The Health Benefits, and Risks, of Alcohol

HealthDay – 1 hr 22 mins ago FRIDAY, July 20 (HealthDay News) -- Mirroring so much of life, alcohol consumption comes with plusses and minuses.

A lot of recent research has highlighted the potentially beneficial effects on the heart and other parts of the body of drinking wine and other alcoholic beverages. But risks to health exist, too, as well as the more well-known and potentially life-threatening effects of alcohol, including drunken driving and addiction.

The Good

Alcohol consumption in moderation has been linked to a host of good outcomes. Studies have suggested that drinking alcohol, wine in particular, may reduce your risk for heart disease, stroke, gallstone formation, type 2 diabetes and dementia. It may also give your metabolism a slight boost.

"Alcohol, especially red wine, has resveratrol and antioxidants and bioflavonoids and polyphenols, and all of these wonderful things that dilate the arteries and reduce inflammation," said Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, director of women and heart disease at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, and a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association.

"Alcohol can definitely be part of a heart-healthy diet if you're drinking responsibly," she said.

"Drinking responsibly," though, might very well mean drinking less than you think, another expert noted.

"Moderate alcohol consumption for women is up to one drink a day, and for men it's two drinks a day," explained Elizabeth Kovacs, director of the alcohol research program at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago. "One drink is 5 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer or a 1.5 ounce shot of liquor."

Steinbaum pointed out that people should be especially careful when ordering a glass or two of wine at a restaurant because they're often far larger than one serving size.

Kovacs added that "the benefits of alcohol are pretty restricted, and it's only beneficial if you drink at a low level, you don't take certain medications, you don't have liver or pancreas disease and you're not pregnant."

And, the experts agreed, none of the benefits of alcohol are reason enough to start drinking.

"If you don't already drink, don't start drinking for its health benefits," Steinbaum said. "You can eat a heart-healthy diet, such as the Mediterranean diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, and get a benefit, too. You don't have to have alcohol to protect your heart."

The Bad

Though a small amount of alcohol can help the heart, more is not better, Steinbaum stressed. Alcohol can raise the levels of triglyceride, a harmful fat found in the blood, she said, and it can also lead to higher blood pressure.

Some people also are prone to a condition called holiday heart syndrome, which causes irregular heartbeats when they drink alcohol, though some of them can drink a little without triggering the condition. Steinbaum said she had one patient who knew he couldn't have more than two martinis or he would have an irregular heartbeat.

Excess alcohol consumption can also lead to weight gain, Steinbaum noted, and alcohol can be detrimental to the kidneys and liver as well, particularly for people taking certain medications, such as statins to lower cholesterol or even over-the-counter acetaminophen (Tylenol) to relieve pain.

In addition, recent studies have linked alcohol consumption to an increased risk for certain cancers, asthma and allergies. Alcohol can also be a problem for people who take blood sugar-lowering medications, such as insulin, because it can cause blood sugar levels to drop unpredictably, and to potentially dangerously low levels.

The Ugly

Some of the worst outcomes from alcohol consumption, however, include abuse and addiction, binge drinking, drinking while pregnant, alcohol poisoning, brain damage, increased violent behavior and driving under the influence.

"Alcohol increases the chance of a motor vehicle accident, violence against others, inadvertent violence against oneself, spread of sexually transmitted diseases, unplanned pregnancies, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and becoming dependent on alcohol," Kovacs said.

She noted that alcohol plays a role in one-third of all car crashes and, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it's a factor in two-thirds of the incidents of intimate-partner violence.

"It's important that people are informed about the effects of alcohol on their body so they can be prepared to not drink, or to drink responsibly," said Kovacs. "The benefits of alcohol consumption are very minimal compared to the risks."

More information

The American Heart Association has more on the cardiovascular effects of alcohol consumption.

To read about the risks that alcohol can pose to people with diabetes click here.

