Lots of concerned parents are bucking the digital age and forbidding their kids any screen time. On today’s show a tech researcher tells us that's not only unrealistic, but possibly damaging. Then, in times of mourning, we emphasize the cyclical nature of life and death - and yet, American burial practices are mostly designed to halt the natural process of decomposition. We'll look at the historical forces that pushed America towards embalming and containment.
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Parents! Reject Tech Shame
Tech researcher Alexandra Samuel conducted a two-year study on how families maneuver the digital world and discovered that restricting kids' screen time is not only unrealistic, but counterproductive. She wrote about her findings for The Atlantic: "Parents: Reject Technology Shame".
The History of the Octothorpe/Hastag/Pound/Number Symbol
Roman Mars of the podcast 99% Invisible, looks back to the origins of symbol that’s taken on new meaning in the age of social media.
You can listen to this story again at PRX.org.
Green Burials
Common burial practices and funeral traditions have long up-ended the natural process of death and decomposition by preserving bodies as long as possible - but that may be changing. Suzanne Kelly is author of Greening Death: Reclaiming Burial Practices and Restoring Our Tie to the Earth.
Win an Inn
Owning a quaint country inn in a beautiful place …it’s a romantic dream for many. But historic properties come with hefty price tags and operating costs, requiring more than a rosy attitude and love of meeting new people. Some inn owners have found a way to change that though.
Doreen Cooney has been innkeeper of the Deerfield Valley Inn in Vermont for 17 years and plans to hand the operation over to whoever comes up with the best answer to the prompt “This Is My Dream: To Own a Vermont Country Inn Property.”
If you think you have what it takes, you can enter the essay contest here.
Millennials and Charity
College students, recent college graduates, or those just starting a family are not best known for their expendable income. But the 18-32 year-old cohort known as Millennials spends more than one trillion dollars a year - and non-profits and philanthropic organizations are beginning to take note.
In an article for the Boston Globe, novelist and contributor Melissa Schorrdives into how charities are strategically cultivating the next generation of givers.
How Some Teens Text 4 Free
While Millennials may be willing to spend dollars on organizations that have social impact, there are other goods and services they think ought to come without a price-tag at all. Jamayah Parish of WUNC Youth Radio reports on how a generation of teenagers has learned to text for free.
You can listen to this story again at PRX.org.