READING TO CHILDREN: PRINT OR ELECTRONIC?
The prevalence of electronic media has spawned a number of pediatric studies of video gaming, use of smartphones, effects of media on learning, etc. A recent small study of 37 toddlers being read to by a parent using 3 book formats (print, basic electronic, and enhanced electronic – included animation and sound effects) showed some differences in interactions between parent and toddler. Parents showed twice as much dialogue with the child while reading print books than basic electronic. Interestingly the use of the enhanced electronic books came in third. Toddler book-verbalization was slightly higher when being read print books. (1)
These study result is certainly no blockbuster, but the authors opined that reading print books slightly increased “positive interactions between child and parent” and slightly decreased negative directions (“don’t touch that button”). With electronic media parents commented less about the story line and read the text out loud less often. At least one reading specialist I know and discussed this study with plans to continue her own reading on Kindle (even though she easily loses track of the book’s title) and will continue to use electronic media in her reading recovery work with elementary school children.
AN ANTI-CANCER VACCINE THAT IS REALLY EFFECTIVE
HPV (human papilloma virus) is the leading cause of cervical cancer and is sexually transmitted. The HPV vaccine (Gardasil), if administered prior to sexual activity, can prevent the asymptomatic, silent infection by HPV that can lead to cervical cancer or genital warts later on. The vaccine has not been around long enough to show a lowering of actual cervical cancer rates, but a Canadian study showed a 83% decrease of HPV presence among girls aged 13 to 19 since 2006 when the vaccine was introduced. the authors consider this result as “a first sign that vaccination could eventually lead to the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem.
LESS THAN 10,000 STEPS A DAY IS OK
A Harvard study gave fitness trackers to 16.000 women over 62 yrs. old, counted the number of their steps for 7 days, and then monitored their health for 4 years. Those walking 4,400 steps a day had a lower “premature death” rate than those walking 2,700 steps a day. Those walking more than 4,400 steps only had a moderate additionally decrease in death rate and there was no advantage for taking over 7,500 steps. Where did the 10,000 steps a day target come from?— a 1960 marketing campaign by a Japanese pedometer manufacturer that recognized that the Japanese character for 10,000 resembles a man walking! (2)
TASTE?— THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT
IBM is developing a flavor-identifying device (“e-tongue”) which when dunked into a glass of liquid will analyze the composition of the liquid using an array of electrochemical sensors. The data is then sent via the cloud to an artificial intelligence program that compares the composition to a database of known liquids. It is currently able to accurately distinguish between different brands of water, identify counterfeit wines and whiskeys.
The speculation about the potential medical use for dealing with unsavory biological fluids reminds me of the old, old story about the medical school professor showing the class how to diagnose a diabetic by tasting the sugar in their urine. After demonstrating by dipping his finger into the cup of urine and tasting it, he instructed the class to come up one at a time and do the same, so they would learn how it worked. It was only after the entire class did so that the professor revealed that the demonstration had nothing to do with diagnosing diabetes, but was actually a lesson about careful, accurate observation. “I dipped my forefinger into the urine, but tasted the third one.”
SUVs OR SMART PHONES?
The number of pedestrians deaths was 50% higher in 2018 than the 2009 rate, even though the overall rate of traffic deaths decreased for the second year in a row in 2018. Analysts blamed the proliferation of SUVs with their greater weight, higher bumpers, and diminished visibility, but anyone who has ever driven in a city might alternatively speculate that it is the increased number of “oblivious” pedestrians crossing the street while listening to, talking on, or even texting on their smart phones.
MILLENNIALS ARE NOT THE MOST ADDICTED TO THEIR DEVICES
Research by Nielsen found that americans aged 35 to 49 used social media 40 minutes more each week than millennials. Middle aged americans were more likely to pull their phones out at the dinner table and spent more time than millennials on every type of device—phone,computer, tablet. Millennials do win the prize for the most use while driving. Obligations of work and the ease of maintaining friendships and social connections after the kids have grown up are cited as “reasons” for these findings. But, a researcher interviewing elementary school children uncovered a lot of complaints from the kids about prying their parents away from their screens. “Parents”, she sighed, “are the worst.” (3)
HOW TO SILENCE YOUR SMARTPHONE
Just send $500 to Cohda for a Komoru ( Japanese for “ to seclude oneself”) which is a miniature Zen garden bowl of “sand-like” nickel-coated microspheres that block electromagnetic signals from reaching the buried phone. The microspheres won’t scratch the phone nor enter into any ports. (4) It will be ready for distribution just in time for Christmas for “those who have everything else.”
References:
1. Pediatrics.2019;143 (4)
2. JAMA Internal Medicine 2019 May 29
3. Wired magazine, April 2018
4. http://www.cohoda.com/projects/komoru/
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