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Wildland firefighters win federal health benefits

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Physical activity needed to reap benefits of dietary restriction

ScienceDaily (July 2, 2012) — Fruit flies on dietary restriction (DR) need to be physically active in order to get the lifespan extending benefits that come from their Spartan diet. If the same axiom holds true in humans, those practicing caloric restriction in hopes of living longer need to make sure they eat enough to avoid fatigue.

See Also:Health & MedicineFitnessHealthy AgingDietary SupplementPlants & AnimalsBiologyGenetically ModifiedCell BiologyReferenceCalorie restricted dietDetox dietAnaerobic exerciseGlycogen

According to research at the Buck Institute, flies on DR shift their metabolism toward increasing fatty acid synthesis and breakdown, specifically in muscle tissue. "Dietary restriction is known to enhance spontaneous movement in a variety of species including primates, however this is the first examination of whether enhanced physical activity is necessary for its beneficial effects," said Buck faculty Pankaj Kapahi, PhD, who runs the lab where the research took place. "This study establishes a link between DR-mediated metabolic activity in muscle, increased movement and the benefits derived from restricting nutrients," he said, adding that flies on DR who could not move or had inhibited fat metabolism in their muscle did not exhibit an extended lifespan. "Our work argues that simply restricting nutrients without physical activity may not be beneficial in humans," said Kapahi.

The research is published in the July 3, 2012 edition of Cell Metabolism.

The research also points to a potential target that could yield a drug that mimics the beneficial effects of DR. Lead author, Subhash D. Katewa, PhD, Buck Institute staff scientist, said flies genetically engineered to overexpress the circulating peptide AKH (the fly equivalent of glucagon in mammals) showed increased fat metabolism, spontaneous activity and extended lifespan even though their diet was unrestricted. AKH plays a critical role in glucose and lipid metabolism. "Our data suggests that DR may induce changes in muscle similar to those observed under endurance exercise and that molecules like AKH could serve as potential mimetics for DR that enhance activity and healthspan," said Katewa.

"A better understanding of the dynamics of fat metabolism is needed in order to clarify its role in aging and disease," Katewa said. "These current results suggest that enhanced fat metabolism could help slow aging and the onset of age-related disease."

Contributors to the work: Other Buck Institute researchers involved in the study include Marysia Kolipinski, and Simon Melov. Other collaborators include Fabio Demontis and Norbert Perrimon, Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston; Allan Hubbard, School of Public Health, Division of Biostatistics, University of California, Berkeley; and Matthew S. Gill, Department of Metabolism and Aging, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL. The work was funded by grants from the American Federation of Aging Research, and the National Institutes of Health.

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High court ruling benefits most health care firms

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Hidden vitamin in milk yields remarkable health benefits

ScienceDaily (June 14, 2012) — A novel form of vitamin B3 found in milk in small quantities produces remarkable health benefits in mice when high doses are administered, according to a new study conducted by researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College and the Polytechnic School in Lausanne, Switzerland.

See Also:Health & MedicineDiet and Weight LossCholesterolObesityPlants & AnimalsMiceBiologyRodentsReferenceLactic acidHealth benefits of teaCalorie restricted dietB vitamins

The findings, recently reported in the June 2012 issue of the journal, Cell Metabolism, reveal that high doses of the vitamin precursor, nicotinamide riboside (NR) -- a cousin of niacin -- prevent obesity in mice that are fed a fatty diet, and also increase muscle performance, improve energy expenditure and prevent diabetes development, all without side effects.

The Swiss researchers, led by Dr. Johan Auwerx, performed the mouse experiments, while the ability to give the animals sufficient doses of NR was made possible by Weill Cornell Medical College researchers, who played key roles in uncovering the biological story of NR.

"This study is very important. It shows that in animals, the use of NR offers the health benefits of a low-calorie diet and exercise -- without doing either one," says Dr. Anthony Sauve, associate professor of Pharmacology at Weill Cornell Medical College.

