Mindfulness is awareness that arises through paying attention,

on purpose,

in the present moment,

non-judgmentally.

 

—Jon Kabat-Zinn

Claudia L’Amoreaux

Mindful Digital Life

Blog

Welcome to the Library of Everything. Now what?

© by Claudia L’Amoreaux

iphone in hand showing home screen apps. Arrow and circle annotation points out the phone icon in bottom left of phone

 

We will soon dwell smack in the middle of the Library of Everything, surrounded by the liquid presence of all existing works of humankind, just within reach of our fingertips, for free.

~Kevin Kelly

 

Have you noticed that the phone icon represents but one very tiny app on your portable device? Calling these multifunctional devices we so love to hate “smartphones” may be why we often find ourselves bewildered, both as user and as parents. Smartphone is default language we’ve inherited that has outgrown its utility. [Read more…] about Welcome to the Library of Everything. Now what?

Let’s move from default to nuanced vocabulary when we talk about our devices. Here’s how.

© by Claudia L’Amoreaux

photo inside Shedd Aquarium of large tank with two computer screens in front and child and parent

Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, United States. Photo by Lance Anderson

 

It’s so easy to use the default vocabulary—screentime, smartphone, newsfeed, texting, digital native/digital immigrant…but is it serving us?

I think we’re continually called—as parents, educators, and tech users ourselves—to question our language and become more nuanced and articulate in how we communicate about our interactions with technology.

[Read more…] about Let’s move from default to nuanced vocabulary when we talk about our devices. Here’s how.

Sometimes, we need to bring the outdoors inside…

© by Claudia L’Amoreaux

photo of Steller's Jay drinking at a hanging birdbath
The Path Ahead—Outdoor Species #5—Watering Hole

 

I try as many days of the week as possible to begin my day outside. Having a dog in my life really helps me make this happen. That and knowing that I’ll be spending long hours at my desk, writing and responding to emails, working on various projects, meeting with team members, doing research, surfing the tsunami of daily news, all mediated through my laptop and various computer monitors, large and small. [Read more…] about Sometimes, we need to bring the outdoors inside…

Conversation is the the human way to practice unitasking

© by Claudia L’Amoreaux

Photo of mother and young son with faces touching each other

Photo by Bruno Nascimento

We’re not looking for solutions. We’re looking for first steps.

—Sherry Turkle

As usual, I’m thinking a lot about conversations—in particular, how we create the conditions for conversation to flourish in our families. I’m re-viewing Sherry Turkle’s Talk at Google about her book, Reclaiming Conversation (I’ve written about Turkle’s work frequently in the Friday Mindful Digital Life posts—catch up here if you’re new to Mindful Digital Life). [Read more…] about Conversation is the the human way to practice unitasking

The Cozmo Journal—Entry 1

© by Claudia L’Amoreaux

 

Small white robot on charging stand with 3 plastic cubes in background and a pair of glasses to show Cozmo is small

A few months ago I invited Cozmo, an AI-enabled robot, into my life to help me in my research on “smart toys.” Two young friends of mine, ages 7 and 11, helped me get Cozmo set up last week. Since they had their own Cozmo, they flew me through the app setup on my iPhone, helped troubleshoot the wifi, and then walked Cozmo through the initial steps of recognizing our faces and learning our names. [Read more…] about The Cozmo Journal—Entry 1

Must do that more!

© by Claudia L’Amoreaux

photo of beach with seagulls standing on sand, dunes and puffy white clouds in background
The Path Ahead—Outdoor Species #3—Big Sky Vast Water

 

I spent the last week leaning heavily in the direction of outdoor species. I stepped back from the internet (email, FB, news, podcasts, videos, etc.), and used my phone as a camera and photo sharing device to share moments from my week with dear friends at home via short, infrequent texts. Most of the time, the phone was in airplane mode.

A parent friend, just back from a vacation with her kids, wrote me about her trip: “Lots of adventuring. I went offline, too, which was magical. Must do that more.” [Read more…] about Must do that more!

Before the storm…

© by Claudia L’Amoreaux

edge of pond with lush green plants and purple flowers
The Path Ahead—Outdoor Species #2—Before the Storm

 

As promised, here is the next photo continuing the Indoor/Outdoor species theme…while I spend some off-grid time with family.

 

What I am reading: If you’re considering adding an Amazon Echo Dot Kids Edition to your home, Consumer Reports drills down into the privacy tradeoffs of the device in the article What Parents Need to Know About the Amazon Echo Dot Kids Edition by writer Allen St. John. [Read more…] about Before the storm…