Tech Talk 💬

A few years ago, The New York Times published a story about Silicon Valley executives who were sending their children to screen-free Waldorf schools. These parents, who worked for companies like Google, Apple, and Hewlett-Packard, knew firsthand how technology could affect child development and wanted to keep it far away from their kids.

Reading this made me want to talk to Nettelhorst parents who work in the tech industry to get their take on the growing concern about children and smartphones. What types of technology do they consider most harmful? Which ones are okay? What screen limits do they set at home? And how do they model healthy habits?

The result is this Q&A, which may take much longer to read than watching a YouTube Short, but will be well worth your time. It features a lively, informative conversation with the following Nettelhorst parents:

• Peter Compernolle: Software architect at Gusto - Lily (3rd grade), Elly (PreK)

• Ben Haley: Data analyst at Class Dojo - Sebron (2nd), Parker (age 3)

• Casey Hudetz: Product design manager at DocuSign - Henry (3rd), George (PreK)

• Gordon Kindlmann: Computer science professor at The University of Chicago - Janie (9th grader at Lincoln Park High School) and Freddie (6th)

• Steve Woodward: Product design engineer at Google - Owen (2nd), Edison (PreK)

— Interview by Laurie Cunningham

How did you become interested in technology, and what do you do now?

Ben: I started out as a biologist working in a wet lab using pipettes to put precise amounts of clear liquid into plastic tubes. It was so monotonous, and I realized that computers could perform these tasks much faster. That sparked my interest in computers, so I switched tracks and ultimately landed a job at Khan Academy as a data analyst. Now I do the same thing at Class Dojo, an app teachers can use to share photos and give students points for good behavior so parents get real-time updates on what’s happening in the classroom.

At Class Dojo, I look at the numbers to figure out things like where growth is coming from, then conduct user interviews to find out why. For example, I might discover that many schools recently started using Class Dojo because their principals noticed that teachers who were using it had fewer behavioral issues due to stronger parent engagement, and decided to make it a school-wide initiative. Using that insight, our business development team can develop strategies to reach more principals and accelerate growth.

Peter: I got my first computer in 1993 and spent hours tinkering with it, then doing the same with my TI-83. At the time, I didn’t realize this was "programming," and eventually lost interest as I focused on pursuing a math degree in college. Later, I got a job in IT to pursue my goal of going to China, where I lived for five years before returning to the U.S.

Now I’m the tech lead and software architect at Gusto, an online platform where small- and mid-sized businesses can manage payroll, benefits, and HR tasks in one place. I set the overall technical direction and work with our 60 engineers to make sure we’re aligned. Privacy and data security are top priorities for me, which is one of the reasons I joined Gusto. Because the company is HIPAA-compliant, we have strong legal and business incentives to protect user data and collect only what’s necessary.

Gordon: As a kid, I loved the TV show “Cosmos” and wanted to be a cosmologist just like Carl Sagan. But when I got to college, the advanced physics courses weren’t clicking for me. So, I switched my major to math and got into computers while working at Cornell’s IT help desk, helping students and professors connect to campus servers. Then I moved over to the network operations center that managed the university’s technology infrastructure, and that got me curious about bigger questions like what exactly is the internet, and how does it work?

So I went to graduate school for computer science, earned a PhD, and now I’m a computer science professor at The University of Chicago, where I train students to write code in a thoughtful and intentional way. I also work on research projects like writing code that analyzes CT scans in ways that help cardiovascular surgeons better understand the precise nature of a patient’s heart disorder so they can provide more effective treatments.

Casey: My first job out of college was teaching computer classes to middle schoolers at the Francis W. Parker School. While there, I worked with other teachers to integrate technology like podcasting, filmmaking, web design, LEGO robotics, and Google Docs into their curriculum.

Years later, I went back to school to get a master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), a field that combines psychology, tech, and design. Then I worked for digital marketing and advertising agencies in Chicago creating digital experiences for clients in banking, automotive, airline, and other industries using emerging technologies (Voice, Augmented Reality, AI). Now I’m at DocuSign leading a design team that’s integrating AI into the agreement process to do things like summarize documents for signers.

Based on what you know about how apps, games, devices, and software are developed, what are you, as parents, most concerned about with your kids?