Dr. Sauve is the pharmacologist and organic chemist who has invented a simple method for efficiently synthesizing NR in large scale. He was first to show that NR increases nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) levels in mammalian cells. NAD is a central player in energy metabolism. He has pioneered research into the compound, and he is a leader in investigating how NAD can signal adaptation in cells and in physiology.

"The research also suggests that the effects of NR could be even broader," Dr. Sauve says. "The bottom line is that NR improves the function of mitochondria, the cell's energy factories. Mitochondrial decline is the hallmark of many diseases associated with aging, such as cancer and neurodegeneration, and NR supplementation boosts mitochondrial functioning."

The Swiss researchers call NR a "hidden vitamin" that is believed to also be present in many other foods, although levels are low and difficult to measure. Nevertheless, the effects of NR on metabolism "are nothing short of astonishing."

Got nicotinamide riboside?

The study depended on a series of crucial discoveries by Dr. Sauve and his laboratory colleagues.

NR, related to niacin and other common forms of vitamin B3, was first investigated more than 60 years ago by a Stanford researcher and 1959 Nobel Laureate, Arthur Kornberg. But little more was known about its effects in mammals until Dr. Sauve discovered the effect NR had in stimulating levels of NAD in mammalian cells -- work he published in 2007.

NAD allows sugars, fats, and proteins to be converted into energy. Dr. Sauve's research provided the first evidence that NR enhances NAD levels in the mitochondria in mammalian cells in culture. These findings are published in the current study. These cell-based observations were key to the demonstration that NR could stimulate tissue NAD levels in animals, and that it could stimulate NAD-dependent sirtuins, which adapt physiology to the low calorie diets that are known to extend the lifespan of many organisms.

Dr. Sauve invented a relatively simple method for efficiently synthesizing NR in large scale so that its health benefits can be studied. This methodology, which makes it possible to make NR commercially available, was patented by Cornell's Center for Technology Enterprise and Commercialization and subsequently licensed to ChromaDex Corporation.

The development of a means to synthesize NR in adequate quantities was crucial to the current research, and the Sauve lab provided methods and NR to make the study possible. In addition, the biological observations on the effects of NR on NAD levels in cells and on mitochondria were key to the study. Finally, the Sauve laboratory has developed state of the art analytical methods to determine NAD levels in cells, tissues and organelles, and the laboratory provided several key metabolic measurements highlighted in the study.

"Our published scientific work has verified that NR is perhaps the most potent NAD enhancing agent ever identified," he says. His laboratory is also widely recognized for developing an expertise in the measurement of NAD metabolism in cell tissues.

With this compound, the Swiss researchers found that mice on a high-fat diet supplemented with NR gained significantly less weight (60 percent) than mice fed the same diet without NR, even though the mice supplemented with NR ate the same amount of food as mice on the high fat diet not treated with NR. They had improved energy. They were in better shape than the untreated mice, with significantly better endurance and stronger muscles. Additionally, none of the treated mice developed diabetes, as seen in the untreated mice on the high fat diet. And when fed a normal diet, NR treated mice had improved sensitivity to insulin. The NR treated mice also showed lower cholesterol levels. All of these benefits came without toxicity.

While the new study demonstrates that high doses of NR can largely prevent the negative health consequences of a poor diet in mice, Dr. Sauve stresses that the effects of high doses of the vitamin in humans have not been evaluated. "It is important to keep in mind that the amount of NR in milk and other foods appears to be small. We don't know what effects NR would have in humans at relatively high doses," he says.

"Still, we have very encouraging evidence of benefits of NR and NAD augmentation in general from this animal study -- and much more work to do," he says.

The study's senior investigator Dr. Auwerx is head of Laboratory of Integrative Systems Physiology at the Polytechnic School in Lausanne (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne or EPFL) and the first author is Dr. Carles Cantó, also of EPFL.

