November 7th, 2016
Ok. I'm no science geek but, lately, I have found three areas of interest converging in my life.
1) I posted about the innovative treatments for concussions using light, sound, electrical stimulation and movement last week.
2) I also posted about the annoying presence of lice in our schools. After my daughters were contaminated at a sleepover this summer, I went Rambo on the beasties. I still check them every week, much to their chagrin and, as soon as they scratch their head, I am up and over them, scrutinizing their scalps. In short, I think I've lost my mind. They would agree. I hated those lice so much and I never want to go through that experience again.
3) Ever since I met with cancer survivors and interviewed them for the paper, I have been investigating alternative treatments. I watched, The Truth About Cancer and read about the use of marijuana, herbs, teas, energy therapies, oxygen therapy and essential oils.
So, the other day, my husband and I were driving to lunch and he laughed at my obsession with lice. I had recently watched The Nature of Things's special on concussion treatments. My husband and I were fantasizing about ways to kill lice. We imagined a hot cap that was safe for children but too hot for lice. He's a hairstylist and they have warm caps to help set hair dye so, the caps already exist, they just need to be warmer. Then we imagined a vacuum that would suction out the lice and nits. You'd just comb through and part the hair then suction the buggers out. My husband suggested that if we ate certain foods, it may make our blood taste bad to lice and they wouldn't attach to our scalps. Then, of course, is the solution of applying a substance to the scalp that the lice hate (like tea tree) so they would not attach to it. We eventually reached our destination and our conversation headed in a different direction.
That night, I had an idea while I slept. What if we could use a vibration to kill the lice? I shared this idea with my husband at breakfast. I said we could kill lice with a frequency. He was thinking that I meant a colour frequency. That may also be an approach, but I was talking about sound. I looked it up and found research done by Royal Raymon Rife in the 1930s. He was studying bacteria and disease. He found that a diseased cell had a different frequency from a healthy cell. He measured the frequency of diseased cells and found that he could cure just about any illness by changing its frequency or augmenting its frequency until it exploded. Here's the neat thing about it, the frequency would not harm any other cell because they are not vibrating at the same frequency.
Rife created a device to administer the correct frequency for various ailments, including cancer. There is a list of all the wealthy people who tried to buy this technology from Rife. In the end, his research and his inventions were suppressed. There is no money to be made in curing illnesses. Chronic and terminal illnesses generate so much money through pharmaceuticals.
If you visit this website, http://altered-states.net, you will see the frequencies that were documented for each organ in the body. Rife also identified the frequencies of diseases and catalogued them. His electrical devices which tune into the correct frequency and treat the diseased cells are still available for purchase today, long after his death. This is fascinating! I would love to find the lice frequency and treat every child in the school to obliterate those little buggers (the lice) once and for all.
For more information on the use of frequencies to heal the body, go to http://altered-states.net/barry/newsletter420/
Showing posts with label technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label technology. Show all posts
Monday, 7 November 2016
Tuesday, 27 September 2016
Turning Children into Consumers-One App at a Time
September 27th, 2016
If you have children between the ages of 6-12, chances are they play on technology some of the time. Even if you ban technology from your home, unless you are homeschooling them, they will be exposed to apps through school. They may use apps as rewards or as a teaching tool. Other children may be discussing how fun certain games are and, if you have a sleepover, at some point, there will be talk of technology. Someone always brings a phone or tablet resulting in tech play.
My daughters have been exposed to certain games over time. There is an app that uses monsters to teach phonics and spelling to children. There were Strawberry Shortcake games where you learned real recipes and My Little Pony games that taught math skills. This is great stuff, educational, good clean fun. However, after a sleepover, my daughters were wanting to download a new game, Talking Angela. The whole game was about deciding what she would wear then answering her questions as she sat at a cafe. Angela is a cat but she asks what you like to do, where you live, how many people are in your family and she shares stories then expects the children to speak about their lives as well.It freaked me out. I asked the girls how they knew who they were talking to and why they thought a cartoon cat would be asking these questions. I deleted that app.
Recently, I've noticed a new trend. A good friend of my daughter's introduced her to Hollywood Stories. In this game, attractive animated women get dressed up, go for auditions and put on shows. They can communicate with their friends and other people they have allowed into their circle. They all have fake names so it could be anyone. The goal is to shop and invite people to your premiere. The women speak to each other while striking a pose. In order to shop, you need to earn points and you do so by watching commercials. The kids know this so they click every time they see a pop-up ad for a commercial. They sit through it knowing they will get extra points to buy more stuff. Other people can go through your portfolio (the clothing you have purchased and looks you created), and vote on it. It is all very superficial. Initially, I thought Hollywood Stories was the only app that worked that way but it is quite common.
So, to recap, the goal of these games is to buy stuff. In order to buy stuff, you need to watch ads (you are paid to expose yourself to advertising). You are rewarded based on the opinion of others (external evaluation) and the amount of stuff you have. These games are training our children to consume and to base their value on what others think. That is alarming. Add to this the fact that some children are on technology for hours at a time and that far too many of them lack the amount of social interaction and connection they need to develop adequate social skills. If you have no real life connections and are bombarded by messages about your worth based on acquisition of stuff and status and we have a serious issue. I don't know what the long term consequences will be. My hope is that the pendulum swings back and children turn away from technology. A return to the outdoors and community connections is what I'd like to see. Only time will tell. For now, I am unplugging my children and making time to connect with them before it's too late.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
If you have children between the ages of 6-12, chances are they play on technology some of the time. Even if you ban technology from your home, unless you are homeschooling them, they will be exposed to apps through school. They may use apps as rewards or as a teaching tool. Other children may be discussing how fun certain games are and, if you have a sleepover, at some point, there will be talk of technology. Someone always brings a phone or tablet resulting in tech play.