Ben: I’m most worried about the impact on mental health. Since 2013, the percentage of high school students experiencing persistent feelings of hopelessness has increased from 30% to 40%, according to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s a startling rise, likely tied to our technology-driven world. When I think about people I love who have suffered from mental health issues, that’s what really worries me.

Steve: What worries me is that so much online content is engineered to keep us chasing dopamine hits, which is why things like Reels and Candy Crush are so addictive. I’ll get on Instagram, and suddenly, 30 minutes have gone by. I set timers to pull myself out of it, but I still can’t resist. That’s scary.

Casey: Early in my design career, the book Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products was everywhere. It’s essentially a manual for engineering addiction into digital products. What troubles me most is knowing that teams of people are incentivized to use these psychological tricks, along with powerful supercomputers, to keep us and our children glued to our screens.

Gordon: I’ve noticed that after my son, Freddie (6th grade), has been on the iPad for too long, his attention span is shot, his emotional regulation is off, and he’s in a sour mood. But it’s the shorter attention span that kills me. I know the curiosity I had as a kid that inspired me to explore and learn things was rooted in having an attention span that lasted for more than 10 minutes.

What do you wish Freddie were doing instead?

Gordon: Being bored.

Peter: You do the craziest stuff when you're bored. It's totally underappreciated. You push boundaries and learn from it. I've always been curious, but with ChatGPT I can find answers so quickly that I don't have to spend time struggling to find them.

Steve: There's very little trial and error now. If you want to know how to do something, you look it up, watch a video, and do it. You don't learn first principles or make mistakes that will teach you more about the entire system.

Peter: We're seeing that now with our junior engineers. They aren't able to learn as well because they can get immediate answers. They're not forced to read the documentation to understand how it works.

What skills are your junior engineers lacking?

Peter: Software development requires much more creativity than people realize. Like with any creative pursuit, you need to understand your tools – to know what's possible, what’s not possible, and why. GPT provides the instant gratification of, “Oh wow, it can code faster than I can!” But I haven’t had success using GPT for programming. Although the code it produces appears functional, once I dig in, I still need to tweak it. And to do that, I need to understand the deeper mechanics.

Peter Compernolle with his wife, Daisy, and their daughters Elly (PreK) and Lily (2nd)

Steve: That loss of deep understanding and creativity affects everything, including product development. We’re often trying to make something new or repackage it in a smaller form, and that requires context. I coach my team to think from first principles: go back to the rules that govern everything and then move into designing a product. If you only focus on what’s been done before, you’re limited to minor improvements. But when you step back and understand the core principles — the math, physics, and chemistry behind how things work — you can see what’s possible. That’s what leads to innovation, not just iteration.

Are there particular technologies that you think are especially risky for kids, given what you know about technology?

Gordon: I’m worried about social media because it feels so disruptive to peer structures. There’s so much advertising and pressure on social media that it creates an artificial social environment. It no longer shows you your actual peers. It’s just a feed of random, attention-grabbing content. Even when it does show your friends, it’s only the best, most curated versions of their lives, which distorts how kids understand their social world. They lose a sense of what’s real, what their peers are actually doing, and where they fit in.

Steve: There’s also a broad tendency for people to become more aggressive, to show the worst version of themselves because they don’t have to look someone in the eye. You see this even with drivers in cars. When you have some anonymity, you’re not as thoughtful about the impact you have on others. It’s much easier to trend negative in ways that can have profound effects, especially on kids.

Peter: I worry about social media because you lose the ability to distinguish fact from fiction. It’s all super opinionated and designed to grab your attention. I went on a news hiatus a few months ago and noticed how much happier I am. Now I do other things, like read books and hard-copy magazines like The Atlantic. It’s wonderful.

Casey: Even though I use them every day for work, AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini worry me most for two main reasons. First, their impact on how we think. A recent MIT study found that people who used ChatGPT to write an essay showed less critical thinking and weaker recall than those who didn’t. My wife, Jessie, and I want our sons to grow up to be curious, creative thinkers, and these tools, if used the wrong way, get in the way of that.

Second, is when these chatbots are used as AI companions. Another study showed that 72% of teens have used these chatbots for social interaction, including emotional support, role-playing, friendship, and romantic interactions. One-third said they found these conversations more satisfying than human interaction.

This might seem harmless in small doses, but over time, it may worsen the loneliness epidemic, hurt kids’ ability to form and maintain healthy relationships, and even lead to suicide in cases where teens’ reliance on AI support keeps them from seeking help from actual adults.

Given all the recent attention on kids and smartphones, are there any concerns you think might be exaggerated?

Peter: Not all technology is bad. I played video games with my friends growing up, and it was a wonderful experience. I also have happy memories of watching "The Simpsons" with my four siblings. We’d try to guess which episode it was from the opening sequence, quote lines from the show, and laugh together. Sure, we wasted countless hours on a cartoon, but I’m grateful for it. When screen time is a shared experience, it can be just as meaningful as other ways we spend time with friends and family.

Gordon: When I was a kid, there were a few years from second through fifth grade when we didn’t have a TV at home. We only had a piece of driftwood to stare at. It was rough because all the recess conversations were about shows, and I couldn’t join in. I’m not scarred by it or anything, but honestly, it would’ve been fine for us to have a TV.

Ben: I read a decent amount on my Kindle, and I think the Kindle’s beautiful because it doesn’t have any “smartness” to it.

Steve: I also use a Kindle because, if I want to read in bed and my wife is sleeping, the backlight lets me do so without bothering her. Also, being able to pop onto Libby and borrow something from the library is much easier than visiting the library. I like intentional tools like the Kindle that have no ads or other notifications. That’s when technology can be most beneficial.

Are there downsides to restricting kids’ tech use? Like when they’re not allowed to use it, they’ll just binge on it once they can? Or that they won’t acquire the technology skills they need in the modern age?

Gordon: I’m reminded of Neil Postman, who wrote Amusing Ourselves to Death and Technopoly in the 1980s and 1990s. He emphasized the importance of being intentional about how we use technology and understanding both its benefits and drawbacks. I completely agree with that. If the goal is just to “keep the bad thing away,” it misses the opportunity to teach kids how to use technology responsibly.

For example, my daughter, Janie (9th grade), reminded me of something I’d forgotten I’d taught her. After watching YouTube Shorts, she asks herself, “Do I feel better or worse than I did before?” She also says she tries not to open YouTube unless she knows what she’s looking for. That kind of mindful engagement helps kids develop awareness and executive functioning around how they use technology.

Gordon Kindlmann with his wife, Anne, and their children, Janie (9th) and Freddie (6th)

Steve: I think smartphones, iPads, and other devices are tools just like cars and knives. The question is: when are kids equipped to use them safely? A smartphone, for example, can unlock so much information that it should come with an education about the benefits and the risks. In some ways, it’s like learning to drive a car.

Ben: They should be required to get a smartphone learner’s permit, like they have to sit next to an adult for the first six months they're using their phone. (laughter)

Speaking of being monitored by an adult, what do you think about GPS-tracking your kids? Is that something you’ll do when they’re older?

Steve: I think kids need opportunities to learn risk analysis, and I worry that it’s a skill that’s disappearing in American society. GPS tracking removes their freedom to figure things out for themselves. If they make a mistake, they need some space to navigate that – within reason, of course. When I was in elementary school, I’d wander the neighborhood by myself. You can’t let your kids do that anymore because someone will call the police. But that kind of independence was how we learned to assess risk and build confidence in the real world.

Peter: Most of what I learned growing up came from pushing boundaries. I did plenty of foolish things, but most of them were harmless. If my parents had been tracking me on GPS and seen that I was outside the normal boundary area, I’d have to explain myself. That embarrassment would’ve stopped me from exploring when all I was really doing down by the railroad tracks was throwing rocks with my friends. I think it’s 100% a matter of kids needing private space to take risks, make mistakes, and learn from them.

Gordon: Something I’ve noticed is that college students have become shockingly risk-averse. For example, one of my classes is known to be hard, and I’ve had students say, “I’ve heard good things about your class, but I can’t take it because I can’t risk getting a bad grade.” A STEM degree was once considered the ticket to a well-paying, stable job. But that’s no longer the case for a host of reasons. So students feel like they can’t afford to take a tough class because anything less than an A might hurt their chances of getting their first job. That sucks, and I get it. But the point of going to school is to learn. If today’s students had more practice analyzing risk, they might be more willing to take classes where they might get a lower grade but learn a lot more in the process.

Are there other ways you see them being more risk-averse?

Gordon: Well, for one thing, college students aren’t having as much sex. Beyond that, they’re less likely to spend time with different groups of people or hang out in unstructured ways. There’s a growing aversion to experiences that involve vulnerability or emotional intimacy. I don’t know what’s driving it, and I can’t get inside their heads to fully understand why, but it feels connected to that same reluctance to take risks.

