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1 week ago | 
katherinemartinko.substack.com | Katherine Martinko
Nick Epley is a psychologist from the University of Chicago. Several years ago, he conducted an interesting study where he asked commuters on trains and buses to make a prediction: How would they feel after having a spontaneous conversation with a stranger next to them? Most thought they'd feel worse. They believed that solitude made for a better commute. So Epley and his team designed an experiment. Participants were divided into three groups.
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1 week ago | 
katherinemartinko.substack.com | Katherine Martinko
Reader Question: "I'd love your thoughts on how to handle tech that other kids bring to your house, on outings, to group dinners, etc. I've noticed a growing number of kids whipping out their phones in social settings, and all the others surround them like moths to a flame. Often there's a quick 'Put that away!' from the kid's parent, but it's never enforced. We had an 11-year-old over to play.
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2 weeks ago | 
katherinemartinko.substack.com | Katherine Martinko
Today is my birthday. I'm sitting in my living room in the semi-darkness of early morning, kids still asleep upstairs, sipping a mug of hot tea. I can hear birds chirping outside, and I am thinking about how strange it feels to get older. Author Neil Pasricha has a fun practice of making a list of things he's learned by the time each birthday rolls around, and I'm going to do that, too. These are in no particular order. Buy the mangoes because they will ripen eventually, and then you'll be glad.
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2 weeks ago | 
katherinemartinko.substack.com | Katherine Martinko
For many years, I worked as a columnist and editor in environmental news. I was a proponent of taking small steps to reduce one's carbon footprint. There is cumulative power in minor acts, repeated over time and modeled for others, even if they don't feel like they're changing the world in the moment. And they have a hopeful effect on individuals, which counts for a lot. I'm no longer working in that field, but that same philosophy applies to dealing with digital media.
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3 weeks ago | 
katherinemartinko.substack.com | Katherine Martinko
Hello, Analog Family readers!You may have noticed an unusual gap in posts. It's because I have been travelling for talks about getting kids off screens! Over the past two weeks, I have delivered presentations in New Jersey, New York, and Washington state, as well as several virtual seminars. I added several days in Tiburon, California, near San Francisco, to visit a close friend and her family. It has been gratifying to connect with hundreds of audience members who care deeply about these issues.
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1 month ago | 
katherinemartinko.substack.com | Katherine Martinko
Whenever I read an interesting book about digital media, screen time habits, or behavioural psychology, I have a burning question for the author: "What are the screen time rules in your own home?" Authors are cagey about this. They don't want to reveal too many personal details, which is understandable from a privacy perspective, but this can undermine the potency of their argument. It would be so helpful to know how they handle things on a daily basis within their own households.
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1 month ago | 
katherinemartinko.substack.com | Katherine Martinko
Derek Thompson's feature piece in last month's Atlantic magazine has got many people buzzing about the surge in societal isolation. There has been an "astounding change" in our habits, with adults spending an additional 99 minutes a day at home in 2022, compared to 2003, and much of that time is spent alone. One big reason is that modern homes offer many of the conveniences that, previously, we had to go out to find, which would bring us into contact with other people.
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1 month ago | 
katherinemartinko.substack.com | Katherine Martinko
I have only seen one Light Phone so far in my life, and it literally stopped me in my tracks. I was walking out the front door of a school in Indianapolis, where I’d just given a talk, and the host, a man named Bob, pulled one out of his pocket. I froze. “Wait! Is that a Light Phone?!” He graciously took a moment to show it to me. He said it’s been life-changing, and he loves it. I was a bit envious of Bob’s phone.
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1 month ago | 
katherinemartinko.substack.com | Katherine Martinko
If you’re at all worried about how much time young children spend on devices, your concerns are justified. Common Sense Media has released a census on young children’s screen time habits, called “Media Use by Kids Zero to Eight.” It is the first such report since early 2020, before the pandemic, and its findings are cause for alarm. Children aged 8 and under spend an average of 2.5 hours per day on screens. There is significant variation among different ages.
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1 month ago | 
katherinemartinko.substack.com | Katherine Martinko
I spent last weekend alone in Edmonton, Alberta. I flew in to speak at a teachers' convention, which happened on the morning of the first day. (It went great. I'm booking more gigs if you need a speaker!) Then I had another 24 hours to explore the city. It was my first time in Edmonton, though I've given a surprising amount of thought to this city over the years. When I was a teenager, my 75-year-old grandmother called to invite me to a wedding. "Whose is it?" I asked. "Mine," she said.