Author: hcsslu81

Mobile devices, such as tablets and phones, are increasingly becoming an essential part of everyone’s daily lives. If you walk down the street, you will always see a few people talking or texting on their cell phones. Children use their cell phones to do research and to socialize.

“We don’t always know causation in psychology — especially without being able to measure something for a long time — but there are a lot of correlational studies that are pointing to social media and digital phone use,” says  Alicia H. Clark, Psy.D., a licensed clinical psychologist. However, medical professionals warn that children who overuse gadgets are in danger of developing symptoms similar to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) states that children who have ADHD may be overly active and may have difficulty paying attention. A survey the CDC conducted in 2011 reports that ten percent of children in the USA have ADHD. The CDC estimates that more than six million children in the USA have ADHD. The CDC further states that ADHD is the most common disorder among children.

Children will not develop ADHD if they overuse gadgets because ADHD is a genetic condition. “Children who have been diagnosed with ADHD are at a much higher risk of developing noncompliant or negative behaviors than a child who does not have ADHD.”  Kara Tamanini, M.S., LMHC added. However, overuse of devices can cause symptoms that are similar to ADHD. When you misuse gadgets, you do not focus. Instead, you can. You become used to fast-paced information, and that is fragmented and scattered.

If you think your child is at risk of developing these behaviors, you can consult online platforms like BetterHelp. A trained professional can help guide parents in navigating these symptoms.

In a study conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, they found that children aged eight to eighteen spend approximately seven and a half hours each day on their gadgets. Reducing that amount to one hour per day will be a significant accomplishment.

It is suggested that children should spend only one or two hours each day on their gadgets. The Academy of Pediatrics recommends that preschool children should also spend only one or two hours each day on their mobile devices.

Overusing gadgets can become something similar to an addiction. Children would want to go back to using their mobile devices because they find them more fascinating and interesting compared to reading a book or sitting in a classroom. When eating with their family at a restaurant, children would be staring at their mobile devices instead of socializing and bonding with their family.

Children often enjoy playing with their mobile devices, such as a cell phone or an iPad. Some parents use it as a reward when their children are suitable. There are even parents who use it as a reward for very young children who go to the bathroom during potty training.

When a parent is diagnosed with ADHD, the whole family has to be careful in their use of gadgets. Even if the children are not yet diagnosed with ADHD, they are predisposed toward developing it because their parent has it. It is advisable to limit their use of gadgets to once or twice each day with each time-limited to fifteen to twenty minutes.

“It is a social theory which examines the long-term effects of television. The research shows that too much time spent in front of the TV watching violent programs leads to ‘the mean world syndrome.” As UA Huntsville psychologist Pavica Sheldon explains. It is not surprising that negative effects are resulting from spending too much time on television screens, tablets, and phones. If you spend too much time on your mobile phone, you can become scatterbrained.

One of the difficulties with gadgets is the fact that children view devices such as television, tablets, and iPads as toys. Games can cause different areas of the brain to adapt and learn to quickly scan information to score points or to unlock new characters. This is different from what is required of the mind in environments such as the classroom where the pace is slower.

But technology is not all bad. Gadgets can have positive uses. Mobile devices can be valuable tools in socialization and bonding. It also provides a platform to spread awareness on how to improve our well-being. The important thing to remember is to use technology in moderation.

Parents of children with ADHD know that it is not true that a child with ADHD is unable to focus. Children with ADHD can concentrate intensely on technology that fascinates them, such as social media, surfing the internet, texting, or mobile phone games.

Some children can become intensely fascinated by a game or an app but would later become tired of it and move on to something else. However, children with ADHD are in greater danger of becoming cognitively and behaviorally dependent on their mobile devices.

What Are The Warning Signs

“People who talk about tech addictions often express frustration with their smartphone use, or they can’t understand why kids game so much.” Christopher J. Ferguson Ph.D. in clinical psychology said. Children who have become overly dependent on their mobile devices would use their cell phones even if there is no good reason to do so. And when they are not using their cell phones, they would be thinking about it. They would even ask for it.