My daughters have been exposed to certain games over time. There is an app that uses monsters to teach phonics and spelling to children. There were Strawberry Shortcake games where you learned real recipes and My Little Pony games that taught math skills. This is great stuff, educational, good clean fun. However, after a sleepover, my daughters were wanting to download a new game, Talking Angela. The whole game was about deciding what she would wear then answering her questions as she sat at a cafe. Angela is a cat but she asks what you like to do, where you live, how many people are in your family and she shares stories then expects the children to speak about their lives as well.It freaked me out. I asked the girls how they knew who they were talking to and why they thought a cartoon cat would be asking these questions. I deleted that app.
Recently, I've noticed a new trend. A good friend of my daughter's introduced her to Hollywood Stories. In this game, attractive animated women get dressed up, go for auditions and put on shows. They can communicate with their friends and other people they have allowed into their circle. They all have fake names so it could be anyone. The goal is to shop and invite people to your premiere. The women speak to each other while striking a pose. In order to shop, you need to earn points and you do so by watching commercials. The kids know this so they click every time they see a pop-up ad for a commercial. They sit through it knowing they will get extra points to buy more stuff. Other people can go through your portfolio (the clothing you have purchased and looks you created), and vote on it. It is all very superficial. Initially, I thought Hollywood Stories was the only app that worked that way but it is quite common.
So, to recap, the goal of these games is to buy stuff. In order to buy stuff, you need to watch ads (you are paid to expose yourself to advertising). You are rewarded based on the opinion of others (external evaluation) and the amount of stuff you have. These games are training our children to consume and to base their value on what others think. That is alarming. Add to this the fact that some children are on technology for hours at a time and that far too many of them lack the amount of social interaction and connection they need to develop adequate social skills. If you have no real life connections and are bombarded by messages about your worth based on acquisition of stuff and status and we have a serious issue. I don't know what the long term consequences will be. My hope is that the pendulum swings back and children turn away from technology. A return to the outdoors and community connections is what I'd like to see. Only time will tell. For now, I am unplugging my children and making time to connect with them before it's too late.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
Friday, 16 September 2016
Online Dating
September 16th, 2016
In the last week, I heard about three couples who met online. One of those couples has decided to tie the knot over the weekend. I started thinking about this new trend, analyzing it, as one does, to figure out why this new approach to dating has gained such popularity.
I am very social but quite shy and sometimes awkward when I am around new people. It takes a while for me to feel comfortable. I was thinking that online dating would be great for someone like myself who prefers to get to know someone in writing first. That way, you already know that you have something in common and you feel comfortable with this potential mate prior to meeting him. I should mention here that I am married and therefore speculating. I met my husband, in person, 14 years ago.
The fear of rejection can be another factor leading to online dating. When you have a blind date with someone, in person, you are putting yourself out there, hoping that there will be a mutual attraction. It can be heartbreaking if you meet at the designated place and one of the two has a less than enthusiastic response. I have heard of people making up excuses and leaving early, having a friend come and interrupt the date or, even worse, walking right by the person if they don't know what you look like. The person who gets stood up sits there hoping you are late but you never show up. That is terrible. Online, you either communicate or you don't. They have already seen your photo so if they reach out to you, obviously, they are interested in you.
Picking Mr. Wrong. Do you always pick the worst person in the room? Some people have a knack for attracting jerks. When you fill out the form online, the profiles that come up have matching wishes and interests. This initial filter and selection process ensures you are more likely to meet someone compatible. You may know that you want a stable, permanent relationship yet you attract one night stands with married men. As you fill out questionnaires online, you will be selecting the type of man who also wants a permanent relationship.
When you meet someone you are attracted to, you may become physically involved with him too soon. You haven't really talked about what either of you is looking for and whether your intentions are compatible. You see, you try, you like. Once the relationship is sexually active, especially if the sex is really good, you may spend months exploring each other and talking very little. This can lead to disappointment down the line when you realize he's a gambler, he's married, he hates kids and you have three from a previous marriage etc. When you start out online, you have already filled out the questionnaires re: children, smoking, habits, intentions etc. This gives you an advantage. You can begin with a baseline of knowledge, ask questions about whatever is important to you and head into face to face encounters aware of what this person has to offer.
The online option also works well for busy professionals. You can connect with people quickly whenever you are available. Even if you are in different time zones, you can write to each other whenever it is convenient for you, knowing your potential partner will respond within their time frame. There is excitement as each person awaits a message from the other. You can get a feel for each other through Skype or Face Time, perhaps sharing a meal together over the internet. The person slowly becomes part of your routine and you get to maintain your privacy. The difficulty with dating someone who lives far away emerges when you become serious and one of you needs to move to another city or country. Another issue could be when you want to introduce the love of your life to your children. If you have been interacting mostly online with someone and have fallen in love, it may take some time for your loved ones to become familiar with this new person.
Obviously, you need to be vigilant anytime you do something online. They could look different from their photo or be lying in their profile (age, employment, marital status). You need to do your research but, for busy professionals who don't have the time to socialize a great deal or, for shy individuals who have a difficult time connecting with new people, this could be a great solution.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
In the last week, I heard about three couples who met online. One of those couples has decided to tie the knot over the weekend. I started thinking about this new trend, analyzing it, as one does, to figure out why this new approach to dating has gained such popularity.
I am very social but quite shy and sometimes awkward when I am around new people. It takes a while for me to feel comfortable. I was thinking that online dating would be great for someone like myself who prefers to get to know someone in writing first. That way, you already know that you have something in common and you feel comfortable with this potential mate prior to meeting him. I should mention here that I am married and therefore speculating. I met my husband, in person, 14 years ago.
