Teens and Cell Phones

Teens and Cell Phones

Dear Ms Smartphone: Is this normal? My daughter is 15 and a junior in high school. She is always taking pictures of herself…more than 20 a day…. Then she shares some of them with her friends. When I ask her about it she says all teenage girls do this now. Dana, Petaluma

Dear Dana: As a mom to boys, I am less sure about the habits of teenage girls. But surely all teenagers push our buttons and push new technology in different ways. My first concern is that your daughter has clothes on in these pictures. Continue reading “Teens and Cell Phones”

Phone and Driver

Robo Calls in Cars- (Golf Digest 5/14/18)
Robo-Calls and Drivers (Graphic: Golf Digest, 5/14/18)

Dear Ms. Smartphone: Why do I feel the need to answer my phone when I am in the car? I know it is not safe, but I still feel the need to pick up the call. I feel so conflicted by this. K.P, San Francisco

Dear K.P. You didn’t state your age, but before smartphones and the answering machine, people answered the phone whenever it rang- it was rude to not do so. And, there were no safety concerns as phones were stationary (fixed to a wall). Today, phones travel with us, and that brings lots of safety concerns… but they also provide the security of maps and navigation. The easiest solution is to turn the ringer to ‘off’ when you drive and leave the GPS on. But, you can also sharpen your mental skills: keep looking straight ahead at the road, remind yourself that an important caller will leave a message. Bring to mind this is a ‘robo’ on two counts: it is stealing your attention, and, most likely, a robo-call.

Who Drives the GPS?

DearSmartphone and GPS
Getting Directions is Stressful!
source: express.uk.co.

DEAR MS. SMARTPHONE: WHEN I DRIVE WITH MY BOYFRIEND HE LIKES TO USE HIS SMARTPHONE TO GIVE ME DIRECTIONS. BUT HE  TURN DOWN THE VOLUME, AND THEN FORGETS TO REPEAT SOME OF THE INFORMATION. THEN HE GETS MAD AT ME FOR MISSING TURNS! Annie, Antioch

Dear Annie: It sounds like a control issue but no need for you to get mad. It is about safety so choose to take control. You could politely say that you want to try out a different app on your own phone, say you are experimenting with Waze instead of Google Maps or vice versa. Continue reading “Who Drives the GPS?”