A poster titled “Keys to Understand Generation Z” lists seven characteristics that differentiate this generation from those that came before. Most of the poster’s observations are generalizations of limited value. However, one comment is particularly cutting—and also false. The poster claims that the members of Generation Z (or Gen Z) are “digital … Read more
Right now, smartphone addiction is out of control. Things have reached such a point that the average American checks his phone 352 times a day—once every two minutes and 43 seconds. But right now, a restaurant in Italy—and free wine—is doing what many thought impossible: It is separating people from their phones. … Read more
Distraction has always been a teacher’s biggest problem. After all, lessons can only take root if students are paying attention. Distractions are inevitable. No teacher, no matter how skilled, can filter them all out. Kids bring their distractions to school with them. A sick parent, a lost dog, lack of breakfast, an … Read more
“Sent from my shiny companion that’s taken over my life.” That tagline appears at the bottom of any e-mail sent from the smartphone of a friend’s daughter. When I first saw it, I chuckled and thought that such a sentiment was strange for a teenager. Yet there are signs that some young … Read more
Wherever you go, people are on their “smartphones.” In airports, restaurants or on the street, people are almost permanently glued to their devices, obsessed with the idea that they cannot exist without being connected to the cyber world. Thus, they text and tweet, email and Google, follow and like in an effort … Read more
A couple of summers ago, an old building in Topeka, Kansas was razed by a spectacular implosion. It was a large, 14-story structure, a minor landmark in the downtown area, and the event was scheduled for a Sunday morning so as not to interfere with traffic and commercial activity. Although the implosion … Read more
Latin American revolutions are often bloody affairs. Images of Che Guevara-type guerrillas backed by Soviet military hardware and overthrowing corrupt regimes are the stuff of outdated and maudlin Marxist mythology. Such images are old hat. South of the border, something new is emerging. Today’s guerrillas are on the Internet. They are armed … Read more