The fear of rejection can be another factor leading to online dating. When you have a blind date with someone, in person, you are putting yourself out there, hoping that there will be a mutual attraction. It can be heartbreaking if you meet at the designated place and one of the two has a less than enthusiastic response. I have heard of people making up excuses and leaving early, having a friend come and interrupt the date or, even worse, walking right by the person if they don't know what you look like. The person who gets stood up sits there hoping you are late but you never show up. That is terrible. Online, you either communicate or you don't. They have already seen your photo so if they reach out to you, obviously, they are interested in you.
Picking Mr. Wrong. Do you always pick the worst person in the room? Some people have a knack for attracting jerks. When you fill out the form online, the profiles that come up have matching wishes and interests. This initial filter and selection process ensures you are more likely to meet someone compatible. You may know that you want a stable, permanent relationship yet you attract one night stands with married men. As you fill out questionnaires online, you will be selecting the type of man who also wants a permanent relationship.
When you meet someone you are attracted to, you may become physically involved with him too soon. You haven't really talked about what either of you is looking for and whether your intentions are compatible. You see, you try, you like. Once the relationship is sexually active, especially if the sex is really good, you may spend months exploring each other and talking very little. This can lead to disappointment down the line when you realize he's a gambler, he's married, he hates kids and you have three from a previous marriage etc. When you start out online, you have already filled out the questionnaires re: children, smoking, habits, intentions etc. This gives you an advantage. You can begin with a baseline of knowledge, ask questions about whatever is important to you and head into face to face encounters aware of what this person has to offer.
The online option also works well for busy professionals. You can connect with people quickly whenever you are available. Even if you are in different time zones, you can write to each other whenever it is convenient for you, knowing your potential partner will respond within their time frame. There is excitement as each person awaits a message from the other. You can get a feel for each other through Skype or Face Time, perhaps sharing a meal together over the internet. The person slowly becomes part of your routine and you get to maintain your privacy. The difficulty with dating someone who lives far away emerges when you become serious and one of you needs to move to another city or country. Another issue could be when you want to introduce the love of your life to your children. If you have been interacting mostly online with someone and have fallen in love, it may take some time for your loved ones to become familiar with this new person.
Obviously, you need to be vigilant anytime you do something online. They could look different from their photo or be lying in their profile (age, employment, marital status). You need to do your research but, for busy professionals who don't have the time to socialize a great deal or, for shy individuals who have a difficult time connecting with new people, this could be a great solution.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
Thursday, 19 May 2016
We are not computers
May 19th, 2016
This discussion has come up with so many people lately, I decided I should blog about it. Technology was never meant to speed things up. The intention was to create more time for the important people and activities in our lives by delegating menial, busy work to a machine. However, we did not know how to make the most of this extra time. We didn't spend more time eating meals as a family or reading great books. Instead, we worked longer hours, doubled our workload and multi-tasked. We also moved off the land and created office cubicles.
We can observe the impact of technology on our nutrition. We are less likely to grow our food and roast a meal throughout the day. We are often away from home at the office therefore we are unable to supervise our garden or our roasts. Therefore, we grab fast food or prepared foods on our way home and zap them in our microwaves.
Technology has sped up our lives. We drive through rush hour traffic to get home from our demanding jobs then we shovel mouthfuls of food into our tense bodies before beginning the frenetic activities of the evening: swimming, gymnastics, hockey, soccer, karate, piano etc. By the time we return home, we squeeze in 30 minutes of homework and fall into our beds.
As a mother, I recall being sleep deprived and drinking coffee from the wee hours of the morning onward in order to function throughout the day. That was a very distinct period of my life. However, I see so many people living off coffee, pop or energy drinks. They have meetings, reports, conferences, deadlines etc. All of it is important and, of course, urgent.
Working in long-term care, I witnessed first-hand how nurses who trained because they were compassionate and had great bed-side manners, burnt out over and over again. Why? They spend so much time filling out paper work in order to maintain funding, avoid being labelled as redundant and prevent liability issues that they hardly have time to connect with their residents. Furthermore, when residents come to them for comfort, they must turn them away because they are already overwhelmed with work. This is a surefire way to destroy the spirit of a compassionate human being who would like nothing more than to connect with residents, hear their stories and offer support.
Our relationships are also impacted by technology. We juggle impossible schedules and attempt to find some down time to connect and catch up. However, by the end of our filled and fast-paced days at work, we are often too wrung out to do much of anything. Instead, we sit in front of the television set, have a glass of wine, maybe hold hands and go to bed. Our children are exposed to technology early on as they suck on our cell phones, watch television programs at home and videos in the van while on the road. Their toys speak to them in both official languages and emit loud noises. They are overstimulated from a young age. Each toy makes different sounds and lights up, little is left to the imagination. I don't recall anyone saying: "I'm bored", when I was growing up yet it is so common these days.
What should have been progress has become a trap. We work hard, compete to climb the ladder to the jobs with the biggest pay. Then, we buy stuff as a symbol of our success. In order to keep our stuff and get more, we work harder to make more money. We look forward to our retirement when we will be able to do all those things we have wanted to do but have been too pooped to do in our lives. We take a week off to spend quality time together. Then we realize that we are strangers, that we are all so consumed with our Facebook, e-mails and x-boxes that our holiday is not what we hoped it would be or, we do spend time together and truly enjoy it, only to return to the our busy schedules as soon as the trip ends.