“Parents also face unique challenges in restraining their kids’ usage and rehabilitating their habits and relationships with technology, due to the highly personal and addictive nature of smartphones, as well as the positive aspects of technology.”  Jyothsna Bhat, PsyD said. Children often argue with their parents regarding the amount of time they spend on their cell phones. Whenever they hear their mobile phone’s alert tone, they would immediately interrupt what they are doing to check their cell phones. They are often unaware of the large amount of time that they spend on their mobile devices.

They tend to become agitated or distressed whenever their cell phone is turned off or when their cell phone is out of their reach. And they cannot decrease the amount of time that they spend on their mobile phones.

What You Can Do

The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that parents start teaching their children the appropriate use of cell phones when they are very young. Children who are aged two and below should be discouraged from using mobile phones. For older children, the Academy recommends that parents supervise their children’s cell phone usage.

They should limit the time their children spend on their mobile phones. And they should check what content their children are accessing. They should not allow cell phones inside their children’s bedroom to make sure that their sleeping habits are healthy. “limit screen time for younger teens; show interest in them, their ideas, opinions, dreams; engage teens in conversations about choices, relationships, and future plans; and provide opportunities for them to explore their own point of view through conversation without judgment.” Sandi Lindgren PCC, LICSW added.

Parents should lead by example. They should follow the rules that they expect their children to follow. It is a good idea to specify areas of the home where cell phone use is not allowed, such as the living room or the kitchen or the bedroom. Or parents can specify certain times when cell phone use is not permitted, such as during meals or bedtime.

These restrictions will allow everyone to gain more control over their mobile phone use. And since family members are not distracted by their cell phones when they are together (such as during meals), they are encouraged to talk to one another, and this improves the family’s relationship.

Parents should provide alternatives to using mobile devices. Instead of spending hours using their mobile phones, children could spend a few hours at a pool, or a museum or a park.

As they grow older, your children will rely more and more on their mobile devices and similar technology. The goal is not to completely abstain from using mobile devices. Proper use of technology is essential to your children’s education and, eventually, to their career.

The goal is to teach your children to use their mobile phones wisely and to be able to control the amount of time that they spend on their mobile phones. Their mobile devices will benefit them if they learn to use them properly.

If setting rules on cell phone use does not work, parents can ask for help from a mental health professional. They can start by seeking advice from online counselling platforms like BetterHelp. Talking to a professional provides many benefits that parents can utilize. These experts can give behavioral and cognitive interventions for their children. These interventions are designed to treat their children’s dependence on mobile devices.

If you are uncertain how to deal with your child’s dependence on their mobile phone, you can start by talking with them openly and honestly. Just remember to be patient with them as you find ways to teach them how to use their mobile phones wisely.

Technology is a valuable tool for many individuals. But many people are wondering whether technology is good or bad for people who have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

“The very nature of ADHD implies that the child will have difficulty with self-control, paying attention, listening to instructions at home and school, and following directions.”  Kara Tamanini, M.S., LMHC explained. People who have ADHD tend to be impulsive, hyperactive, and inattentive to such a degree that it interferes with their daily lives. They tend to squirm and fidget. They are not comfortable trying to stay still for long. They are often impatient.

They often make mistakes because they have difficulty paying attention to details. They have a hard time maintaining their focus even during conversations. They are easily distracted. And they often fail to finish assignments or tasks.

Advantages Of Technology For People With ADHD

When it comes to the benefits of technology, technology can be beneficial to adults and children who are suffering from ADHD (read further in FamilyHype’s Xbox 360 Games for Boys page). People who have ADHD usually have difficulty paying attention to details, completing tasks, in an organization, and in managing their time. This makes it hard for them to complete projects or to meet deadlines at work or in school. “They live their lives immersed in technology, surrounded by cell phones, computers, videogames, digital music players and video cams,” Sheldon said. “We need to understand not just how they use these new tools, but how they are affected by them. Topics such as cyber bullying, addiction to cyber porn, and overall addiction to Internet games are something we need to study more.” UA Huntsville psychologist Pavica Sheldon elaborates.

