor provides hands-on, step-by-step, practical instruction for parents to protect their children from exploitation, sexual predators, adult-only content, pornography, and other harmful content that comes with computer and Internet access.
365 Unplugged Family Activities
Here are ideas for entertaining kids while you cook or for turning sick days into indoor crafts days; ideas for distracting kids while waiting in a long line or for engaging them in games during a long car trip. With The Ultimate Book of Unplugged Family Activities, parents can turn spare time into share time, as well as too-much-time-on their hands into time well spent. Comprehensive and constantly creative, it is a book every household should have within reach.
 

Ideas for Unplugged Activities

The whole idea of unplugging or limiting the time on the computer isn't about sensory deprivation; it's about making time for other activities that exercise our bodies, minds, other senses, and social skills.

For example... Get the kids outside!
Before computers and video games, inside play was reserved for rainy days. The rest of the time we'd be on our bikes or skateboards, or doing some other activities that kept us moving. If the kids have enough friends in the neighborhood, a good pickup game or just horsing around for a few hours will give them plenty of exercise. Instead of buying them another computer or video game, perhaps select something from the outdoor toys section at Amazon.com.
Go fly a kite!
Look what it did for Ben Franklin's career. Flying a kite is a hands on physics experiment that teaches kids a little about aerodynamics and flight, and it's something the whole family can enjoy, regardless of age. But if you really want to keep everybody moving, why not take up juggling with the kids.
Contrary to popular belief, you probably won't shoot your eye out with a Red Ryder 1938 BB Gun, but you will have a lot of fun. After watching A Christmas Story this season with the kids, it was a no-brainer that one of these was going to be under our Christmas tree. It was a hit. Even Grandma and Grandpa enjoyed shooting with us. Highly recommended!
OK. So It's Raining.
Well, that stinks! So much for outdoors, fresh air, and physical exercise. But don't let the screens suck you in without a fight. How about getting the family together and playing some classic games. Scrabble, Yahtzee, Monopoly. Does your family have a family game night? Why not?