The computers were supposed to serve us. Somewhere along the way, we became confused. We started to treat ourselves like computers. We expected everything to happen faster. We wanted immediate gratification. We crammed our calendars, uploaded piles of information, imagined that we could multitask and do it all without error. The problem is we are not computers. We are human beings. We need more than upgrades and we are meant to last more than three years. We crave connection, belonging, meaning, love, growth and time for reflection and rest. We require physical contact and neither Facebook, Skype, E-mail or Text can fulfill that need.
The pendulum has swung too far. The proof is in the litres of caffeine required to keep up, the amount of alcohol consumed to numb ourselves, the excessive purchases needed to fill our void. The answer is a return to simplicity-growing herbs or a garden, spending time eating meals as a family, communing with nature, bonding with our children, having unscheduled play time, valuing people over money and living our lives now, not in the future. Creating or reviving rituals to celebrate pivotal moments on our life cycles can also infuse our lives with meaning and belonging.
It's time to focus on what matters: family, friends, good food, rest, nature, reflection, growth and love.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
This discussion has come up with so many people lately, I decided I should blog about it. Technology was never meant to speed things up. The intention was to create more time for the important people and activities in our lives by delegating menial, busy work to a machine. However, we did not know how to make the most of this extra time. We didn't spend more time eating meals as a family or reading great books. Instead, we worked longer hours, doubled our workload and multi-tasked. We also moved off the land and created office cubicles.
We can observe the impact of technology on our nutrition. We are less likely to grow our food and roast a meal throughout the day. We are often away from home at the office therefore we are unable to supervise our garden or our roasts. Therefore, we grab fast food or prepared foods on our way home and zap them in our microwaves.
Technology has sped up our lives. We drive through rush hour traffic to get home from our demanding jobs then we shovel mouthfuls of food into our tense bodies before beginning the frenetic activities of the evening: swimming, gymnastics, hockey, soccer, karate, piano etc. By the time we return home, we squeeze in 30 minutes of homework and fall into our beds.
As a mother, I recall being sleep deprived and drinking coffee from the wee hours of the morning onward in order to function throughout the day. That was a very distinct period of my life. However, I see so many people living off coffee, pop or energy drinks. They have meetings, reports, conferences, deadlines etc. All of it is important and, of course, urgent.
Working in long-term care, I witnessed first-hand how nurses who trained because they were compassionate and had great bed-side manners, burnt out over and over again. Why? They spend so much time filling out paper work in order to maintain funding, avoid being labelled as redundant and prevent liability issues that they hardly have time to connect with their residents. Furthermore, when residents come to them for comfort, they must turn them away because they are already overwhelmed with work. This is a surefire way to destroy the spirit of a compassionate human being who would like nothing more than to connect with residents, hear their stories and offer support.
Our relationships are also impacted by technology. We juggle impossible schedules and attempt to find some down time to connect and catch up. However, by the end of our filled and fast-paced days at work, we are often too wrung out to do much of anything. Instead, we sit in front of the television set, have a glass of wine, maybe hold hands and go to bed. Our children are exposed to technology early on as they suck on our cell phones, watch television programs at home and videos in the van while on the road. Their toys speak to them in both official languages and emit loud noises. They are overstimulated from a young age. Each toy makes different sounds and lights up, little is left to the imagination. I don't recall anyone saying: "I'm bored", when I was growing up yet it is so common these days.
What should have been progress has become a trap. We work hard, compete to climb the ladder to the jobs with the biggest pay. Then, we buy stuff as a symbol of our success. In order to keep our stuff and get more, we work harder to make more money. We look forward to our retirement when we will be able to do all those things we have wanted to do but have been too pooped to do in our lives. We take a week off to spend quality time together. Then we realize that we are strangers, that we are all so consumed with our Facebook, e-mails and x-boxes that our holiday is not what we hoped it would be or, we do spend time together and truly enjoy it, only to return to the our busy schedules as soon as the trip ends.
The computers were supposed to serve us. Somewhere along the way, we became confused. We started to treat ourselves like computers. We expected everything to happen faster. We wanted immediate gratification. We crammed our calendars, uploaded piles of information, imagined that we could multitask and do it all without error. The problem is we are not computers. We are human beings. We need more than upgrades and we are meant to last more than three years. We crave connection, belonging, meaning, love, growth and time for reflection and rest. We require physical contact and neither Facebook, Skype, E-mail or Text can fulfill that need.
The pendulum has swung too far. The proof is in the litres of caffeine required to keep up, the amount of alcohol consumed to numb ourselves, the excessive purchases needed to fill our void. The answer is a return to simplicity-growing herbs or a garden, spending time eating meals as a family, communing with nature, bonding with our children, having unscheduled play time, valuing people over money and living our lives now, not in the future. Creating or reviving rituals to celebrate pivotal moments on our life cycles can also infuse our lives with meaning and belonging.
It's time to focus on what matters: family, friends, good food, rest, nature, reflection, growth and love.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
Monday, 22 February 2016
Apple Customer Service
February 19th, 2016
It has been a very busy weekend and I have neglected my blog. When you have people visiting, it is hard to disappear so you can write a blog. I will always choose people over technology.
Speaking about technology and the need to put people first, I had an interesting experience on Friday. I drove to Bayshore to pick up my mother for the weekend. I needed to buy new chargers so I asked her to meet me at the Apple Store on the main floor.
I walked into the store and asked a man standing in the centre of the store, facing the entrance where I could buy chargers for iPhone 6s. He briskly walked over to a wall and spoke very rapidly. There are two choices, one costs $25 and the other costs $35. The difference is the length if the cord. I stood, facing a wall of cords as he rushed back to his post. My husband had led me to believe they were cheaper than that but we needed a charger as our phone batteries had not been charging properly for nearly a week. I was driving through a snow storm at one point with a dead phone, worried that I would need to call my husband. So I took the charging cord and headed to the back of the store where employees stood behind a desk. There were line ups of customers so I got in line. When it was finally my turn, the employee smiled and said if I wanted to purchase something, one of his colleagues at the front of the store, would be happy to help me.
