Facebook has transformed the way we interact with each other – social media is a way for us to keep in touch with family and friends, as well as find and catch up people that we haven’t seen in a long time. For many people, Facebook has become a part of their daily lives and it’s something that they don’t go a day without checking.  But, Facebook won’t stop at simply being a leader in social networking. Now, they’re considering how they can get involved with what happens in workplace communication, too.  Recent reports show that the company is now in the pilot testing phase of Facebook at Work, a corporate service that will be used as a social network for individual companies as well as organizations. It’s similar to the Facebook that everyone is already used to, except it is modified to reflect just workplace interactions. (1)

The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas is happening right now and people all over are keeping an eye on all of the gadgets that are making their debut at this year’s show.  At the show, Intel introduced its new product: a wearable computer. This product will mean that wearable gadgets won’t be overly bulky or awkward. Intel CEO Brian Krzanich pulled a button off of his blazer during the show and then explained that it housed the Curie module.

Are you a new parent that is well-connected in the technology area? If you’re an adult that relies on a smartphone and a variety of apps to get through the day, don’t fear – there are a variety of apps, as well as separate “techy” gadgets that are geared towards new parents with babies. These can be very helpful!

Technology acts like a drug for some people. For many digital addicts, they walk around in a foggy stupor, their brains numbed by the amount of time they spend in front of a screen. A new poll that was conducted this month by The Trending Machine reported that 92% of adults are addicted to at least one thing in the digital world, with social media being the main addiction.  

Kids today are drawn to technology. They have grown up with it and for some children it has been a part of their daily lives since they were infants. Kids have access to all of the information they need with just a few clicks. They have phones, iPads, Kindles, and other devices that they carry around with them everywhere. 

Today, parents and educators all over the world struggle to put strict limits on using technology. Controlling and managing the time that children and teenagers spend online, playing video games, surfing the Internet, or using their television or computer screens to watch movies.  In fact, even technology executives have talked openly about being conservative when it comes to controlling screen time in their families. Twitter’s co-founder, Evan Williams, Twitter’s CEO Dick Costolo, Facebook and Dropbox adviser, Ali Partovi, and more exectuves are all known for putting strict controls on how much time their children use technology. They admit that they have seen the dangers that come with the overuse of technology and they don’t want to see it happen in their families or their children. Apple Founder, Steve Jobs, also was known to not have iPads in his home and was known for limiting the intake of technology in his own home. (1) 

Addiction to smartphones is very common today.  Many people rely on their mobile phones for just about anything – directions, e-mail, social media updates, banking, and even more. But if you’re tired of your phone running your life and have found it difficult to cut off using it completely cold turkey, then the new NoPhone product that is currently in the crowdfunding campaign stage on Kickstarter, might be just the product for you.  The project idea came from a group of friends in the Netherlands and the United States that were together. They were together, but not really, because all they were doing was sitting around, staring at their phones and occasionally looking up to talk or order another drink. NoPhone was created as a way to address society’s addiction to technology.  

A recent news report by Games in Asia shows that a Chinese couple addicted to online gaming, sold their two newborns to help pay for their addiction.  The babies were unplanned and the couple reported to Guangdong TV that they decided to sell the children to child traffickers in China. They admitted that they were addicted to playing online games, many of which are free. However, after getting to certain levels in the game, players can spend money on weapons and other armor.  The father said that he stays out all night at internet cafes and the mother went on to admit that when they sold their children to traffickers, they used the money to pay for the in-game purchases. The couple’s family turned them into local authorities and they were arrested. They are now awaiting trial. (1)  

People take pictures of themselves wherever they go – it has become a phenomenon in recent years.  After they get a picture that they like, they post it on Facebook or Instagram accounts and they expect people to “like” them or comment on them. When they don’t get that instant gratification of a response or a “like,” they may feel defeated or they will be missing that boost of self-esteem that they were looking for. These “selfies” are a huge part of the social media world. Of course, they are popular with teenagers and young adults, but did you know that a new toy actually lets babies take selfies and post them on Facebook? 

Gone are the days of simple arcade video games like Pac-Man or Space Invaders. Today, images on games are so life-like that it is easy to immerse yourself in them, almost as if you are watching or participating in real life. For many years – especially recently – people have started to wonder how video games will affect their children. Maybe they have seen their kids getting wrapped up in the digital world or they see this electronic hobby as one that is beginning to control their life or thought patterns.

The video game industry earns billions of dollars every year. Kids, teenagers, and adults all over the world are sucked into video games every day, sometimes for hours upon hours at a time. Game makers create these games to be fun, enticing, and stimulating  – they know that people flock to these games for entertainment. They know that people get wrapped into them.  Are some of these people addicted to these games? Medical research has shown that about 1 in 11 people who play video games are addicted and exhibit dysfunction in multiple areas of their lives.