Back To Basics - Face-To-Face

It is not much different than when; Bill and I began talking about certain events (Choking Game, Cyber Bullying, Sexting, etc.), that were taking place on the Internet and we got the look of deer in the headlights. For Dr. Mack R Hicks, author of “The Digital Pandemic” to address that we are in danger of losing that face-to-face relationship and that we ought to be concerned about the well-being of our children and their families might get the same expression of the later mentioned deer.

The CyberHood Watch partners, Dave & Bill, tried to recognize risky behaviors early, which were occurring on the Internet and tried to be the Paul Revere to warn our communities through our web sites. Not so much different than Dr. Mack R Hicks, who has recognized a potential hidden danger children, as well as adults, may be involved with and unaware of the dangers?

Maybe It's Time To Disconnect And Re-Think The Digital Age!

Dr. Mack pointed out that we and specifically children may be serving the needs of technology rather than technology serving the needs of the people. Moreover, we may be doing this at the expense of losing personal motivation, creative abilities, and becoming passive learners. This is a concept that Bill and I have alluded to many times. We are so wrapped up in the moment with the “aweness” of technologies that our blinders prevent us from recognizing its potential “hidden dangers”. These dangers are not the obvious ones like Cyber Bullying, Sexting, and many others, but the overall behavioral effects of our children consumed in the digital machines, as Dr. Mack describes in The Digital Pandemic.

Dr. Mack R. Hicks is a neuropsychologist who founded a not-for-profit center and 14 Center Academy schools, including the first school for dyslexics in England. Dr. Mack practiced as a licensed psychologist for over 30 years. Dr. Mack has recognized that the current steady diet of technology is altering the behavior of children, and believes the process is affecting our children’s brains.  Technology is altering the family and the face-to-face relationships needed for healthy developmental relationships with peers, and within the family. Mack urges everyone to reevaluate their technology use and consider the family first and how technology can best serve the family and not the other way around. Maybe it is time to disconnect and regroup.

How Much Is Too Much?

Children are being stimulated and not being motivated, which in the long run affects their goals and the future development of human relationships. According to Dr. Mack we need to take a look at our dependency on all things digital. We are becoming too dependent on our computers, smart phones, IM’s, and email messages, and losing the face-to-face relationships that afford us that human touch.

When, I mentioned the Sixth Sense project demonstrated at the “Ted” conference and the technology demonstrated, which is considered the beginnings of real time information, Dr. Mack, pointed out that even as great as the Sixth Sense was it couldn’t provide the warmth, the firmness, nor the touch of the human handshake. We must remember that technology needs to serve us and not consume us and our family relationships.

Dr. Mack pointed out that we need to focus on the family first and then add the technology, not as the focal point but, as a secondary tool to assist the family and our lifestyles. If we maintain our present course serving technology, we may run the chance of becoming more and more dependent, which may lead to obsessive behavior and even addiction.

Like, I indicated in the beginning, Bill and I have made every effort to communicate with our communities and help them to become aware of the hidden dangers children, families, and businesses face in the Digital Age. The same holds true of what Dr. Mack Hicks is communicating with all of us, and that is we need to recognize the hidden dangers of being plugged in to the digital “matrix”. It is an awareness Dr. Mack is communicating with all of us, and the potential long term affects that total blind indulgence in the digital machines may have on our children, families, businesses, and our society in the future.

A phrase I coined seems to apply here: “Does the future of the Internet (Digital Age) belong to our children or does the future of our children belong to the Internet (Digital Age)?”

Click here to watch an interesting TV interview with Dr. Mack R. Hicks.

david c ballard

Related Blogs

• How To Send Large File Attachment Via Email, Maximum 100MB Limit …
• Scam Of The Day » Blog Archive » VIEW ATTACHMENT FROM FBI
• YouTube Enhances Automatic Caption Capability | Tech Readers
• The iPod generation ignores iTunes LP digital albums – Apple / Mac …
• Reinvention At Digital Shops: From Online Advertisers To Tech …
• Amazon Kindle: Better Web Access Coming? | Peter Kafka | MediaMemo …
• FCC to Propose National Digital Literacy Corps and New Spending …
• vul.hackerjournals.com » [DSA2008] DSA-2008-1 typo3-src
• How to Create a Fancy Image Gallery with CSS3 | Admix Web
• On Tap for Facebook: New Technology for Linking to Web Sites …
• Smartphones are game changing technology! « Muharem Hrnjadovic
• » Baltimore Technology Park expanding