I turned around and scanned the busy store for someone other than the guy who led me to the wall of cords earlier (he stood at the centre of the store, not at the front). I spotted a line up of clients to the left. There was an employee standing against the wall. Was he the one I could pay for this overpriced item? I decided to text my husband to ask if he wanted me to spend $25 on a charger. As I stood there texting my husband, I could hear the same gentleman in the centre of the store talking to clients. They would ask him for help with their technology. He would look down and say he could help them in one hour and 45 minutes. Some couldn't wait that long so the employee would suggest they book an appointment for another day. To my surprise, most of the clients just accepted the fact that they would need to take what they could get, they booked appointments for one hour and 45 minutes later. Maybe they would buy a snack or shop, read a good book perhaps until it was their turn.
The most frustrating part about it is that there are plenty of employees in the store and they do not appear to be busy. Unfortunately, their role is to sell big items so if you need help working on or fixing items you already own, you'll just need to wait. This is the opposite of everything I have learned about customer service. Here is what should happen:
1-A customer enters your store
2-You greet the customer and offer to help
3-You answer their questions, show them products (even cheap products), explain how it works, tell them the price and any pertinent information
4-If the client decides to buy something, you ring them through and thank them for their business
5-If they don't buy anything, you are still present and helpful and wish them a good day as they leave the store
6-When clients need help with a product they have purchased from your store, you do your best to help them and, if you are lacking information, you contact someone else who might have an answer or you provide that contact information to your client
In my opinion, the store should be organized in a way that makes it easy for clients to find what they are looking for and, the staff should be trained to ensure the client's experience is pleasant, that way the client will want to return and perhaps bring more clients with them next time they visit your store. In this day and age when there is so much competition in the business world, you have got to take care of your clients. The Apple Store at Bayshore failed, big time to meet the minimal standards of customer service.
By the way, I was able to purchase a charging cord at the Dollar Store for $3 just a few hours later. I walked over to the clearly identified cash register, was served by a friendly employee and my phone is now fully charged.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
It has been a very busy weekend and I have neglected my blog. When you have people visiting, it is hard to disappear so you can write a blog. I will always choose people over technology.
Speaking about technology and the need to put people first, I had an interesting experience on Friday. I drove to Bayshore to pick up my mother for the weekend. I needed to buy new chargers so I asked her to meet me at the Apple Store on the main floor.
I walked into the store and asked a man standing in the centre of the store, facing the entrance where I could buy chargers for iPhone 6s. He briskly walked over to a wall and spoke very rapidly. There are two choices, one costs $25 and the other costs $35. The difference is the length if the cord. I stood, facing a wall of cords as he rushed back to his post. My husband had led me to believe they were cheaper than that but we needed a charger as our phone batteries had not been charging properly for nearly a week. I was driving through a snow storm at one point with a dead phone, worried that I would need to call my husband. So I took the charging cord and headed to the back of the store where employees stood behind a desk. There were line ups of customers so I got in line. When it was finally my turn, the employee smiled and said if I wanted to purchase something, one of his colleagues at the front of the store, would be happy to help me.
I turned around and scanned the busy store for someone other than the guy who led me to the wall of cords earlier (he stood at the centre of the store, not at the front). I spotted a line up of clients to the left. There was an employee standing against the wall. Was he the one I could pay for this overpriced item? I decided to text my husband to ask if he wanted me to spend $25 on a charger. As I stood there texting my husband, I could hear the same gentleman in the centre of the store talking to clients. They would ask him for help with their technology. He would look down and say he could help them in one hour and 45 minutes. Some couldn't wait that long so the employee would suggest they book an appointment for another day. To my surprise, most of the clients just accepted the fact that they would need to take what they could get, they booked appointments for one hour and 45 minutes later. Maybe they would buy a snack or shop, read a good book perhaps until it was their turn.
The most frustrating part about it is that there are plenty of employees in the store and they do not appear to be busy. Unfortunately, their role is to sell big items so if you need help working on or fixing items you already own, you'll just need to wait. This is the opposite of everything I have learned about customer service. Here is what should happen:
1-A customer enters your store
2-You greet the customer and offer to help
3-You answer their questions, show them products (even cheap products), explain how it works, tell them the price and any pertinent information
4-If the client decides to buy something, you ring them through and thank them for their business
5-If they don't buy anything, you are still present and helpful and wish them a good day as they leave the store
6-When clients need help with a product they have purchased from your store, you do your best to help them and, if you are lacking information, you contact someone else who might have an answer or you provide that contact information to your client
In my opinion, the store should be organized in a way that makes it easy for clients to find what they are looking for and, the staff should be trained to ensure the client's experience is pleasant, that way the client will want to return and perhaps bring more clients with them next time they visit your store. In this day and age when there is so much competition in the business world, you have got to take care of your clients. The Apple Store at Bayshore failed, big time to meet the minimal standards of customer service.
By the way, I was able to purchase a charging cord at the Dollar Store for $3 just a few hours later. I walked over to the clearly identified cash register, was served by a friendly employee and my phone is now fully charged.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
Thursday, 28 January 2016
The Impact of Technology on our Children
January 28th, 2016
A few weeks ago, my eldest daughter, age 10, had a sleepover party for her birthday. I wrote a post about my reaction to the use of technology by her friends during the sleepover. My daughters were introduced to new apps during the party and I noticed an increase in their use of technology. This alarmed me because we have always done fun activities together after school. We do art, cook, do each other's nails and play hang man. Sometimes, if the weather cooperates, we play on our snow hill or toboggan out back. We also like to play ball with our lab who will run up the stairs to chase her ball hundreds of times. She also likes to play hide and seek. We hide while she is chasing her ball and she has to find us. The girls always laugh, making it easy for the dog.