Other co-authors include Dou Y. Youn and Dr. Yana Cen from Weill Cornell Medical College; Dr. Riekelt H. Houtkooper, Dr. Eija Pirinen, Dr. Maaike H. Oosterveer, Dr. Pablo J. Fernandez-Marcos, Dr. Hiroyasu Yamamoto, Dr. Pénélope A. Andreux, Dr. Philippe Cettour-Rose, Dr. Kristina Schoonjans and Dr. Chris Rinsch from EPFL; Dr. Karl Gademann from the University of Basel in Switzerland.

The Ellison Medical Foundation New Scholar Award and the New York State Spinal Cord Injury Board funded study contributions by the Weill Cornell Medical College researchers.

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Health benefits of vitamin D dependent on type taken

ScienceDaily (May 31, 2012) — New research funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) has shown that vitamin D3 supplements could provide more benefit than the close relative vitamin D2. The findings published in the June edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition could potentially lead to changes in the food industry when it comes to fortification.

See Also:Health & MedicineVitaminVitamin DDietary SupplementVitamin CVitamin BVitamin AReferenceB vitaminsEssential nutrientMicronutrientFood groups

Vitamin D is important for bone and muscle health and there is concern that we don't get enough of the 'sunshine' vitamin through exposure to sunlight or through diet. As a result, some foods are fortified with vitamin D. Fortification is usually with vitamin D2, as this is not derived from animals. However this new research, carried out by scientists from the University of Surrey, suggests that vitamin D3 is the more beneficial of the two types of vitamin D in raising the vitamin D levels in our blood when given as a supplement.

The research clearly showed that vitamin D3, the type of vitamin D found in foods including eggs and oily fish, is more effectively converted by the body into the hormone responsible for health benefits in humans.

Dr Laura Tripkovic, who led the study, explains: "We know that vitamin D is vital in helping to keep us fit and healthy, but what has not been clear is the difference between the two types of vitamin D. It used to be thought that both were equally beneficial, however our analysis highlights that our bodies may react differently to both types and that vitamin D3 could actually be better for us."

The researchers analysed the results of 10 separate studies, involving over 1,000 people in total, comparing the health benefits of vitamin D2 and D3, and found "a clear favouring" of vitamin D3 supplements raising vitamin D serum levels in humans.

The researchers are now conducting a further study to see if the same results are found when using lower doses of vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 added to foods, rather than given as stand-alone supplements. Dr Tripkovic and her team will look at over 300 people to find out if vitamin D3 is better, and if so why this is the case. They will also look at how gender, ethnicity and genetic make-up may play a role in how our bodies use both types of vitamin D.

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Benefits of Widespread Statin Use Outweigh Risks: Study

HealthDay – 45 mins ago THURSDAY, May 17 (HealthDay News) -- Statins -- commonly used cholesterol-lowering drugs -- can significantly lower the risk for heart disease in people with no history of vascular disease, according to a new study.

Researchers from the University of Oxford in England found the medication reduced the risk of major heart-related problems, such as hearts attacks and strokes, in men and women of all ages with heart disease -- as well as those with no previous history of the condition -- by about 20 percent.

The benefits of widespread statin use outweigh any known side effects, said the study's authors, led by Colin Baigent, a professor in the clinical trial service unit and epidemiological studies unit at Oxford. The researchers said their findings should prompt a review of national and international guidelines on these drugs.

Current U.S. and European guidelines restrict statin use to people with at least a 20 percent risk of having a major vascular event within 10 years.

For their study, researchers examined 27 randomized trials involving 175,000 people. They investigated the effects of lowering LDL cholesterol with statins by grouping the patients into risk categories and comparing results. The researchers specifically explored whether statins were used and, if so, the intensity of the patients' therapy.

The study revealed that statins reduced the risk of serious vascular events by 21 percent in each of the five risk groups the researchers identified, including those at lowest risk for vascular disease.

The study was published online Wednesday in The Lancet.