Highlight any portion you want:

Technorati Tags: Address, Adults, Amp, Blinders, Choking Game, Creative Abilities, Deer In The Headlights, Digital Pandemic, Expression, Hidden Danger, Mack, Neuropsychologist, Passive Learners, Paul Revere, People, Personal Motivation, Profit Center, Relationship, Risky Behaviors, Technology

Cause for Concern: National Study Shows Reversal in Decade-Long Declines in Teen Abuse of Drugs and Alcohol After a decade of consistent declines in teen drug abuse, a new national study released today by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America® and MetLife Foundation points to marked upswings in use of drugs that teens are likely to encounter at parties and in other social situations. According to the 2009 Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS), sponsored by MetLife Foundation, the number of teens in grades 9-12 that used alcohol in the past month has grown by 11 percent (from 35 percent in 2008 to 39 percent in 2009), past year Ecstasy use shows a 67 percent increase (from 6 percent in 2008 to 10 percent in 2009) and past year marijuana use shows a 19 percent increase (from 32 percent in 2008 to 38 percent in 2009). The PATS data mark a reversal in the remarkable, sustained declines in several drugs of abuse among teens: methamphetamine (meth) was down by over 60 percent and past month alcohol and marijuana use had decreased a full 30 percent over the past decade from 1998-2008. More Teens Using Alcohol, Ecstasy and Marijuana Makes Early Parental Action Even More Critical “These new PATS data should put all parents on notice that they have to pay closer attention to their kids’ behavior – especially their social interactions – and they must take action just as soon as they think their child may be using drugs or drinking,” said Steve Pasierb, president and CEO of the Partnership. The resurgence in teen drug and alcohol use comes at a time when pro-drug cues in popular culture – in film, television and online – abound, and when funding for federal prevention programs has been declining for several years. This places an even greater burden on parents. Parents Not Acting Early Enough, Need to Take Immediate Action Among the parents surveyed for the PATS study, 20 percent say their child (ages 10-19) has already used drugs or alcohol beyond an “experimental” level. Among parents of teens ages 14-19, that percentage jumps to 31 percent, nearly one third. Disturbingly, among those parents of teens who have used, nearly half (47 percent) either waited to take action or took no action at all – which studies show put those children at greater risk of continued use and negative consequences. Time To Act: Resource to Help Parents Take Immediate Action, Safeguarding Kids The Partnership encourages parents of children who are using drugs or alcohol to take action as soon as they suspect or know their child is using and Time To Act provides parents with free, anonymous access to the most current, research-based information on how to help their child. Time To Act, offers step-by-step advice and sympathetic guidance from substance abuse experts, family therapists, scientists and fellow parents to help guide families through the process of understanding drug and alcohol use, confronting a child, setting boundaries, and seeking outside help. Because research tells us that kids in grades 7-12 who learn a lot about the dangers of drugs from their parents are up to 50 percent less likely to ever use, parents are encouraged to have frequent ongoing conversations with their children about the dangers of drugs and alcohol and take early action if they think their child is using or might have a problem. To learn more about Time To Act and for more information on the full PATS study results, please visit drugfree.org. Thank you, Stephen J. Pasierb President & CEO

Read more about Dangerous-Drugs

Related articles by Zemanta

• Study: Teen pot, alcohol use rising (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Recognizing Drugs And (slideshare.net)

Related Blogs

• Teenage smoking 'leads to increased susceptibility to alcohol …
• Alcohol Rehabilitation San Diego | Sober Recovery Articles

Highlight any portion you want:

Technorati Tags: Abuse Of Drugs, Drug And Alcohol, Drug Free America, Drugs Alcohol, Drugs And Alcohol, Drugs Of Abuse, Federal Prevention, Film Television, Foundation Points, Methamphetamine, Metlife, Metlife Foundation, Partnership Attitude, Partnership For A Drug Free America, Prevention Programs, Resurgence, Social Interactions, Social Situations, Steve Pasierb, Teen Drug Abuse