Suddenly, nothing I suggested interested my daughters. They wanted to "join worlds" on Minecraft or play with Angela, a cat that matures as you play her app. I had to unplug their technology. They were very upset with me. They stomped off then hung around bored but refusing to engage in any activities with me. They sulked. I even heard one of my daughters crying. What?! Over a computer? At supper, we played headbands. The girls chose what each of us would be and they started to giggle. They decided my husband would be Iggle Piggle. Haha! Then each of our daughters showed us how to do a craft they had learned at school......and just like that, we had our girls back. That was scary.
At my Neurofeedback appointment on Monday, I talked to Carol about this experience. She made a comment that stuck with me. The games are stimulating pleasure centres. I wondered if spending a lot of time on technology pre-disposed the brain to become addicted. If your brain's pleasure centre is stimulated for hours at a time, can real life be anything but boring? What if your brain needs more and more immediate gratification to meet its needs? Wouldn't that lead to exploring sex and drugs in order to create the same response? This freaked me out. I did some digging and here is what I found:
In an article titled, 11 Reasons Why Children Under the Age of 12 Should Not Use Handheld Devices, I learned that the brain grows very quickly in childhood up to the age of 21. "Overexposure to technology impaired executive functioning", attention, cognition, learning, impulsivity and self-regulation. The lack of movement impedes learning and contributes to obesity. Using technology at bedtime, increases sleep deprivation which affects school performance. Exposure to physical and sexual violence through video games increases the child's own aggressive behaviours. The high speed of technology means children are less able to focus for long periods of time, they need this skill to learn in school. Being on the computer for more than 30 minutes also causes eye strain in children. Overuse of technology is linked to depression, anxiety and other mental health issues which are prevalent. Children can become attached to technology in the absence of parental attachment. As if all of this was not enough, the radiation emissions from cell phones are considered "probable carcinogens". For more about this, visit www.foodsandhealthylife.com.
I did some research to find out how playing on the iPad resulted in addiction. An article by David J. Linden on www.psychologytoday.com titled, Video Games Can Activate the Brain's Pleasure Circuits, proved my theory. David performed brain scans of men and women playing simple video games. He detected "rapid brain dopamine release". This was also measure with PET scans during an other study. He saw that "key regions of the medial forebrain pleasure centre circuit were also activated, including the nucleus accumbens as well as the amygdala, and the orbitofrontal cortex".
The cycle of addiction is well explained on www.helpguide.org, under the heading, Understanding Addiction. "Addiction hijacks the brain. This happens as the brain goes through a series of changes, beginning with recognition of pleasure and ending with a drive toward compulsive behaviour". The speed of the release of dopamine determines how addictive an experience will be. "The hippocampus creates a memory of this satisfaction and the amygdala creates a conditioned response to this stimuli".
I can certainly see how the immediate gratification and praise available through most computer games would lead to a release of dopamine. As I read this, I was reminded of the Eight Stages of Psychosocial Development, a theory developed by Erik Erikson. I am worried that children are not learning essential skills they can apply in the real world. Instead, they are becoming competent in the virtual world of computers. What will happen when they get older and realize these skills are not transferable? The first stage of Erikson's theory involves learning to trust that your parents will meet your needs. If your parents are busy and you are feeling neglected, you may become attached to technology. It is always there and rewarding. The next stage's challenge is to develop autonomy. Parents encourage their children to explore the world while keeping them safe. They become more confident, develop interests and become self-sufficient (in an age appropriate way). If the child is glued to a computer screen, this exploration is limited and the learning opportunities are lost. In the Initiative stage, children are learning to master their environment. They challenge themselves and feel successful when they reach their goals. Parents can assist with the parts that are a bit challenging. Children can go through an experience and feel proud of their accomplishment. If children are not interested in pursuing interests beyond computers, they gain a sense of mastery while playing that game as their skills develop. However, these skills don't matter when they are at school, needing to complete homework or collaborate in groups on assignments.
This post is my SOS to other parents who are in the same situation. I am not denying that learning computer skills can be helpful or suggesting that technology be banned. However, I am discovering the long term consequences of allowing my children to explore technology for extended periods of time. I will continue to monitor their use of technology and prepare alternative activities to enjoy with my daughters after school. I don't want to lose my girls: their creativity, their spontaneity, their presence to the overstimulating, numbing world of technology.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
A few weeks ago, my eldest daughter, age 10, had a sleepover party for her birthday. I wrote a post about my reaction to the use of technology by her friends during the sleepover. My daughters were introduced to new apps during the party and I noticed an increase in their use of technology. This alarmed me because we have always done fun activities together after school. We do art, cook, do each other's nails and play hang man. Sometimes, if the weather cooperates, we play on our snow hill or toboggan out back. We also like to play ball with our lab who will run up the stairs to chase her ball hundreds of times. She also likes to play hide and seek. We hide while she is chasing her ball and she has to find us. The girls always laugh, making it easy for the dog.
Suddenly, nothing I suggested interested my daughters. They wanted to "join worlds" on Minecraft or play with Angela, a cat that matures as you play her app. I had to unplug their technology. They were very upset with me. They stomped off then hung around bored but refusing to engage in any activities with me. They sulked. I even heard one of my daughters crying. What?! Over a computer? At supper, we played headbands. The girls chose what each of us would be and they started to giggle. They decided my husband would be Iggle Piggle. Haha! Then each of our daughters showed us how to do a craft they had learned at school......and just like that, we had our girls back. That was scary.
