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Growing a child is much like building a house - it's all about the foundation. Critical factors for developing foundations are movement, touch, human connection, and nature - which are best achieved in outdoor playground settings. When critical factors for development are achieved, the result is a happy, well adjusted child who has attained the necessary foundation skills for school entry and success.
University of Manitoba research study Exploring Features that Impact the Usability of Playgrounds by Foundation Series Workshop Level I Instructor Pam Becker and colleague Jacquie Ripat.
Click to Read More.
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Cris in the News
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MovingtoLearn.ca - Cris Rowan has a blog!
We're very excited to be launching movingtolearn.ca, a blog all about child development. Please post your ideas, comments, and concerns regarding developing to children. We can work together to counteract the negative effects of technology on children.
Visit the blog here.
Is technology good for our kids?
By Angela Donaldson for June issue of Australia's Good Health magazine.
"Yes" says Dean Groom, Head of Educational Development, Learning and Teaching Center at Macquarie University in Sidney, Australia; "No" says Cris Rowan, Pediatric Occupational Therapist and author of Virtual Child - The terrifying truth about what technology is doing to children.
Links here: Page One | Page Two
Cris' book Virtual Child soon to be available in China
 Cris Rowan is pleased to announce that Sunshine Coast Occupational Therapy Inc. has recently signed a contract with East China Normal University Press Ltd for Chinese translation and publication of her book Virtual Child - The terrifying truth about what technology is doing to children.
You can get the book here.
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Upcoming Workshops
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Oct. 31, Nov. 1, 2012 - Teacher Workshops
Bella Bella, BC
Contact: Vi Lindberg, vilindberg@gmail.com, 250-957-7848
Nov. 12, 2012 - Parent and Professional Workshops
Dallas Texas
Contact: Kathleen Morris, kesm@sbcglobal.net, 214-341-9999
Oct. 2012 - Parent and Professional Workshops
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Nov. 28, 2012 - Parent Workshop
Dauphin, Manitoba
Jan. 2013 - Parent and Professional Workshops
Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
Jan., 2013 - Parent and Professional Workshops
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Contact: Pam Becker, pjbecker1@gmail.com, 204-797-2660
Jan. 2013 - Foundation Series Workshops Comprehensive
Prince George, BC
Contact: Anik Provencher, aprovencher@sd57.bc.ca, 250-960-0331
Feb. 2013 - Foundation Series Workshops Comprehensive
Williams Lake, BC
Contact: Anik Provencher, aprovencher@sd57.bc.ca, 250-960-0331
Feb. 18-20, 2013 - Foundation Series Workshops Comprehensive
Vancouver, BC
Feb. 21, 22, 2013 - OT Instructor Training and FSW Certification
Vancouver, BC
Contact: Cris Rowan, crowan@zonein.ca, 1-888-8zonein
Apr. 2013 - Parent and Professional Workshops
Regina, Saskatchewan
Contact: Sharon Arndt, sharonarndt.ot@gmail.com, 306-227-4745
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| Research | |
Results indicate that Internet addiction is increased in this population parallel to an increase in Internet availability. The best predictor variables for Internet and computer addiction were parental bonding variables and not parental security practices. The three online activities most associated with Internet addiction were watching online pornography, online gambling and online gaming.
Meeting online contacts in real life among adolescents: The predictive role of psychosocial wellbeing and internet-specific parenting
By Van Den Eijnden et al for Computers in Human Behavior 28 (2) pg 465-472.
17% of Dutch adolescents surveyed reported real-life encounters with online contacts; one third of these adolescents did not tell their parents about the encounters. Low self-esteem and certain Internet-related parenting techniques were related to the prevalence of such encounters.
Gender, Internet Experience, Internet Identification, and Internet Anxiety: A Ten-Year Followup
By Joiner, R. et al for Cyberpsychology, Behaviour and Social Networking,Volume: 15 Issue 7: July 10, 2012.
10 years ago, there were no gender differences in the use of the Internet for communication, whereas in the current study we have found that females use the Internet for communication significantly more than males, and were using social network sites more than males. Males had a greater breadth of Internet use; they used the Internet more for games and entertainment than females. We also found that Internet identification and Internet anxiety were related to Internet use.
Patterns of video game use and dependence in children and adolescents
By Choliz, M. & Marco, C. For Anales de Psicologia, 2011, Vol 27(2), 418-426.