What do you think about using Chromebooks in the classroom or educational platforms like Khan Academy to learn math?

Ben: With Chromebooks, the biggest peril is that they open up a whole world of distraction. Most kids know how to flip tabs, play video games, and do other things while they’re supposed to be doing an assignment in class.

Gordon: Part of that problem is that Chromebooks are made by Google, a company that has built a business out of creating products that are web-based rather than desktop apps. Because everything on a Chromebook runs through a web browser, it’s nearly impossible to limit what students can access. You can only constrain activities as much as you can constrain the open web, which is not much.

Casey: I think technology should be used to enhance learning, not as a replacement for personal interaction and instruction. For example, I’ve created AI-generated stories about my son Henry (3rd) and his friends playing sports to engage him in practicing reading comprehension and math as a supplement to his homework.

Ben: Having worked at Khan Academy, I can say it’s an excellent tool. The problem with many subjects is that kids are far apart in their ability levels despite being in the same grade. So many kids think they’re bad at math because they’re being asked to work to standards that are too hard for them. A tool like Khan Academy allows them to work right on the edge of what they can do, pushing them toward the standard.

Steve: There is power in adaptable tools like Khan Academy that have built-in supports. I saw this with Owen, my second grader, when he was behind in reading. His teacher, Mr. Lopez, introduced us to Raz Kids, a website where, if he didn’t know a word in a story, he could click on it, and it would break down how to pronounce it. It also played a short animation when he finished reading the story and clicked “next.” He got excited about that and kept going. We had never seen him have that kind of engagement with regular books.

Ben: My concerns about children’s education extend far beyond technology. To be a great learner, you have to fall in love with a subject. Something has to spark your inspiration and draw you in. Most of us would probably say that our school classes didn’t do that. It’s a problem that predates technology. It’s never been easy to put one teacher in a room with 25 kids and move them through a curriculum. My hope for my kids is that they develop a genuine love for learning. If they have that, then these tools won’t be dangerous. They’ll be incredible opportunities, giving them access to amazing resources and the ability to dig deeper than ever before.

Ben Haley with his wife, Anna, and their children, Parker (age 3) and Sebron (2nd)

What screen time or technology rules do you have in your household?

Gordon: No screens in bed. So Freddie can’t have his iPad, and Janie can’t take her phone to bed, although I don't model that very well. For a while, we put our devices in a box for blocks of screen-free family time. And we've talked about having screen-free Saturday nights. It's more of an ongoing conversation than a set of ironclad rules.

Peter: We only allow screens on weekends. The exception is that Lily (3rd grade) takes Chinese classes twice a week using FaceTime, so she gets 15 minutes beforehand to text her friends or aunts and uncles. When she and her sister, Elly (PreK), have their TV time, it’s only from four until dinner. Then we do a family movie night once a week.

Casey: Our boys can watch PBS Kids while we sleep in on the weekends, and can watch a movie or sports in the afternoon. Other than that, it’s reading, board games, music, sports, or boredom.

Ben: We don't do screen time during weekdays. The one exception is that we have an iPad that’s super locked down, with only a chess app and Khan Academy Kids, which the kids can use when they’re ready for school in the morning. But they have to share it, and if one of them ends up crying, it gets taken away. We have TV time on weekend mornings. But if they can’t agree on a show, we don’t watch anything. So they have to negotiate a complicated, agreement-based set of rules.

Steve: We don’t have strict limits. But we have noticed that Owen (2nd grade) seems wired when he comes off a screen, so we take it away an hour before bedtime. We also have parental controls on all the apps they use. Owen loves to watch Minecraft videos on YouTube, but you can't do that in the YouTube Kids app. So he uses my YouTube account, but I’ve turned off autoplay, so he has to ask me before he starts another video. If he doesn't, we take it away for a period of time.

Steve Woodward with his wife, Roxanne, and their two boys Owen (2nd) and Edison (PreK)

What does Owen do during the screen-free hour before bedtime?

Steve: He might draw or play with blocks. If I’m working on a home project, he’ll become interested. We take the “Sorry you’re bored, go figure it out” approach. The ideas they come up with during unconstrained, screen-free time are impressive.

What are your greatest personal challenges with technology use, and how do you model healthy screen habits for your kids?