The study's authors noted the benefits of statin therapy outweigh any known risks. This is true even for those with a five-year risk of a major vascular event lower than 10 percent, they said, meaning "people who would typically not be judged suitable for statin treatment."

The researchers said they found no evidence that statin therapy increased the prevalence of cancer or cancer-related deaths.

"Statins may produce small increased risks of hemorrhagic strokes and in diagnoses of diabetes, but the definite benefits of statins greatly outweigh these potential hazards," the authors said in a journal news release.

Half of all vascular events occur in people with no previous vascular history, they said.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently required label changes on statin drugs to warn of rare thinking and memory problems associated with their use.

More information

The U.S. National Institutes of Health provides more information on statins.

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Benefits Of Portable Fitness Equipment

May 8, 2012 by admin

Several folks realize it very troublesome to travel to a gym regularly. It might be as a result of of the many reasons like location of a sensible gym, value factor, etc. One in all the foremost common reasons is frequent traveling. Moveable fitness equipment is the most effective answer to this.
For those that view moveable equipment as some contraptions of springs and light-weight resistance bands, it might be news to know that the technology has evolved a heap and these days you get a variety ofequipment which will give your body an all spherical workout that is no less in any method than that at any well equipped full-fledged gym. Using moveable fitness equipment you’d easily be able to realize your aim of an overall workout right in the comfort of your home and attain your goal, be it increasing the overall look and strength and fitness or an increase in performance in any sports activity, or a simple cardiovascular exercise.
Advantages of Transportable Fitness Equipment
1.With this equipment you can follow up your routine coaching without any break, hence it is a higher kind of labor-out to enhance your health.
2.You can select the activity that’s personalized for you and will get facilitate online to derive most benefit, under knowledgeable supervision.
3.There’s a huge variety of portable fitness equipment to decide on from, depending upon your alternative plus budget.
4.You can follow a routine exercise program without having to trouble concerning the timings and dress codes associated with a normal gym.
5.The general weight of any equipment is terribly less ( around one lb to 2.five lbs ) and will match during a very tiny pouch that can be easily carried anywhere.
Variety of Portable Fitness Equipment
There is a massive variety to choose from. Some of the commonly used items are:
?Jungle Gym: Used for complete weight training exercises like push ups, leg curls, core roll-outs, runners, etc.
?TNT Cable: Used for resistance coaching that has squats, cable cleans, presses, full extensions, Russian twists, resisted running, diagonal lifts, backpedaling, rows etc.
?Power Jump Rope: This can be ideal for overall conditioning of the whole body.
?Power Push up: This has been voted as the simplest exercise equipment as per the Men’s Fitness magazine. It has adjustable resistance key for push ups.
?The Power Jumper: This is a Jump Coaching device that is simple in usage and is one in all the best weight training equipment available within the market today.
Transportable Fitness Equipment makes daily workouts easy and makes it easier to stick to goal setting charts. It makes it potential to train anywhere, anytime and leads to finish body fitness.

Fitness

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Smile Design Dental Treatment and Its Benefits

May 2, 2012 by admin

If you thought a beautiful smile is the preserve of celebrities and movie stars think again. Most, if not all celebrities have undergone some or the other cosmetic dental treatments to enhance their facial expressions. The basic purpose of a dental design surgery is to rectify any defects in your otherwise beautiful smile caused by chipped teeth, disfigured or swollen gum and irregular spaced teeth.

For the perfect smile the teeth and the eye line should be in the same plane and parallel to each other. Facial symmetry plays an important role in enhancing your expression and the greater the facial symmetry the more enamoring will be your laughter. Dental cosmetic surgery procedures aim to achieve the maximal facial symmetry possible. Again, the facial line along the tip of your teeth should have the same curvature as your lower lip so your open lip smile looks as beautiful as your closed one.

If the facial line of your teeth should follow your lower lips, the gum line should ideally mimic the curve of your upper lips.

