Savvy Links 12|04

by Tony Chen

Tech trends for kids, cheating, snazzy economic data graphs, genetic testing for kids, and great timing - here's some savvy links for savvy dads.

Trends
Disney did a survey on tech trends for kids, basically tells us again that our kids are going to outgeek us faster than ever.  Get this: 48% on young parents said their kids starting using cell phones at age 5 or younger.   If we're struggling to keep up now, just wait a few years.  At least, here's some new advice to keep kids safe online.  What happens when your kid googles you? Not that you need this (just your friends, right?), but here's some tips on deleting your digital past - it's not as easy as you think, so be careful out there.

There seems to be more and more cheating among teens. Hey, everyone's doing it, right?  Actually about 2 out of every 3.  Also, 1 in 5 young adults have personality disorder. While this is surely overdiagnosed, where is this all headed?

Gun sales have been soaring since the election.  Here's why one parent keeps a gun in her house.

Twitter is becoming part of the breaking news landscape and online community. Here's a recent "top 25 twitter dads" list (yes, I'm partial to this list).

1 in 3 toys are toxic.  Results are here. I just don't know anymore.

I'm a sucker for stats and graphs/charts - here's the best data-driven perspective on the economy I've seen to date - the infamous Sequoia Capital powerpoint deck to their company CEOs. Check out the home prices data on slide 14.

Controversies
Genetic testing for kids - Is this the new parenting controversy frontier?  A new $149 test is out that determines which sport best suites your kid's genetic profile.  Believe me, this is just the tip of the iceberg.
 
How kindergartners celebrate thanksgiving is becoming a point of contention in some American towns.

Ms. Controversy herself is Michelle Rhee, the head of the D.C. school district.  One way or another, education reform is on the way - test scores are up, but so are tempers. In NYC, some kids are getting paid for good grades.

Perspectives
Malcolm Gladwell's new book is out.  I'm a closet fan even if others think he's a little kooky. Yes, it's another "behavioral economics" book, but this one has quite a few parenting implications.  And by the way, why Asians are better at math apparently has more to do with language than math.

Timing is everything, right?  With the economy the way it's going, maybe there's some opportunities for the savvy among us.  Maybe now is the time to get a great deal on stocks or that house remodeling project.  Speaking of great timing, here's 12 photos that have it.

Uselessly savvy
Just thought these were cool: bullet-proof tires, chainless bikes
How does a little boy survive keys being lodged in his brain?