Peter: I like writing software for a hobby. My side projects are building apps, and it’s not good for me because I get really into it. My kids will say, “Dad, we're ready to go to the park,” and I'm like, “Just a few more minutes.” I get frustrated that I can't spend more time on it, so I tend to be happier when I’m not working on side projects.

Aside from that, I'm not on any social media, and the news I read comes from RSS feeds. If the people I follow start publishing hateful content, I unfollow them. Another trick is that I deleted all the apps from my phone's home screen and set time limits on a bunch of them, so I have to enter my PIN to access them. These barriers serve as reminders that I shouldn’t be on them any longer than necessary.

Casey: My biggest struggle is resisting the urge to constantly check my phone for messages. So much of my inspiration for creative projects has come from letting my mind wander and making connections between disparate topics. When I'm inundated with media and making micro-decisions all day, I don’t have much brain space left to sit and wonder. One of my personal goals is to allow myself more downtime, but it’s surprisingly difficult.

As for modeling, my wife and I do our best to put our phones away when we're with the boys. If our phones are out, we explain what we’re doing: “We’re texting so-and-so so we can meet up at the park.” We don’t allow any phones at the dinner table or in our bedrooms, and we read hard-copy books and magazines around them. We’re far from perfect, but it’s something we prioritize.

Casey Hudetz with his wife, Jessie, and their boys George (PreK) and Henry (3rd)

Steve: I try to avoid short-form videos like YouTube Shorts and Reels. Even when you learn something, the way they hijack your dopamine system isn’t great. When it comes to modeling good habits, I don't have the TV on unless I'm actively watching it. I also try to put my phone away when I'm interacting with my kids. But it’s a struggle, and I find I have to put it out of reach to get engaged in whatever they're doing.

Gordon: I was losing a fair amount of time to Facebook. Then the Cambridge Analytica scandal happened, so I said, "Forget that." I still use Instagram even though the same company owns it, but I set a timer and limit myself to 20 minutes a day. In terms of modeling, I’ve found that being open about how I use devices and sharing my own weaknesses and strategies with my kids is effective. The only times our family’s device policy has ever worked are when it came from a family discussion. We put some rules on a whiteboard, and the kids will say, “This applies to you, too, right?” Modeling and setting limits for the whole family have gotten the most traction.

Do you have a vision for how our Nettelhorst community can tackle technology-related challenges together?

Ben: I like the Wait Until 8th pledge. It’s not perfect, but it’s clear: don’t give your kid a smartphone until after 8th grade. When you try to organize around something nebulous, it doesn’t hold together. Wait Until 8th offers parents a concrete boundary that changes the dynamic. When everyone’s in the same boat, it can dramatically reshape the social landscape. The other thing is, I love hearing from people like those around this table who have older kids. There’s a lot of theory out there, and it’s helpful to hear what actually works so you’re ready when you have to deal with it.

Steve: One of the biggest benefits of the Wait Until 8th campaign is that it gets people talking about kids and technology, just like we’re doing now. In a community-focused place like Nettelhorst, finding those nudges that help you start a conversation is powerful.

Gordon: I really like Nettelhorst’s three “Take Care” values and think they can be extended to incorporate the tech challenges we’re facing. For example:

• Take care of yourself could include helping kids understand how excessive screen time can impact their emotional health and self-awareness.
  

• Take care of others could include helping kids be mindful of how their online behavior, especially on social media, affects others’ well-being.
  

• Take care of the environment could include parents and teachers pushing back against the ways big tech companies shape our norms in ways that benefit them more than us.
  
  

Casey: My wife, Jessie, and I agreed from the beginning that we would delay giving our sons smartphones and social media access for as long as possible. We were so glad to learn about the Wait Until 8th movement. The enthusiasm from our school administrators, teachers, and other parents has been encouraging. We recently learned that 41% of Henry’s 3rd-grade class has signed the pledge. I believe the short and long-term benefits of this initiative will be huge for our family and the community.

That said, I see Wait Until 8th as one piece of a larger puzzle that includes the NPTO’s tech-free events for families, the Nettelhorst Bike Bus led by Christina Hayford, Let Grow initiatives introduced in our classrooms, and the block parties organized by Nettelhorst families. These activities and events allow us to build the low-tech, in-person community we want our kids to grow up in.