A dental design surgery will also mold the embrasures or the curved corners of your teeth to impart a definite shape to each tooth. Finally, the length: width ratio of every tooth should be ideal and this is achieved through dental smile design surgery.

A beautiful smile imparts self confidence and endears you to others and can even fetch you your dream job or project, just ask the celebrities if in doubt. Many of them have undergone porcelain veneer dental treatment in which small porcelain chips are fixed to the teeth that are stained, chipped or crooked, to give the veneer of perfectly formed teeth and these porcelain veneers are quite long lasting.

Another dental design treatment includes replacing your old and worn out dental fillings by natural tooth-colored porcelain inlays and on lays that always produce a dazzling white smile on your face.

Dental Design Treatment in India and West

While a dental design procedure in the US and UK can make you lighter by at least $ 20,000, the same dental surgery costs less than $ 3,000 in India. Indian dental surgeons are second to none in the world and after graduating from the top dental colleges in the west they returned to India to practice dentistry. Apart from qualified dentists, India boasts of many hospitals with JCI (Joint Commission International) accreditation that have state-of-the-art infrastructure and professional staff.

After undergoing your dental design treatment you can also enjoy a short vacation in India amidst the Himalayas or visit the Taj Mahal and amaze everyone with your dazzling new laugh! Rest assured the combined costs of the dental design treatment, to and fro travel, hotel stay and vacation will still be far less than just the dental treatment cost in the US or UK. So go ahead and plan your Indian dental tourism trip today and discover a brand new smile and confidence.

Dental

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Talking to Yourself Could Have Mental Benefits

HealthDay – 14 mins ago FRIDAY, April 20 (HealthDay News) -- People who talk to themselves while searching for specific objects may be able to find them faster, researchers say.

Previous studies have suggested that when children talk to themselves it helps guide their behavior. For example, kids may talk themselves through tying their shoes to help remember how it's done. The authors of the new study set out to determine if the same was true for adults.

The findings, from Gary Lupyan, of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Daniel Swingley, of the University of Pennsylvania, were published online in the Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology.

In the experiment, adult participants were shown 20 pictures of different objects and asked to find one of them (for example, a jar of peanut butter on a supermarket shelf, or a stick of butter in the refrigerator). In some tests, they saw only a text label informing them what they had to find.

In other tests, the participants were told to locate the object again. This time, however, they were instructed to say the name of the object to themselves. The study revealed that by talking to themselves, people found the objects more quickly.

In a second experiment, participants completed a virtual shopping task. They were shown pictures of items commonly found on supermarket shelves and asked to identify those items whenever they appeared. Once again, the researchers found that by telling themselves the name of familiar objects the participants often were able to find them faster.

The study authors concluded in their report, however, that "although the present results provide evidence that self-directed speech affects some aspect of the visual search process that is specific to the target category, there is no evidence at present that self-directed speech affected the efficiency of locating the target."

More information

Harvard Medical School has more about the human brain and how it works.

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Benefits of Fitness Equipment

April 20, 2012 by adminBeing overweight makes people feel unhealthy, unattractive and ashamed of their bodies. Gym memberships can cost quite a lot of money and it’s a pain to get all of your exercise equipment together, load it in the car and then drive to the gym. You may also feel self-conscious while trying to workout in front of other people. In addition, after that heavy workout at the gym, you still have to drive all the way back home. It’s a constant regimen of back and forth that you may think you need to do, but you can lose weight right at home with fitness equipment. 

With a set of fitness equipment right at your home you can get a daily workout in a short amount of time with little hassle. Buying fitness equipment is a one-time payment for long time benefit. Instead of paying hundreds of dollars a year in gym membership fees, you can buy the right exercise machines for your specific needs and use them whenever you want.

In addition, having home exercise equipment allows you to exercise to your heart’s content right in the privacy of your own home. 