Results by gender showed boys played more often and longer than did girls and type of game: boys mostly played sports and racing games, and preferred shooter games and games with graphic violence, whereas girls
tended to play games that are characteristically socio-affective and educational.
By Hae Woo Lee, M.D. for Cyberpsychology, Behaviour and Social Networking,Volume: 15 Issue 7: July 10, 2012.
Results show that those suffering from Internet addiction showed increased levels of trait impulsivity which were comparable to those of patients diagnosed with pathological gambling. Additionally, the severity of Internet addiction was positively correlated with the level of trait impulsivity in patients with Internet addiction. These results state that Internet addiction can be conceptualized as an impulse control disorder and that trait impulsivity is a marker for vulnerability to Internet addiction.
Robert Kittinger, et al for Cyberpsychology, Behaviour and Social Networking, June 2012, 15(6): 324-327.
A sizable minority of students experience problems related to Internet use and that the use of Facebook may contribute to the severity of symptoms associated with Internet addiction.
Giulia Fioravanti et al for Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking. June 2012, 15(6): 318-323.
A cross-sectional study was conducted with 257 adolescents which found evidence among females for the mediating role of a preference for online social interaction, and a relationship between self esteem and internet addiction. No significant effects were found for males.
Angelica B. Ortiz de Gortari, Doctoral researcher with the International Gaming Research Unit at Nottingham Trent University requests assistance from video game players aged 18 years and above to complete a 20 minute survey on gaming habits, GTP experiences, GTP characteristics and demographics. GTP comprise the transfer of video game experiences into the real world. You can take part in the survey here.
E-mail: angelica.ortizdegortari2010@my.ntu.ac.uk
By Colette Langos for Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking. June 2012, 15(6): 285-289.
In this article, a clear distinction between direct and indirect cyberbullying is made and a model definition of cyberbullying is offered. Core bullying elements retain their importance and applicability in relation to cyberbullying. Overall, the analysis provided lends insight into how the essential bullying elements have evolved and should apply in our parallel cyber universe.
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| News | |
Video game consumption up 46% in Canada, study says, but acquisition of free games outpaces sale of new units
CBC News on June 11, 2012
According to the NPD Group, Canadian gamers acquired more than 77.6 million new video games within the six months leading up to February, an increase of nearly 50 per cent from last year.
The toxic relationship: Technology and autism
By Christopher Mulligan, founder of GroupWorks West and the Cyber Addiction Recovery Center. Christopher specializes in treating autism spectrum disorders and technology related addiction.
The interaction between the autistic mind and computer-based technology, video gaming, television, DVD-based entertainment, and handheld devices increases static and repetitive thinking, communication, and behavior, and thereby serves as an obstacle to the dynamic cognitive, social, and emotional demands of the 21st century.
The autism-welfare nexus
By Paul Speery for Investors Business Daily on April 24, 2012
A growing body of scientific research has found that the rise in autism diagnoses is not due to a true increase in the incidence of the cognitive disorder, but rather to a widening of the definition and increased screening by schools and doctors, who are rushing to diagnose and medicate socially awkward or difficult kids. According to recent studies that control for changes in the diagnostic criteria, the rate of autism has actually been stable over time. And the number of language disorder cases have fallen as autism cases have risen, suggesting one disorder has simply been substituted for another. In other words, there is no autism epidemic. The problem is mostly statistical.
Fit to Learn - Six part series on Education Technology in Globe and Mail
Part 1 - May 23, 2012 by Kate Hammer and Tamara Baluja
War on child obesity: out of the cafeteria and onto the playground
Are kids too wired?
By Sue Hubbard, MD for The Kid's Doctor on May 5, 2012
21 percent of 4- and 5-five-year olds knew how to use a Smartphone or iPad application, while only 14 percent of those same kids could tie their shoes. For children 2-to-5-years old, 69 percent could operate a computer mouse, 58 percent could play a computer game, but only 52 percent knew how to ride a bike.
Kids, Porn and Parents
By Mary Jo Rapini for Health News Digest July 1, 2012
Husbands may get caught viewing porn, but the kids never do. They don't because they are more adept at creating their own porn websites and covering up their tracks.
A Tech Sabbath offers a chance to unplug, recharge
By Shawn Levy for The Oregonian on May 7, 2012
Each Sunday, Tammy Strobel and her husband avoid computers and spend the day doing simple offline things: reading books, taking walks, visiting new neighborhoods, engaging in outdoor activities.