There are computer software and apps that can assist people who have ADHD fight distraction. These software and apps can also help these individuals to stay organized and to achieve their goals.

Children who have ADHD can use electronic timers to help them stay on schedule as they work. The use of technology inside the classroom resulted in children who have ADHD being less distracted.

In a study involving students who have ADHD from the third grade and the fourth grade, it was determined that improved performance in mathematics resulted from the use of computer-assisted instruction in mathematics.

Using alerts on computers and phones can assist adults in being on time for meetings and in shifting mental gears and doing another task. Alerts can be used to allocate periods for specific activities such as writing memos or responding to emails. This helps prevent adults from hyper-focusing on only one activity.

“There is also little doubt that all of the new technologies, led by the Internet, are shaping the way we think in ways obvious and subtle, deliberate and unintentional, and advantageous and detrimental.” That is according to Jim Taylor Ph.D. Technology can help individuals who have ADHD meet their deadlines. It increases their productivity and improves their focus. But only if the technology is used correctly.

People with ADHD can also take advantage of e-counseling apps like BetterHelp to better attend to their needs. With the use of technology and social media, professional help has been made more accessible for them.

Disadvantages Of Technology For People With ADHD

The use of technology is increasing, whether it is for personal use or whether it is inside the classroom. Many people are wondering if technology is a distraction for people who have ADHD.

In a study involving fifty children aged between six and sixteen years old in which twenty-nine of the children have ADHD, it was discovered that the children who have ADHD showed more problems when they play video games. The study also showed that children who have ADHD are at higher risk of becoming dependent on video games.

In a study of five hundred thirty-five students in elementary school, it was determined that there is a significant correlation between the severity of ADHD symptoms and the intensity of addiction to the internet. The study indicates that those who exhibit the symptoms of ADHD, such as impulsiveness, hyperactivity, and inattention, are at higher risk of becoming addicted to the internet.

It is recommended to set periods that are free of technology such as during meals and family celebrations. It is also recommended to specify areas where technology should not be used, such as in the bedroom or outdoor spaces.

People who have ADHD can also use apps and computer software to shut down their tablets and phones at scheduled times automatically. They can also set their mobile devices to the do-not-disturb mode during the technology-free periods.

People who have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) often have difficulty keeping themselves organized. The symptoms of adult ADHD makes it very difficult to concentrate on what you are currently doing. These symptoms also make it very hard to stay organized.

“I see mental health apps being very useful for people who cannot get to sessions as often as they would like, but I do not view them as a substitute for therapy,” –Tanisha Ranger, PsyD

Fortunately, the introduction of modern devices like electronic organizers and smartphones has made the management of time a lot less difficult for individuals suffering from adult ADHD. Below are eight gadgets and tools that can help people with adult ADHD keep themselves organized.

High-Tech Watch

A problem that people who have ADHD often experience is they do not have access to an internal clock. Because of this, they usually find it hard to monitor and estimate how long a task takes. High-tech watches that have multiple timers allow people suffering from ADHD to keep track of each task they are doing separately.

A watch from Watchminder has sixty-five pre-installed messages such as be positive, relax, or take medicine. It also vibrates discreetly rather than beeping loudly, allowing it to be worn at the office without any danger of bothering anyone else.

Mobile Alarm Clock

An essential element of time management is going to sleep on time. That is because “Sleep helps your brain work properly. While you’re sleeping, your brain processes complex stimuli.” Staci Lee Schnell, MS, CS, LMFT said. Going to sleep on time means you wake up on time as well. But many people who have ADHD have a difficult time going to sleep at night. This means they have a hard time getting up on time in the morning.

Traditional bedside alarm clocks usually do not help you get up because you can turn it off with one simple movement of your arm. Clocks that move, however, requires you to get up to turn them off. A clock named Clocky jumps off the bedside table and moves around the room requiring you to get out of bed and chase after it to turn it off.

Key Finder

Key finders are connected to your key chain and assist you in finding your keys when you misplace them. One type of key finder is the key clapper. It beeps when it hears you clapping your hands. Another type is the wireless key finder which beeps when you press a button.

Electronic Organizer

Electronic organizers like the Palm Pilot allow the person suffering from ADHD to make appointments, set reminders, and take notes while on the go. This will enable you to keep yourself organized even if you are away from your computer. Electronic organizers can crash though. Because of this, it is advisable to keep a hard copy of your appointments and notes.

Smartphone

Smartphones, like an iPhone or an Android phone, contain in one mobile device several functions that people suffering from adult ADHD will find useful, such as an electronic organizer, an alarm clock, and a watch. Smartphones can be a source of distraction, though. They should be used wisely.

Shower Clock

People suffering from adult ADHD tend to lose track of time while they are taking a shower. It is recommended that a waterproof clock be placed in the bath. The waterproof clock works better than an alarm clock because you can see time pass by as you shower.

Smartpen

As people suffering from adult ADHD try to sleep, many thoughts tend to race through their minds. This ADHD symptom can be eased by writing down those thoughts. A pen with a built-in light can be handy for writing down your thoughts at night.

Voice Recorder

A digital voice recorder allows you to record your reminders, your meetings, and your thoughts. You may also use speech recognition software to convert your words into text on the computer.

Jyothsna Bhat, PsyD used to say, “It has been found that prolonged and unmonitored technology usage can impact children on the cognitive, psychosocial, and psychological levels.” Therefore, we all should watch out.

When there is a physical object that you feel emotionally invested in, there may be a time when it gets ruined, and you feel like seeing a therapist. That is especially true for computers and smartphones. After all, the gadget has been with you for a long time. It has helped you to do a significant portion of work, maintained information about the business better than any employee, and sometimes perhaps allowed you to play virtual games. So, when a virus attacks it, and you fail to notice it early, there is a chance for you to feel depressed because of that.

Nevertheless, even if you are not an IT expert, it is still important for lay individuals to have an idea regarding the malware that can worm its way to the computer and destroy your valuable files. One of the not-so-new viruses that you deserve to know about is the W32.Sality.

What Is It?

The Sality virus (or simply W32.Sality) is a type of malware program that can infect both the .exe and .scr files and can thereby spread in the same amount of time that the action gets carried out. This computer virus consists of the AutoRun function as well. As a result, it is most likely to get into any removable medium that may be saved in the device. Also, this package comes with Trojan software, which can download and install more malware in your computer without your knowledge, especially when you are connected to the internet.

When Did It First Appear?

This security threat made its first appearance in Russia in the year 2003. During that period, the Sality was merely an almost irrelevant infector that people used to initiate the virus code to a host computer and had keylogging and backdoor services. Over the years, it has already improved significantly with its added features, which only makes it an even more dangerous virus. But despite all those significant changes that the said threat has gone through, its signature remains to be the same.

How Does It Infect A Computer?

The payload makes five components function in different threads. Process Injector is the first component, and in this part, all processes except those that belong to the PC handlers’ system, network or local services will get a replica of the virus to make sure that the malware will continue running in the computer.
The second component is the one that reduces or deactivates the overall security that works in the system, and that means to say that the processes and the services, which are protected by the antivirus are also stopped along with other security products. In addition to that, when the registry is modified, the safe boot key entries are to be deleted, and the components like registry editing in accordance to either the Task Manager Creation or the tool called Windows regedit.exe are to be disabled. The firewall rules are to be added as well so that the Sality virus can get network access.

Sality virus also inserts a kernel driver somewhere in the %System%drivers and then does a service that is called “amsint32”. This driver, which is a rootkit, is accountable for two deeds:

1. It ends the processes when it fails to initiate the TerminateProcess(). The rootkit is enabled to start forceful code on a particular practice. On the other hand, this code can only affect the termination procedure so far.

2. The IpFilter callback function that a driver attaches to let the network packets do their job. Ipfltdrv.sys is, by definition, a regular Windows driver that can be installed in the computer by starting the service known as IpFilterDriver. The kernel drivers have a feature that can set a callback, which is then to be summoned by the IpFilter whenever an IP packet enters and exits. The mentioned callback can also decide where the parcel will be dropped or not.

In simpler terms, IpFilter is an accurate and direct method of building a Windows firewall. The virus utilizes the IpFilter to drop each word-containing IP packet that comes from the encrypted strings list which completes the URLs of security vendors. Also, the process can instruct the driver to block the traditional email exchange by dropping SMTP packets.

Final Thoughts

Whoever has created the Sality virus undoubtedly wants this malware to remain in people’s computers for a long time. You can deduce that based on how it attacks the departments that a person should be able to go to and identify the problem at once. Thus, once you boot the system in Safe mode, you should make sure that every single removable file in the computer has been checked to keep Sality from coming back and depressing you again.

Good luck!

Source: flickr.com

The modern world has a lot to offer, but to compensate for this, there is a slow but devastating elimination of borders. This situation has not only caused anxiety and frustration to the political and business world but the rest of the medical, social, and educational services across the globe as well.

According to the educational standards, students with disabilities must be given opportunities to be able to reach their potential and achieve their dreams. Like every normal student, they should be allowed to join in training and workshops and should not be subject to discrimination. With the success of the IT field, digital tools are available everywhere, allowing teachers in the school to use these tools to make teaching easier to special education students.

IT Helping Students With Special Needs

The National Center For Education Statistics reported in 2016 that there were a total of $6.7 million students that were serviced under the Individuals with Disabilities Act. That is about 13% of the entire public school students in America. This report shows us that there isn’t one universal technological gadget that will solve the problems of all students with special needs at the same time. And because of this, the best solution was to create tailored-made solutions according to the needs of a specific group of students.

Edmentum, a company that is known for being masters in designing eLearning tools, states that IT tremendously helps a classroom or students develop individual learning by first allowing their teachers to have more versatility and variation in teaching. They can use digital technology to provide a range of learning opportunities and strategies that encourage, support, and guide special needs students and help them become effective learners.

Source: en.wikipedia.org

Additionally, another eLearning solutions master called PowerSchool, states that by using the appropriate technology, educators can better handle and administer excellent special education documents through guidelines and rules that are in line with IDEA and other state and federal laws.

Applying IT In Special Education

Undeniably, there have been a lot of technological tools that have proven to help special needs students. For instance, because of their disabilities, some of these students can’t use handwritten text for traditional classroom scenarios. However, by using digital tools that aim to recognize and synthesize human speech, one can avoid using pen and paper during his classroom lessons. Also, students with visual disorders can benefit from these tools.

Some of these technological tools that have been used effectively in special education include:

• Adaptive Computing Technology. This allows utilizing digital gadgets to dodge the challenging assignments. Reader apps like the JAWS, combined with special Braille keyboards, enable the blind and the visually challenged to the school computers.
• Augmentative Communication Systems. This technology has been helping students with speech issues by making use of books, image charts, and special computers that provide word-prediction functions.

Digital Services For Online Learning

Some mentally and physically challenged students are not able to travel to school to learn. With the help of these web-based learning services, they can be provided with educational services according to their interests and skills. They can choose and buy online courses and other tools that can track their academic progress. Parents and the students as well are free from the stress and anxiety of having to move through long distances just to learn.

Source: flickr.com

Digital Application To Assess Academic Performance

This special education IT software assists the teachers by simplifying their lessons for students that have learning disabilities caused by brain injuries, mental disabilities, and developmental delays. It also helps monitor their learning progress easier through picture charts. An example of this is the Online Staff Performance Management System, a user-friendly digital performance tool used by educators. It allows them to monitor their students’ progress and track their educational plan for them so they can get a better perspective of the changes that they need to make learning more accessible. They can create specific lesson plans for their students through this software.

Takeaway

The addition and utilization of IT in special education effectively helps break the walls for individuals with disabilities and gives them an opportunity to acquire high-quality educational programs. Software and hardware that are introduced to these students allow them to attain any kind of information through the web. With modern technology, educators can acclimate themselves to the possibility of a student with special needs to exert little effort and get the best education through the available learning tools and strategies ready for them to use.

 

 

 

We believe that information technology is the future of the world. Everybody needs it. Our friends and family, including other people we don’t know, depend on it. We can’t deny the fact that continuous innovations provide us with things we both like and sometimes don’t like. Since innovation became a more significant part of our lives when it comes to almost everything we do, we can be sure about its contribution. It makes us live innovatively, it gives us comfort and satisfaction, it provides convenience, and it allows us to grow both economical and industrial. So concerning business matters, let’s try to understand how information technology becomes an edge; what are the benefits of technology?

There are times where it becomes complicated to understand how information technology and business processes fit together. But here are simple ways to think about how the correlation progress from scratch to convenience.

Business Process Transaction

The business process happens in the real world. It takes an amount of time, effort, and energy. Let’s say we have an accounts payable process. It is where we get a valid invoice from a particular vendor. We submit it to the management and wait till someone approves it. From there, we go and check and send it back to the vendor for an exchange transaction. As we can see, the business process is about operations. Thousands of these follow some process one way or another. Admittedly, there are many transactions that we somehow cannot track due to flooded information. Yes, we can do all of it with paper. But each transaction will require armies of people to gather and write the data down. Therefore, we need help.

In every business process, we use computers, and we call it “information technology.” With technology’s assistance, we can make detailed notes of all the transactions we get from the real world. That is because there are a surprising amount of data generated every day even by a single transaction we do. Therefore in a sense, we are creating a mathematical model between our situation and all the operations we have. With this process, our data becomes the building blocks of our model. However, it doesn’t end there. The data we gather can potentially change instantly and continuously. Therefore, we still need to adjust.

The Business And Its Software

The business process adjustment we need to make in every transaction depends on our capacity to understand numbers. By that, we reduced the generated vast details of information and managed its value. That’s why we need to capture and store it in a software program or database. But what is a database? Well, we can’t see what it is. We only know that it is part of a functioning computer that does all the storing, gathering, changing, and retrieving of data. The operational process is substantial and more efficient compared to manual labor. That’s because it dramatically cut cost, develop innovative solutions for new market ventures, and improve business by providing quality services to consumers.

The role of software is to support the process of business transactions. It provides the means to maintain and create a functioning mathematical model. However, software doesn’t exist on its own. From there, we need the other fundamental components of information technology, and that’s the hardware. There are servers, networks, PCs, and keyboards and all the other things that require running the software. With all the knowledge on this stuff, it becomes easier to picture out how the business process and IT fit together.

The Role Of IT In Businesses

Information technology’s role in every business appears in categories.

• Enterprise System – It is an IT system that controls e-commerce or the facilitation of business on the internet. Examples of these are online shopping, online auctions, electronic payments, online ticketing, and internet banking. It supports Business to Business (B2B), Businesses to Consumer (B2C), and Consumer to Consumer (C2C) transactions. Its benefits revolve around the convenience of eliminating geographical distance and access limitation. It also supports m-commerce where mobile devices open a new avenue for a wide variety of transactions.
• Decision Support System – It is where an organized collection of essential details gets operated. It allows the compilation of software, database, business procedures, people, and devices that support a problem-specific decision making. Usually, IT resolves complex issues in the business and determines appropriate action.
• Specialized Business Information System – IT in business revolves around knowledge management, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and expert system.

When we realize that information technology is merely supporting business processes, then we can start to see that innovation is vital in improving transactions. Perhaps that’s the reason why smart business people are willing to spend a lot of money on improving efficiency with IT projects. Because with the help of technological tools, employees and companies can enjoy a vast number of business-related convenience and benefit.

A vast portion of the world’s society is experiencing the rising of technology. However, only a few people understand and internalize what it is. Artificial intelligence gives thanks to books and movies because each generation already created a form of fantasy in their perception. That is the ruling of worlds – or at least served – by multifunctional machines and robots.

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