Your selection of what type of fitness equipment to buy is very important. When losing weight, the best kind of equipment you can get is equipment that performs compound exercises. Compound exercises are exercises that work out many muscles all over your body. This allows you to burn more calories in less time than an exercise that focuses on one or two parts of your body. 

If you haven’t exercised in a long time you should start out slowly. Weight loss isn’t a race to the finish line; it’s a long, winding road to a goal.

Before even starting your exercise routine you need to warm up and stretch. Stretching out your muscles before a hard workout can help prevent exercise related injuries, cramps and it also improves your flexibility. 

After a good stretch, start your workout by setting your exercise equipment to a low level and going slowly. As you get more comfortable, you can increase the difficultly gradually. You should never go straight from a light workout to an intense workout; you might end up hurting yourself. 

One thing to keep in mind while purchasing home exercise equipment is that exercising is never enough to get in shape. You need to have a good diet of healthy foods, drink plenty of water and keep and eye on how many calories you’re consuming. You lose weight when your body burns more calories than it takes in, but you should never starve yourself to get into shape. It’s very dangerous to starve the body of vital nutrients and energy. Check with your doctor about how many calories your specific body types needs to function properly on a daily basis and make that your goal calorie count. 

After that, it all comes down to your preferences, your determination and your hard work to slim you down to your goal weight.

 

Fitness

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Technology’s benefits for teens vs. YouTube fights, cyber-harassment, webcam spying

D.C. public schools: Lottery results reveal a new set of popular kidsMaclaren files for bankruptcy and a stereotype goes down with itWhat parents can learn when a child is rejected from schoolGeneration Collaboration: Consulting your kids on where to shop, what to buyStories By DateFull Monthly Archive Posted at 01:58 PM ET, 03/07/2012By Janice D'Arcy

The Pew Research Center and Elon University have released a survey of Internet experts that found just over half of them believe that the connectivity of teens today will ultimately benefit them. The optimists think kids can now access human knowledge at a greater speed and to a greater extent than ever before, according to the survey.

But at the same time, the downsides of this connectivity are on display across the country, including a courtroom in New Jersey, a playground in Massachusetts, and recent cases in this region.

Last week, I wrote about a fight between girls at Montgomery County’s Churchill High that was briefly posted on YouTube. The Post’s Donna St. George recently wrote about a boy in Calvert County who was so humiliated by the broadcasting of a fight he was involved in that he’s left school altogether.

Meanwhile, the trial of Dharun Ravi in New Jersey is currently fusing “parental anxieties about the hidden worlds of teen-age computing, teen-age sex, and teen-age unkindness,” the New Yorker’s Ian Parker writes in a recent piece that details the high-profile trial.

Ravi is on trial for intimidating and invading the privacy of his Rutgers roommate Tyler Clementi. He faces ten years in prison.

The case stems from a night when Ravi rigged his webcam so that he could remotely spy on his roommate, who was gay, and another man. Ravi shared what he saw with a friend, tweeted about it and later planned to hold an online party to spy on the roommate again.

Clementi discovered the spying. He then killed himself by jumping off the George Washington Bridge.

The Ravi case is a legally complicated one and it remains unclear how closely Clementi’s suicide can be tied to the cyber-spying. Neither it nor the other incidents discount what the experts polled by Pew had to say about the potential of technology in kids’ lives.

What the incidents do suggest is that technology is also amplifying the hardest parts of adolescence — the cruelty, the betrayals, the embarrassments. It’s hard to feel worldly when the entire universe you occupy has witnessed your humiliation.

The issue for parents is how to help kids use technology for its benefits and avoid its more nefarious temptations. Is the answer to engage kids in more conversations about technology? Is it to monitor them more? Is it to shoot their laptops?

We are supposed to be the helicopter-parent generation, no? Where are we on this?

Related Content:

Social media, teens, parents and whether to ‘friend’

Combating cyber bullying and technology’s downside

Will YouTube make us better parents?

By Janice D'Arcy 

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