Episode 34: Staying Present in a Distracted World

Summary: In this episode, I continue reflecting on the role technology plays in our lives, especially in parenting, education, and our kids’ development. Inspired by conversations from Jonathan Haidt and the Your Undivided Attention podcast, I explore the ripple effects of screen time, AI, and digital media on childhood, attention, and learning.

We talk about everything from fear-based parenting and the decline of play, to the rise of “continuous partial attention” and the cognitive offloading happening with younger tech users. I share why deep reading still matters, how most ed tech isn't made by educators, and what happens when students are expected to self-direct before they’re ready.

There’s so much to process, but one thing is clear: if we want to guide kids through a digital world, we have to stay engaged ourselves.

🎧Podcasts

The Happiness Lab: How Smartphones Changed Childhood (And What to do about it) (Listen Here)

Feel Better, Live More: How Smartphones are Rewiring our Brains: Jonathan Haidt (Listen Here)

Oprah and Jonathan Haidt on How Kids can Choose Fun and Freedom in a Screen Filled World (Listen Here)

📚 Books

The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness By Jonathan Haidt

How to Break Up with Your Cell Phone: The 30 Day Plan to Take Back Your Life by Catherine Price

The Amazing Generation: Your Guide to Fun and Freedom is a Screen Filled World By Jonathan Haidt and Catherine Price Illustrations by Cinthia Yuan Cheng

🌟 Let’s Connect:

• Instagram: @virginia.markman
• Facebook: @virginiacrablemarkman

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