Ills of Social Media Tech

Watch any teenager today (and younger) and you'll see an appendage with a phone and a human attached to it.

Tik Tok

SnapChat

Yes, Instagram and maybe still a little Facebook.

The Surgeon General of the United States just wrote a warning about the issues with social media and we should all be paying attention, especially if you are the parent of a child navigating these new technologies.

Here is a pretty great story about a young woman who quit social media for a year, her conclusions, and what she plans to do next:

Young Woman Quits Social Media

Here is a blurb from that:

Social media became my form of expression. I tried to authentically capture my life on my profiles, and my identity was broadcast online for hundreds (sometimes thousands) of people to see.

Things quickly went downhill when likes and comments became my validation.

Take a day to disconnect.  To unplug. You will thank me.

Now please excuse me while I turn off my laptop and go for a run outside in the sunshine north of Boston.

Best Regards,

J.W. Gant

2022 the Year of the Narcissist

 If you've never encountered a narcissist, that you know of, count yourself lucky.

Most are obsessed with maintaining a perception bubble around them so people view them as they wish to be viewed, and shower them with accolades for how amazing they are so the shattered vessel of a human they are is constantly being filled with validation.

I have encountered some in my personal and professional life.  The key to identifying them is to witness a lack of empathy.  They are unable to see the world from another person's perspective and feel what they feel (this is different from a person who is detached from their emotions, low EQ). For example your boss might attack you publicly and can't see how this is harmful to you.  If you reciprocate they will be quick to see the harm you are doing to them (this one is personal experience, he is a narcissist and my actions exposed his severe leadership deficiencies to leadership, limiting his career there).

This little article states 2022 was the year of the narcissist and is worth a read:

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/happy-new-year-2023-kick-trump-elon-musk-kanye-depp-rcna63557

Here is a snippet from the piece:

True narcissists self-centeredly disregard the needs of others and care little for pesky matters like consequences. They can also tend to be manipulative, arrogant, grandiose and hungry for admiration. Always busy concocting fantasies of unlimited power or brilliance, narcissists delight in reeling others in to play supporting roles in dream worlds, where they are always the stars.

Why have they gained so much power and influence? Why are so many people in thrall every time they open their mouths or fire off tweets? Are they the problem or a symptom of something bigger than their own egos? 

The truth is that our society breeds narcissists. We put them on pedestals and get a strong hit of vicarious pleasure when they act out.

Happy 2023!

J.W. Gant

New Year Resolutions, Should You?

 This topic is one of the most hated each year, right behind the year-end recap endlessly and worthlessly providing a "top 10" or whatever on any topic imaginable from movies, to deaths, to fiction novels.

However it is really worthwhile to consider what you do in January as a reset to your health.

Studies continue to show the average American gains about 1.5 pounds over the holiday, winter, season, then don't lose it.

Here is WebMD on the subject stating the gain is 1.36 pounds:

https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/holiday-weight-gain-big-fat-lie

The article emphasizes the issue is what we do, or don't do, AFTER the gain that is the problem.

Then there is this little piece about taking January off from drinking alcohol:

Dry January

Here is a snippet from that piece:

People who abstained from alcohol for a month started drinking less the rest of the year and showed striking improvements in their health.

So, what should you do?

Why not plan on a health reset every January? Enjoy the holidays.  Sip on that eggnog with the run/cognac/bourbon mix in it. Have that extra slice of cake. Then reset in January.  It really will make a difference.

J.W. Gant

Apple Wearables for Health

The Apple Watch is ... what?

Luxury?

That door closed pretty quickly.

Fitness?

Sure.  It does fine there.

What about a health device beyond just fitness?

What about all of those simple to use apple devices as health & wellness technology.

How about $300 billion worth of opportunity?

Here's a part of the story:

Apple Inc.’s health-care ambitions go beyond wearables like the Apple Watch, with the company poised to soon emerge as a leader in consumer health, according to Morgan Stanley.

The company’s health-care market opportunity ranges from at least $15 billion to a whopping $313 billion in revenue by 2027, according to estimates from a team of 14 analysts. The wide difference is appropriate given the early opportunity, they said.

Here is the full story:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-08/apple-s-health-opportunity-could-be-triple-smartphone-market?srnd=technology-vp

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

PS  I read somewhere the medical industry is entirely unprepared for the deluge of data it is about to start receiving.  Patients coming in with a dozen metrics calculated daily for the last year since their previous annual checkup and the M.D. does ... what with that?  Exactly.  The Information Age is upon us and every aspect of our lives is being fundamentally changed.

BRotD - Entry 0257 What Happened to the Wearables?

Best Reading of the Day

This is a great article over on The New York Times.

There's is quite a bit of history there for context.

There is quite a bit about the full-on Apple push in to luxury brands, etc. with the Apple Watch.

There is the current state and directional expectation.

Well worth reading.

Here is a snippet from the piece:

A sudden, striking influx of glamorous non-techies at a tech hub in California. Grumbles about NDAs. Excited, surreptitious glances. Gossip about disruption. A drumroll for a hitherto hush-hush, industry-upsetting announcement.

Sound familiar?

This is not a description of what is happening today at the Apple event in Cupertino, as the company unveils its new video service and television shows (among other things). It is a description of what happened on Sept. 9, 2014, at the Apple event in Cupertino, where the Apple watch was unveiled. For those of us who remember that day, the run-up to this week has provided an eerie sense of déjà vu.

Not to mention a question: What’s the deal with wearables and fashion?

Here is the full article:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/25/fashion/apple-wearables-fashion

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Learning More from Big Losers

If you aren't familiar with the TV Reality show "The Biggest Loser" by now you won't ever be. 

Heavy individuals participate in a program to lose weight through exercise and diet, and the cameras catch all of the "action". 

Okay, not my cup of tea either, but the science behind health & wellness does interest me.

Turns out the body turns itself in to a starvation mode conservation effort when we lose weight.  The result is the body pushes us to gain the pounds right back.  Contestants on the show had to triple, yes TRIPLE their weekly exercise over the average person to just break even.

Very interesting result.

Could you Apple Watch fitness tracker app help with that?  Yeap. 

Read more here:

https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/11/to-keep-the-weight-off-biggest-loser-contestants-must-exercise-like-crazy/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant