Screen Time

A new blog post explains Fitts's law, the human-computer interaction principle that movement time increases with distance and decreases with target size, and argues it explains why menu bars sit at screen edges. Edge placement gives menus effectively infinite target size, making them faster to hit, a design insight readers are debating.

Apple's first foldable iPhone, expected to carry a $1,999 price tag, may welcome buyers with a personal greeting the first time the device is powered on. The report suggests a tailored boot-up experience for early adopters of the long-rumoured two-screen handset, adding to speculation about how Apple will differentiate its entry into the foldable market.

The Tigard-Tualatin School District is considering tighter restrictions on the use of technology in classrooms. According to Tigard Life, the district is weighing stricter limits, though details of the proposed measures and the reasoning behind them have not yet been made public. The debate touches on ongoing national discussions about screen time, devices and learning.

Veteran British adventurer Ranulph Fiennes has called for extra-curricular activities to be made compulsory for young people. Writing in connection with his work with youth organisations, he argues that structured challenges such as outdoor pursuits build resilience and character, and he is urging schools and policymakers to guarantee every young person access to such activities.

An opinion piece asks whether modern parenting is leaving children emotionally disconnected, questioning how shifting family dynamics, screen time, and busy lifestyles affect children's development and wellbeing. The article invites parents and educators to reflect on whether today's approaches to raising children are meeting their emotional needs.

Clinicians are being urged to assess malnutrition in cancer patients before administering the next chemotherapy dose. Malnutrition can worsen treatment tolerance and outcomes, and the question raises debate over whether nutritional screening should become a routine part of chemotherapy preparation. Supporters say early detection allows timely dietary intervention, while practical questions remain about workload and protocols in oncology clinics.

An analysis drawing on data from 30 European countries argues that the experience of an hour spent online is not the same for a 20-year-old and a 60-year-old. It suggests that what screen time means for wellbeing depends not just on an individual's own internet use, but on how people in their age group and social circle typically live online.

An author whose debut novel made her a global star has published her long-awaited follow-up, and this time the book takes an explicitly political turn. In a new interview she discusses impostor syndrome, screen adaptations of her work, and how she became radicalised in the years between the two books.

The DC Council is examining whether, and to what extent, technology should be used in the District's public schools. The debate touches on how screens, laptops and digital tools affect learning, and what limits or guidelines, if any, city policymakers should set for classrooms.

BGR reports that a combination of two iPhone features could make doomscrolling — compulsive scrolling through social media and news feeds — even harder to stop. The piece suggests Apple's tools, intended to improve usability, may instead encourage longer screen time. It follows growing debate over smartphones' role in attention and wellbeing.

The New York Times is featuring a woman campaigning for people to spend less time on their smartphones, framed around a new book encouraging readers to break their phone habits. The piece argues that constant phone use harms attention, relationships and wellbeing, and offers practical steps for cutting back screen time.

A commentary argues that video games are not inherently harmful to children, and that parents disengaging from their kids' gaming lives may do more damage than the games themselves. The piece suggests parents should take an active interest in what their children play rather than dismissing or ignoring the hobby, framing parental involvement as the key to healthier gaming habits.

New data covering 30 European countries, including Germany, suggests that the experience of spending an hour online differs sharply by age: what matters is not just a person's own screen time, but how their peers of the same age live their lives online. The finding is drawing attention for reframing debates about internet use, pointing to peer comparison rather than raw hours as the key factor shaping how digital life affects wellbeing across generations.

The film 'Artificial', developed and financed by Amazon and MGM Studios, will not be released by the company after a June decision to drop it. The timing drew attention because it came just months after Amazon invested $50 million in a related venture, and the off-screen controversy surrounding the film has only increased interest in it.

New York City lawmakers are calling for schools to switch back to paper-based standardized testing, putting them at odds with state policy that mandates computer-based exams. The debate centers on screen time, test reliability, and equity concerns as the city and state pull in opposite directions on how students should be assessed.

A social media user says they have plenty they want to write about but would end up spending hours at the screen if they started, so they are logging off for now. The remark reflects a familiar tension between wanting to share thoughts online and needing to step away from screens. Others likely relate to the pull of endless posting and scrolling.

A New York Times opinion piece argues that screens themselves are not the root cause of harm to children's health, challenging prevailing anxieties about kids' device use. The essay suggests parents and policymakers should look beyond screen time alone when assessing children's wellbeing, positioning itself against popular narratives blaming technology for youth mental health problems.

Ted Lasso's new season is drawing attention over how little screen time Hannah Waddingham and Jason Sudeikis share, with fans and commentators asking whether the writers deliberately kept their characters apart. The question has become a talking point as viewers dissect the season's choices and what the separation of its two biggest stars might signal for where the story is heading.

Fountain Hills' Movie in the Park event has been postponed, according to the Fountain Hills Times. The community film screening, typically held outdoors for local residents, will not go ahead as originally scheduled. No new date was given in the announcement.

A Wisconsin doctor is drawing attention for advice aimed at parents struggling to raise children amid constant screens and digital distractions. The piece, from Wisconsin Public Radio, positions the physician as a resource for families feeling overloaded by smartphones, social media and device battles at home. It speaks to a wider anxiety among parents about how much technology should be part of childhood.