Wimpy men, 1986, Oreo cookies and internet addiction centres all caught my attention this week now that the kids are back at school.
1. The American Psychological Association sent out a press release last week stating that ‘Men Feel Worse About Themselves When Female Partners Succeed.’ Babble.com wisely translated this finding into the headline ‘Behind Every Successful Woman Is a Meek Little Man.’ So is this really true? The study’s lead author, Kate Ratcliffe of the University of Florida, goes on to explain that ‘men automatically interpret a partner’s success as their own failure, even when they’re not in direct competition.’ What exactly are we supposed to do with this information? Should we tell our daughters about this little secret? Strive for mediocrity so our men can rise to the top? You tell me.
2. How well do you remember 1986? I remember it very well—grade 12. I’m old, I know—especially compared to Blair McMillan, a dad living in Guelph, Ontario who was born that year. Blair was disillusioned recently after he asked his kids to kick the ball around with him outside and they said no because they couldn’t pull themselves away from the iPad. So he decided to live as if it was 1986 (mullet included). No cell phones, no computers, no iPads, no Google. He has encyclopedias and a land line. He has a boxy TV but no cable (ed note: I remember cable in 1986), he watches movies on a VCR and listens to cassette tapes. According to the article I read in the Toronto Sun, what he’s enjoying the most is time with his family and the fact that people can’t reach him when he is out. He claims his family talks to each other more. Rather than seeing photos of newborn babies online, he wants to go to the hospital and see them in real life. I kind of get it. I’ve tried something like this with my family, but it didn’t stick. Have you ever gone off the grid?
3. Perhaps Mr. McMillan is saving his kids from a future of internet addiction—which is not to be taken lightly. It’s an accepted medical condition now with the opening of the very first Internet Addiction Centre in Pennsylvania. Patients of severe internet addiction are mainly gamers who are unable to function in life anymore. They are not to be confused with individuals who have internet dependency (hello). So YouTube is fine, games are bad. If your kids are iPad kids, stick to educational apps without games that allow them to acquire points. That’s gamification and it can be addictive.
4. Even though these cookie spoons are a post-1986 product, I have a feeling my new favourite mullet-sporting, Guelph dad would like these little Diprs. Oreos and milk are old school, right? I personally think dipping Oreos into milk is more fun than playing games on the iPad. But that’s just me.
5. Finally, in the spirit of 1986, I have another video from our favourite doc, Dr. Mike Evans. Although he embraces technology, I think he would applaud the 1986 dad. He remembers that year, too! This week Dr. Mike challenges us to move more by implementing small changes you can make every day. Watch this video for inspiration on how to live a healthier life.
Have a great week.
Tagged under: wimpy men,1986,oreo cookies,dipr,internet addiction,healthy living,from the editor's desk
Category: entertainment