The CyberHood Watch Week In Review with Digital Dave and MegaByte Bill…

david c ballard

Related Blogs

• Think It Wont Happen To You Dangerous Drugs | The CyberHood Watch Blog
• The CyberHood Watch – Safe Digital Ideas…
• SO WHAT IS Rock Bottom??!! Tiger Woods? or A Skid Row Bum? | The …
• VOTE NOW to help bring an end to human trafficking! | The …
• Parents and Teenagers and Blogging… Techonoglogy who does what?
• Bears Who Bully – Meet Friend & Patch…The Empowered Bears! | The …
• The fourth CyberHood Watch appearance is the BEST! PC Pandora …
• The “Good Cause” – Vote For The CyberHood Watch – Pepsi Refresh …
• You Are Never Alone When You Understand "Consequential Strangers …
• Nexus One Android Smartphone Review — The Gadgeteer
• TELUS Motorola MILESTONE Review « Boy Genius Report

Highlight any portion you want:

Technorati Tags: Amp, Android, Anna Kendrick, Appearance, Ballard, Barak Obama, Bears, Betting Odds, Blog, Boy Genius Report, Bum, Campaign Poster, Canada Kids, Carpet Interviews, Dangerous Drugs, David C, Digital Dave, Digital Ideas, Food Industry, Gadgeteer, Glasgow University, Height Increase, How To Increase Height, Human Trafficking, Jella, Jungle Jim, Knockouts, March 1, Milestone, Miley Cyrus, Miss Pooja, Nexus, Pandora, Parents, Pepsi, Petar, Red Carpet, Rock Bottom, Secret Hiding Place, Skid Row, Spring Elections, Teenagers, Tiger, Tiger Woods, Vote

Well, if a picture is worth a thousand words – then each of these animated characters are novels.

No need for me to do any further explaining that is the purpose of the video, bear with me though…I promise you will see improvement as I do more. However, if you have a topic that you think would work well with this format let me know? I’ll be glad to give it a try.

david c ballard

Related Blogs

• Do we need a new tech literacy? (Behind the “big data” services …
• Java Security 02 – how to set up JBoss with CAS Single Sign On …
• Elegant Code » Introducing oEmbed

Highlight any portion you want:

Technorati Tags: Ballard, Blogs, Crib Sheet, David C, Desperate Housewives, Desperate Housewives Season 4, Digital Ideas, Drafting Table, Elegant Code, Height Advantage, Java Security, Jboss, Jennifer Aniston, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Josh Rock, La Kings, Lexus 470, Literacy, Manny Pacquiao, Mayweather Mosley, Measuring Tape, Name Game, Novels, Ok Magazine, Perfume Name, Tech Data, Time Out New York, Triplepoint, World Elite

No More - Do Something - Support Your ICAC-TF

A recent article in The Salt Lake Tribune, written by Peg McEntee, covers the topic of Child pornography, and for a brief moment a light exposes a dark element of our society. And for many they would prefer not to look because it makes them feel uneasy.

I read the reviews and it is not surprising how varied the reactions were. They ranged from accusing Peg of sensationalizing a tragic issue to leveraging child pornography issues by associating the heinous crime with a political figure.

There are extreme feelings, and rightly so, regarding the issues presented in the article. However, in Peg McEntee’s  second article, the comments seem to be less of a crowd-hanging mentality and more recognition of the hard work Internet Crimes Against Children – Task Force (ICAC-TF) is doing for all our children. In an interview with Detective Kevin Conde, Marysville Police Department, ICAC-TF, Detective Conde pointed out that when an ICAC officer working child pornography reaches his limit, his escape from working child pornography is to transfer to working homicide for awhile. That was a comment I have never forgotten.