Is the web driving us mad?
By Tony Dokoupil on July 9, 2012 for Newsweek Magazine - Health
New research says the Internet can make us lonely and depressed-and may even create more extreme forms of mental illness.
Why doing nothing is the key to happiness
By Mark Hyman, MD on July 8, 2012 for The Huffington Post
What matters most in life is the quality of our experience, the ability to be awake to what is real and true in our lives, for the difficult and the happy times, to be awake to each person we touch, to our own experience, to the moment we are in.
Study: Facebook Sharing Comparable To Enjoyment From Sex, Food
June 23, 2012 on CBS News
The reward given by a person's brain when a Facebook posting of theirs is viewed, liked and commented on has proven to be comparable in pleasure to the response from food and sex, according to a recent Harvard University study.
Nation of screen slaves: Workers under increased mental pressure as they take their work home on smartphones
A study of more than 2,000 office workers by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy found workers spent over six hours in front of a computer screen during the day, before spending an additional two hours on their smartphones or other devices on their way home.
By PRNewswire for Market Watch - The Wall Stree Journal on May 25, 2012
A survey of 500 college students has found that 67 percent can't go more than an hour without using some sort of digital technology, and that 40 percent can't go more than 10 minutes.
Depressed people surf the web differently
By Charles Poladian for Medical Daily on May 17, 2012
Depressed students used file-sharing programs, like torrents or online sharing sites, more than non-depressed students. Depressed students also chatted more and sent more emails out. Online video viewing and game playing were also more popular for depressed students.
By Alice Walton for Forbes Magazine on January 17, 2012
Earlier research has found some changes in the brain of people who are hooked on the Web, and a new study shows reductions in volume of certain areas of the brain and in its the white matter - the highways of connection between brain cells - of young people who are addicted to the Internet.
Childhood 'screen time': Warning over TV and computers
By BBC News on 22 May 2012
Dr Aric Sigman said "screen time" needed to have a daily limit in a similar vein to salt or alcohol intake. He called for parents to "regain control" or they were risking a "form of benign neglect".
Risky rise of the good-grade pill
By Alan Schwarz for NY Times on June 9, 2012
At high schools across the United States, pressure over grades and competition for college admissions are encouraging students to abuse prescription stimulants, according to interviews with students, parents and doctors.
By Robert Whitaker for Mad in America on June 11, 2012
Response to previous Risky rise of the good-grade pill article which disputes Alan Schwarz statement "While these medicines tend to calm people with A.D.H.D., those without the disorders find that just one pill can jolt them with the energy and focus to push through all-night homework binges and stay awake during exams afterward." Whitaker goes on to state that the literature shows that ADHD youth experience the same harmful side effects that non-ADHD youth do. Youth diagnosed with ADHD who take stimulants, rather than feeling "calmed," may suffer from insomnia, just the same way that "normal" kids do. Youth diagnosed with ADHD who take stimulants may tell of being able to "focus" better on school tests, just as "normal" kids do. As for research into the "biology" of ADHD, it certainly has not been shown that such youth suffer from low dopamine levels, or that they have a "real" chemical deficiency of any kind.
Unfavorable drug studies don't get published
By John Grohol for PsychCentral
The studies that do get published in the scientific literature are prodrug and journals will often turn down papers that do not have any positive findings. These practices lead to a "skewed view on a drug's effectiveness.
AT & T Smart Limits Plan
Innovative ways to reduce the use of technology by children e.g. Allows parents to block the time of day text messages can be sent.
Prescription for health and happiness: a daily dose of nature
By David Suzuki for the David Suzuki Foundation
Over the past decade, researchers from fields as diverse as biology, psychiatry, engineering, horticulture, neuroscience, and medicine have realized what most of us know intuitively: nature is good for our health and wellbeing.
Xbox death highlights game addiction dangers
By Mike Smith on August 19, 2011 for Plugged In
Electronic games are a fixture in two-thirds of American homes, and research indicates as many as 8% of American kids are so addicted to their electronic entertainment that it's causing real-world problems for their personal development.
