Is technology isolating us?

Is technology really isolating us? The answer is yes! How many times have you walked into the caf and have seen a group of people all sitting at a table staring at their phones instead of interacting with one another? It happens more than you think, and I know that I am definitely guilty of that. However, this could lead to depressive symptoms.

To combat being sucked into the world wide web's isolating vortex, you could always limit the amount of phone and internet usage by timing it. So, give yourself an hour of "screen time." Or instead of scrolling through Facebook and Instagram when you're bored, why not read a book? Take a walk enjoying the scenery outside.

Taking a step back, spending too much time on your phone and/or laptop can cause depressive symptoms because you're not interacting with people. In 2002, Charlie Morgan and Shelia R. Cotten, both in the University of Maryland's department of sociology and anthropology conducted a study on the impact of internet activities on college freshmen. It turns out, more students felt depressive when they were online shopping, playing online games, or even doing research. Mainly because there was no social interaction, or a support system. On the other hand, the students who did not have depression symptoms spent more time emailing and using instant messaging. 

The world may be at our fingertips with all of our smartphones and iPads and such, but it may be doing more harm than good. 

For more information the study conducted by Charlie Morgan and Sheila R. Cotten, click here.

Article in Review: "Improve Your Internet Privacy in 15 Minutes"

This week it's all about internet privacy! Considering the huge Ashley Madison hack that happened a few weeks ago, how can we improve our privacy? For starters, I had no idea that the government can track our internet usage. Although I really shouldn't be surprised. Anyway, the article asks about what you're doing to secure your internet privacy, and when I thought about it, I'm really not doing that much. Sure, I use the popular browser Chrome, and I have a few different passwords that I can actually remember for varied social media accounts, but in the Huffington Post's article, there's a lot more that we could be doing, if we're not already.

For starters, I always use Google as my main search engine; but, did you know that Google can track you? For example, I've noticed that if I search for a certain item (take shoes for example), and then I go on Facebook, there are ads for whatever I searched for on the sidebar. One way to combat this is to use the search engine DuckDuckGo. The article tells you how to download DuckDuckGo into your Chrome extension (if you still love using Chrome, like I do), or you can just go to DuckDuckGo's website instead of going right to the Google search page. 

The article talks about also using Tor, an anonymous browser that doesn't track your IP addresses or cookies. Can't remember all of your passwords? There's an app for that. 

Although, now that I'm thinking of it, if you're not really doing anything bad, should you be worried about being tracked? I think it's more for people who buy things online, and that their account and bank information can be stolen. 

See all of the Huffington Post's article here.

Community-based traffic app: Waze

Picture this: you're stuck in rush hour traffic on I-476 on a Friday, and you have no clue as to why you're still stuck in the same spot that you were 15 minutes ago. Well, the new app Waze can figure that out for you. 

Waze is a community-based traffic report app, that lets users know what is going on on the roads, like accidents, police action, serious traffic jams, and just debris in the middle of the lane or shoulder. It also lets users know the best, and quickest, route to take and even where the cheapest gas is located. The app is updated by others around you using it, so it all takes place in real time. The creators have also said that it’s helpful in finding new and quicker ways to get to your destination. 

The app is totally free on the iTunes app store, and it's probably also free for Android and Windows phone users as well. From the information that I've gathered on the iTunes app store, the app was developed in 2011 (at least that was the earliest that it was updated), and was just recently updated again in June of this year. An even more recent update now let's users change the voice to talk to you. Some options include: Rob Gronkowski, Neil Patrick Harris, Stephen Colbert, and even Colonel Sanders. It also has four and a half stars.

Frankly, I think this is an awesome app, because I was stuck on I-476 last Friday on my way to the Phillie’s game, and other than the annoying rush hour traffic, Waze was updated to let me know that there was an accident on the left shoulder, along with police activity. Definitely more reliable than Apple or Google Maps. 

New bracelet delivers vaccination reminders

Lauren Braun, a former pre-med student at Cornell, has come up with the new idea of making bracelets for mothers in developing countries to remind them to get their children vaccinated. Braun first came up with the idea while working in Peru, taking mothers to clinics to get their children vaccinated. The bracelet, which is similar to that of a Livestrong band, goes around the child's foot and serves as a calendar of sorts. Beneath the four month date is an x, a triangle, a circle, and a square, which stand for the diseases pneumonia, polio, rotavirus, and the pentavalent shot. The pentavalent shot protects against five diseases: diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, and the bacteria that causes meningitis, pneumonia, and otitis. When every shape is hole punched on the bracelet by the nurse giving the vaccine, then the child is fully protected. Braun tested the bracelets on 159 women, and 91% of them said that the bracelets helped them remember when to get their children vaccinated. Braun is also hoping to expand her project to Nigeria, Colombia, and Pakistan, and to even make bigger bracelets for growing children to keep the vaccines up to date. 

Obviously this is a huge step in decreasing infant deaths in developing countries. Just in the past 15 years, immunizations have increased immensely, saving about seven million children. I'm really hoping that Lauren Braun will get more support from groups worldwide so that every child can be vaccinated. As Rod Blagojevich put it so eloquently, "Healthcare is not a privilege. It's a right."