Peg McEntee

In the final series, Peg covers what it takes to help the victim to deal with such a heinous crime. The three part series solicited more than a hundred comments from its readers, and not until the third part of the series did anyone, other than “UTrez”, ask “Why isn’t there a serious investigation of the problem of men acting this way? If it were any other group, that is what the focus would be on.”  Something else I noticed was the overwhelming statement, just proceeding castration, dismemberment, hanging, and death for the child pornographer was how “sick minded” these individuals must be to commit such horrific and perverted acts upon children.

They are sick – they are sick and addicted to pornography. They have reached a limit that is only satisfied by more sadistic and perverted acts. It is said it is easier for a heroin addict to kick his or her addiction habit than it is to kick pornography addiction. Peg describes the living conditions of an occupants living quarters who was arrested by ICAC-TF.

The CyberHood Watch Support Utah ICAC-TF

“Inside, they find filth. Thirty or more empty cans of cat food on the kitchen floor and fast-food bags everywhere. Mold around the toilet. A bare bed; at its foot a computer monitor and three hard-drives full of child pornography. A singular bit of evidence, often found in such homes, are the many bottles full of urine the men use so they don’t have to take their eyes off the screen.

“I wish you could put the smell” on the tape, one agent says.

“These guys get so addicted to child porn that every waking moment is spent with it,” says McQuiston, then commander of the ICAC unit. “The house goes to garbage. Nothing else matters.”

Attorney General Mark Shurtleff Our Guest On CHWradio.com

Interviews we have had, including Rhett McQuiston, Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, Derek VanLuchene, Patrick Trueman, Heather Steele, Robin Sax, Nancy McBride, and many others on CHWradio, no one has ever mentioned that rehabilitation works. We have asked that question, “Can you rehabilitate child molesters and those dealing in child pornography?” No one has confirmed any knowledge that rehabilitation worked.

For those who have been molested, “moabmike” left this comment:

“Thank you for this series, Ms. McEntee. I am a survivor of childhood incest. I just want to clarify something about some children, as a result of being drugged, not having a memory of what happened. This same lack of ability of immediate recall may also be due to the traumatic nature of the abuse.

I also hope that you can do some reporting on the number of adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse and the burdens that they carry. Reliable and conservative statistics show that 1 in 6 men and 1 in 4 women were sexually abused before reaching the age of 18. They live lives characterized by crushing isolation, persistent terror, guilt, shame and overwhelming sorrow.

You have talked of the children who are rescued, believed and offered all the help that is available. Literally hundreds of thousands more, just in Utah, are never discovered and must make their way through life as best they can, carrying the burdens mentioned above. Many turn to drugs to alleviate the pain. And many kill themselves.

Please, at some point, try to speak to them and tell them: You are not alone! It was not your fault! You can recover!

Thank you.”

The CyberHood Watch Says Stop Child Pornography

The subject of child pornography and the pornography industry in general is difficult and very uncomfortable for many to discuss, little lone read about it and mentally have to visualize the reality of what happens young prepubescent children in the process. However, as difficult as it may be for many in our communities that is no excuse to be ignorant of its reality. Complacency and denial is what keeps it hidden, and allows those involved assurances they can keep indulging in their addiction. Individuals working ICAC-TF will deal with the ugliness of the crime, and the rest of us need to support what they are doing to stop these horrific crimes perpetrated against children.

A key point that surfaces frequently with guests on CHWradio, which The CyberHood Watch community shares consistently with their community and it costs nothing, is Communication and Awareness. Together good communication and helping others to become more aware of problems that exist, will help others to become educated and empowered to take action.

david c ballard

Related articles by Zemanta

• Youth leader’s porn arrest shocks pastor (new.exchristian.net)
• King County dentist facing child porn charges — again (seattlepi.com)
• The Desire that Dare Not Speak Its Name (meganmcardle.theatlantic.com)
• Food for Thought (meganmcardle.theatlantic.com)

Highlight any portion you want:

Technorati Tags: Acting This Way, Child Pornographer, Child Pornography Issues, Crimes Against Children, Dark Element, Dismemberment, Extreme Feelings, Heinous Crime, Homicide, Icac, Internet Crimes Against Children, Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Kevin Conde, Marysville Police Department, Mcentee, Mentality, Peg, Recent Article, Salt Lake Tribune, Work Internet