About Families and Technology

Families and Technology…

Through the ages mankind has improved their living conditions and become more productive through the application of new tools and methods for accomplishing things. More than ever, technology shapes our lives. It pervades so many of our activities that we can hardly imagine living without it. Our grandparents wonder how it is that we can actually live with all of the distractions.

Technology is suppoed to improve our productivity and help us accomplish things. It must, therefore, be good. Right? We embrace and adopt technology because we assume it is all good.

Fewer people stop to question the assumptions and notice detrimental effects. Are we benefiting overall, as human beings, from all of this involvement of technology in our lives?

We’re spending many hours a day connected via computer, iPods, iPhones, Blackberries, MySpace, FaceBook, IM, email, World of Warcraft, and blogging. Are other important activities being pushed out of our lives?

Are we socializing, imagining, exercising, exploring our world, learning, creating, being as environmentally conscious as previous generations did? Are we developing health problems by overusing technology? Obesity, cancer, vitamin D deficiency, repetitive stress injuries?

There is good news and bad, and I’ll try to keep posting balanced. I try to focus on technologies and trends that are family related, from infants through grandparents.

You can help keep it balanced too. Disagree with my viewpoint? You can comment on any post, so give me and others a piece of your wisdom! Have a story that you want us to know about? Please feel free to contact me at mark.sicignano@softwaretime.com or leave a comment on a related blog post.

If you’re wondering how this blog is related to SoftwareTime, I am a co-founder of the company and co-creator of ComputerTime, which has helped so many parents deal with the stressful activity of managing their kids time on their computers.

You can enjoy this blog without much in the way of blatant self-promotion. We don’t talk a lot about ComputerTime here, aside from unique stories that involve it, and announcements of new releases. Subscribe to our feed or join the mailing list so you don’t miss a thing!

Please stay in touch!

-mark