At my Neurofeedback appointment on Monday, I talked to Carol about this experience. She made a comment that stuck with me. The games are stimulating pleasure centres. I wondered if spending a lot of time on technology pre-disposed the brain to become addicted. If your brain's pleasure centre is stimulated for hours at a time, can real life be anything but boring? What if your brain needs more and more immediate gratification to meet its needs? Wouldn't that lead to exploring sex and drugs in order to create the same response? This freaked me out. I did some digging and here is what I found:
In an article titled, 11 Reasons Why Children Under the Age of 12 Should Not Use Handheld Devices, I learned that the brain grows very quickly in childhood up to the age of 21. "Overexposure to technology impaired executive functioning", attention, cognition, learning, impulsivity and self-regulation. The lack of movement impedes learning and contributes to obesity. Using technology at bedtime, increases sleep deprivation which affects school performance. Exposure to physical and sexual violence through video games increases the child's own aggressive behaviours. The high speed of technology means children are less able to focus for long periods of time, they need this skill to learn in school. Being on the computer for more than 30 minutes also causes eye strain in children. Overuse of technology is linked to depression, anxiety and other mental health issues which are prevalent. Children can become attached to technology in the absence of parental attachment. As if all of this was not enough, the radiation emissions from cell phones are considered "probable carcinogens". For more about this, visit www.foodsandhealthylife.com.
I did some research to find out how playing on the iPad resulted in addiction. An article by David J. Linden on www.psychologytoday.com titled, Video Games Can Activate the Brain's Pleasure Circuits, proved my theory. David performed brain scans of men and women playing simple video games. He detected "rapid brain dopamine release". This was also measure with PET scans during an other study. He saw that "key regions of the medial forebrain pleasure centre circuit were also activated, including the nucleus accumbens as well as the amygdala, and the orbitofrontal cortex".
The cycle of addiction is well explained on www.helpguide.org, under the heading, Understanding Addiction. "Addiction hijacks the brain. This happens as the brain goes through a series of changes, beginning with recognition of pleasure and ending with a drive toward compulsive behaviour". The speed of the release of dopamine determines how addictive an experience will be. "The hippocampus creates a memory of this satisfaction and the amygdala creates a conditioned response to this stimuli".
I can certainly see how the immediate gratification and praise available through most computer games would lead to a release of dopamine. As I read this, I was reminded of the Eight Stages of Psychosocial Development, a theory developed by Erik Erikson. I am worried that children are not learning essential skills they can apply in the real world. Instead, they are becoming competent in the virtual world of computers. What will happen when they get older and realize these skills are not transferable? The first stage of Erikson's theory involves learning to trust that your parents will meet your needs. If your parents are busy and you are feeling neglected, you may become attached to technology. It is always there and rewarding. The next stage's challenge is to develop autonomy. Parents encourage their children to explore the world while keeping them safe. They become more confident, develop interests and become self-sufficient (in an age appropriate way). If the child is glued to a computer screen, this exploration is limited and the learning opportunities are lost. In the Initiative stage, children are learning to master their environment. They challenge themselves and feel successful when they reach their goals. Parents can assist with the parts that are a bit challenging. Children can go through an experience and feel proud of their accomplishment. If children are not interested in pursuing interests beyond computers, they gain a sense of mastery while playing that game as their skills develop. However, these skills don't matter when they are at school, needing to complete homework or collaborate in groups on assignments.
This post is my SOS to other parents who are in the same situation. I am not denying that learning computer skills can be helpful or suggesting that technology be banned. However, I am discovering the long term consequences of allowing my children to explore technology for extended periods of time. I will continue to monitor their use of technology and prepare alternative activities to enjoy with my daughters after school. I don't want to lose my girls: their creativity, their spontaneity, their presence to the overstimulating, numbing world of technology.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
Saturday, 9 January 2016
Technology, A Decidedly Love-Hate Relationship
January 9th, 2016
You may or may not have noticed that I missed a post on my blog for the first time yesterday. It wasn't because I was at a loss for things to say and, it had nothing to do with the seven 9 year olds partying at my home, celebrating my daughter's birthday. The problem was technology. My husband was contacted by a Bell representative and decided to upgrade our router. What we didn't know was that they disconnect your existing router and mail out a new one. We received our updated router yesterday but none of our devices worked despite the fact that all of them displayed full bars. My husband called Bell after work to complete the set up. They were progressing really well until they got disconnected. He looked at me and announced: "I've been disconnected from Bell", to which I replied: "Bell is the connector, how can they lose their own connection?" When my husband tried calling back, a recording informed him that the office was now closed. He was cut off because Bell's office was closed whether he was in the middle of a conversation or not.
We eventually got things sorted out and now I am able to post today's blog. What is ironic is that my post was about technology. It struck me yesterday, as I hosted a group of 9 year olds, how technology changes the way we live and interact. Most of the children showed up with an iPhone, usually their parent's old but still functional model. They used them to take photos. They pulled them out each time their was a few moments of free time (as I cleared off the table for art or prepared the cake). When I asked who would like to call their parents to say good night, some of them opted to text instead. When I said it was lights out, much to their chagrin, they were looking for outlets to plug in their phones. They also used their devices as a source of light so they could read or chat. They all noticed that we had no WiFi.
I have been lobbying to get into schools in order to offer art therapy workshops which promote pro-social behaviours. Our children learn to read, write and add but there are so many skills involved in living a full life that are taken for granted until you realize that they are lacking or underdeveloped in the next generation. I will give you a few examples. Looking at someone when they are talking to you is a given, right? Yet, you see so many couples out for supper, each checking their messages or texting. I even saw some of my college students texting each other at the library, they are sitting next to each other. Spelling is a skill that has been lost in an age of abbreviations and spell check. I once met with a student who wanted to discuss her assignment. She brought her computer and typed in ideas as we spoke. She would type in what she thought the word would look like and highlight it for spell check. She did this automatically and for most of the words.
