“A Letter from Two Big Apple Investors Powerfully Summarizes How Smartphones Mess with Kids’ Brains” – Quartz, January 8, 2018
Two big investors who own around $2 billion in Apple shares just asked the company to consider how technology affects children’s wellbeing. In their letter they state that the average American teenager gets her first smartphone at age 10 and spends almost 5 hours a day on it, excluding texting and talking. More than half report feeling addicted to their devices. This letter may mark a turning point: it also takes a dig at social media companies, and it is the first time that money enters the tech backlash arena.
“Improving Ourselves to Death” – The New Yorker, January 15, 2018
A bleak, but must-read! The self-help/self-improvement industry can make us miserable. The reason is this: “Self-help advice tends to reflect the beliefs and priorities of the era that spawns it.” Since our era is obsessed with efficiency, productivity and the relentless pursuit of happiness, we end up getting trapped in the “hard doctrine of personal optimization.” We therefore go to great lengths to transform ourselves into superior human beings – the surest path to stress, or worse…
“Just Eat More Fiber” – The Atlantic, January 8, 2018
Diets can be overwhelming, but one small change can do a lot.
“Want to Be Happy? Think Like an Old Person“ – The New York Times, December 29, 2017
Older people report higher levels of contentment or wellbeing than teenagers and young adults.
“Facial Exercises May Make You Look 3 Years Younger“ – The New York Times, January 10, 2018
Happy Face Yoga is a nontoxic, inexpensive and self-administered therapy equivalent to facial gymnastics.
A Striking Stat:
The U.S. spends almost twice as much on healthcare (as a percentage of its economy) than other advanced industrialized countries: $3.3 trillion, or 17.9% of GDP each year.
Source: The New York Times, 1/2017