Report: Taiwanese teen dies after 40-hour Diablo III marathon
By Chris Morris for Plugged In on July 18, 2012
An 18-year old was rushed to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead following 40 hour marathon playing video games. An autopsy is pending, but authorities noted that the long period of sitting still could have created blood clots, which proved fatal.
reSTART Internet Addiction Center visited by Korean delegation
In May, 2012, a Korean delegation came to visit North America's only Internet addiction center, reSTART : Internet Addiction Recovery Program (www.netaddictionrecovery.com), to see how reSTART approaches treatment of IAD in comparison to how it is being screened for and treated in Korea. Two delegates came from two different organizations. One was a Gaming Foundation. In Korea they have 10 gaming companies who have come together to pitch in some money to help people with treatment. The second delegate was from the education side. He states that they give EVERY one of their students over the age of 10 the Kimberly Young's Internet Addiction Test. They are seeing about 4% of the population with an addiction, most of whom are referred to school counselors or "Family Camp", a residential program for the whole family. About 1% requiring hospitalization.
GlaxoSmithKline pleads guilty in $3B US drug fraud case - Admits misbranding Paxil, Wellbutrin; withholding safety data for Avandia
CBC News Jul 2, 2012
The British pharmaceutical giant has admitted to misbranding the antidepressants Paxil and Wellbutrin and marketing them for uses not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including the treatment of children for depression and the treatment of ailments such as obesity, anxiety, addiction and ADHD.In some cases, the company did so despite warnings about possible safety risks from the FDA, such as an increased risk of suicide for children under 18 taking antidepressants.
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| Video Clips |
9 month old baby crawls to iPad
Encouraging motor development by asking a baby to crawl to an iPad? Ever wonder we have 30% of children entering school developmentally delayed - they stop at the iPad.
Baby Dunya is reading
This child, on the other hand, will enter school developmentally prepared, with optimal social skills.
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| Books |
by Damian Thompson
Damian Thompson describes today's society as an "epidemic of addiction". His main message is that addicts are not suffering from a disease. In fact, he argues, addictive behaviour is essentially voluntary: disordered brain chemistry may influence addicts to make bad choices, but they are still choices.
by naturopath Alan Logan and Harvard physician Eva Selhub
New book cites dozens of studies that demonstrate the health benefits of the natural world, and reference outdoor physical activity as "exercise squared" because it can increase energy and fitness levels while reducing fatigue, depression, and obesity.
by Jim Steyer
Addresses some of the most pressing concerns facing parents today.
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Balanced Technology Management Foundation Teams - Join Now!
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Child now use 7.5 hours per day of technology, at great cost to their health and academic performance. One third of children enter school developmentally delayed, and one in four children are obese. Child aggression is causing significant behaviour challenges in schools and homes, as evidenced by soaring rates of child behaviour diagnosis and use of psychotropic medications. Sleep deprived, isolated and illiterate, the ways in which we raise and educate new millennium children are threatening their very sustainability.
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| Zone'in Resources |
Virtual Child - The terrifying truth about what technology is doing to children By Cris Rowan, pediatric occupational therapist. Virtual Child documents the impact technology has had on the developing child, and proposes tools and techniques to manage balance between activities children need for growth and success with technology use.
Need more info? Visit www.virtualchild.ca
BUY NOW ON Amazon.com
Products
Foundation Series WorkshopsWorkshops are offered in the following formats:
Buy individual recorded webinars for $99 each
or the first 6 in the series for $499!
You will have two weeks to download your file. Once saved, you may watch at your leisure, alone or with your friends/colleagues. Stop and start the recording to suit your schedule - watch as many times as you like!
TrainingInstructor training for Foundation Series Workshops places pediatric occupational therapists on the cutting edge as experts in the field of technology's impact on child development. Instructor Training in Vancouver, BC - February 16-17, 2013OT's can now take the three day Foundation Series Workshops recorded webinars, and then travel to Vancouver, BC, May 10 and 11, 2012 for the two day instructor training with Cris Rowan and become fully certified to deliver these ground breaking workshops in their own communities. www.zoneintraining.com
Consultation |
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Zone'in Programs Inc. and Cris Rowan are seeking your support and assistance to ensure sustainable and productive futures for our children. Find out more about how you can help us!
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Join the Conversation
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| Cris Rowan |  | Cris Rowan is a Pediatric Occupational Therapist, author, speaker and champion of easing the job of learning for all children.
Cris in the News:
Cris has a new blog called Moving to Learn! Check it out at movingtolearn.ca Click here for
complete bio.
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Contact Us
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Zone'in Programs Inc.
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6840 Seaview Road
Sechelt, BC V0N 3A4
1-888-896-6346
1-877-896-6346 (fax)
info@zonein.ca
www.zonein.ca
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