Critical thinking and creativity are at risk. When assigning work as a college professor, I asked my students to pick a cause they were passionate about and answer a list of questions. I wanted their opinion. This assignment was not complicated but they needed to come up with the information on their own. You can't google your opinion. What I found was people would ask each other what they had picked for their topic and they would ask others for ideas.
Now I want to clarify, I am not anti-technology. I used my iPad when I was tutoring at-risk children who were struggling with the alphabet. They hated reading and the first time I called them over for tutoring, they dragged their feet. However, I played "Endless Alphabet"with them on my iPad and they were hooked. They got to recognize letters, hear how they sound, learn what the word meant, see a short animation about the word and watch monsters destroy the word on the screen. I use Facebook to connect with friends and relatives who live far away and to promote my business. I love that someone in Australia can read this blog and that I can offer a Skype art therapy workshop for women in a shelter at an undisclosed location.
What worries me is seeing young children who don't know what to do when they feel stressed, who try to think and act like everyone else, who stand at a regular sink and wait for the water to start automatically, stymied, who feel bored if they are not entertained even for a few minutes. They have lost their imagination, the concept that they can make things happen in the world around them, not just on Minecraft. What is frightening is witnessing this transition, as I have through volunteering in my children's classes. In Grade 1 students are excited by a box of art materials and can't wait to jump in and create. By Grade 4, students examine what others are making, venture a few ideas to check if others approve and ask for more assistance than they need.
I'd love to teach stress management, healthy emotional expression, boundaries, positive communication, creativity, community involvement and self-care, just to name a few. These skills will foster a generation of children who are self-aware, creative, confident and involved in the community. That sounds good to me! What do you think?
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
You may or may not have noticed that I missed a post on my blog for the first time yesterday. It wasn't because I was at a loss for things to say and, it had nothing to do with the seven 9 year olds partying at my home, celebrating my daughter's birthday. The problem was technology. My husband was contacted by a Bell representative and decided to upgrade our router. What we didn't know was that they disconnect your existing router and mail out a new one. We received our updated router yesterday but none of our devices worked despite the fact that all of them displayed full bars. My husband called Bell after work to complete the set up. They were progressing really well until they got disconnected. He looked at me and announced: "I've been disconnected from Bell", to which I replied: "Bell is the connector, how can they lose their own connection?" When my husband tried calling back, a recording informed him that the office was now closed. He was cut off because Bell's office was closed whether he was in the middle of a conversation or not.
We eventually got things sorted out and now I am able to post today's blog. What is ironic is that my post was about technology. It struck me yesterday, as I hosted a group of 9 year olds, how technology changes the way we live and interact. Most of the children showed up with an iPhone, usually their parent's old but still functional model. They used them to take photos. They pulled them out each time their was a few moments of free time (as I cleared off the table for art or prepared the cake). When I asked who would like to call their parents to say good night, some of them opted to text instead. When I said it was lights out, much to their chagrin, they were looking for outlets to plug in their phones. They also used their devices as a source of light so they could read or chat. They all noticed that we had no WiFi.
I have been lobbying to get into schools in order to offer art therapy workshops which promote pro-social behaviours. Our children learn to read, write and add but there are so many skills involved in living a full life that are taken for granted until you realize that they are lacking or underdeveloped in the next generation. I will give you a few examples. Looking at someone when they are talking to you is a given, right? Yet, you see so many couples out for supper, each checking their messages or texting. I even saw some of my college students texting each other at the library, they are sitting next to each other. Spelling is a skill that has been lost in an age of abbreviations and spell check. I once met with a student who wanted to discuss her assignment. She brought her computer and typed in ideas as we spoke. She would type in what she thought the word would look like and highlight it for spell check. She did this automatically and for most of the words.
Critical thinking and creativity are at risk. When assigning work as a college professor, I asked my students to pick a cause they were passionate about and answer a list of questions. I wanted their opinion. This assignment was not complicated but they needed to come up with the information on their own. You can't google your opinion. What I found was people would ask each other what they had picked for their topic and they would ask others for ideas.
Now I want to clarify, I am not anti-technology. I used my iPad when I was tutoring at-risk children who were struggling with the alphabet. They hated reading and the first time I called them over for tutoring, they dragged their feet. However, I played "Endless Alphabet"with them on my iPad and they were hooked. They got to recognize letters, hear how they sound, learn what the word meant, see a short animation about the word and watch monsters destroy the word on the screen. I use Facebook to connect with friends and relatives who live far away and to promote my business. I love that someone in Australia can read this blog and that I can offer a Skype art therapy workshop for women in a shelter at an undisclosed location.
What worries me is seeing young children who don't know what to do when they feel stressed, who try to think and act like everyone else, who stand at a regular sink and wait for the water to start automatically, stymied, who feel bored if they are not entertained even for a few minutes. They have lost their imagination, the concept that they can make things happen in the world around them, not just on Minecraft. What is frightening is witnessing this transition, as I have through volunteering in my children's classes. In Grade 1 students are excited by a box of art materials and can't wait to jump in and create. By Grade 4, students examine what others are making, venture a few ideas to check if others approve and ask for more assistance than they need.
I'd love to teach stress management, healthy emotional expression, boundaries, positive communication, creativity, community involvement and self-care, just to name a few. These skills will foster a generation of children who are self-aware, creative, confident and involved in the community. That sounds good to me! What do you think?
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
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