Ben: That’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot – how to unlock more time for our kids to play with their friends. It used to be that you just went outside to see who was available, but now that’s hard to do. It feels unfair to say, “You can’t do devices, you’re just alone here in the house.”

Another thing to consider is bringing kids into the conversation so they don’t feel like we’re doing something to them, but in community with them. While I agree with the push Wait Until 8th is making, it doesn’t seem right to put it all on the kids. It’s our problem, too. We should band together to develop healthier screen habits for everyone.

How do you suggest bringing kids into the conversation?

Ben: Last year, when I was running a math club for Nettelhorst middle schoolers, I asked each group, "When do you think I should get my 1st grader a cell phone?” It was interesting because they all said the same thing. The 8th graders said, “You should wait until eighth grade," the 7th graders said, “You should wait until 7th grade," and the 6th graders said, "You should wait until sixth grade." But when I pressed them, they all acknowledged the downsides of having a phone. They all wanted one, but they were very aware of the pain it caused. One 7th grader recounted how hard it was for him to do his homework. Even when he put his phone face down on his desk, he couldn't resist picking it up to check for messages and other alerts.

How do we include kids in setting screen limits while still being the adults looking out for them?

Ben: You approach it the same way you would with anyone who’s struggling with a potentially addictive substance. You make a clear ask and set a clear consequence: “I need you to get sober, or you can’t be around me.” But you also lead with empathy and love, trying to understand where they’re coming from. It’s not a “do this or else” stance but “I get why this is so compelling,” while still holding the boundary.

Here are some books, magazine articles, and videos our tech insiders have found helpful on topics ranging from Open AI and the impact of social media to Zen poetry about the beauty and pathos of human life.

Ben’s Recs

• Together by Vivek Murthy explores how we can build authentic human connections to counter the growing isolation caused by many technologies, a risk I see as the most urgent.
  
  

• The Coming Wave: AI, Power, and Our Future by Mustafa Suleyman, the CEO of Microsoft AI, examines what could happen as artificial intelligence grows more powerful than humans. We don’t know how quickly that shift will come, but I share his belief that it will fundamentally reshape the world our children inherit.

Casey’s Recs

• Techno Sapiens is a newsletter about tech and kids, written by professor and psychologist Jacqueline Nesi, that I really like. Nesi recently partnered with Google to create a Notebook where you can ask questions about her research.

• The Center for Human Technology is one of the leading voices in raising awareness about the impact of tech use. They were at the forefront of sounding the alarm about social media and are now driving the conversation about AI, such as in this TED Talk delivered by its founder, Tristan Harris. Their podcast, Your Undivided Attention, is also excellent.

• The Netflix show Adolescence about kids and social media is an absolute gut punch.
  
  

Gordon’s Recs

• Empire of AI by Karen Hao examines the rise of OpenAI under Sam Altman and challenges the tech industry’s narrative that AI development is inevitable and always positive. She argues that those stories push the public to accept changes we should be questioning.
  
  

• Things that Make Us Smart by Donald Norman examines how technology can either support or weaken our natural human abilities. It’s a fascinating record of how much has and hasn't changed since he started writing about these issues in 1993.
  
  

Steve’s Recs

• How Social Media Endangers Knowledge, a Wired article by Hossein Derakhshan, contains one of my favorite quotes about how social networks have reshaped the internet: “Instead of a quest for knowledge, it engages us in an endless zest for instant approval from an audience. It reduces our curiosity by showing us exactly what we already want and think, based on our profiles and preferences. Enlightenment’s motto of ‘Dare to know’ has become ‘Dare not to care to know.'”
  
  

• The Rise of the Like Economy, a Ringer article by Victor Luckerson, provides another critique of social media that has stuck with me: “Facebook is designed to get you to share as quickly as possible with as many people as possible without doing any deep analysis. That model works horribly for anything information-based. As a result, some designers are now advocating for “seamful design,” which trades ease of use for greater user clarity about how a complex system works.”
  
  

Peter’s Recs

• One Robe, One Bowl, by the Buddhist monk Ryokan, has nothing to do with technology. It’s a wonderful book of poetry that I first read in college and that has stayed with me for years. It set me on a path to learn Chinese, move to China, start my first job in IT, and meet the person I’d eventually marry before returning to the U.S. five years later.

This monthly newsletter featuring Q&As with experts in our community is part of Nettelhorst's Growing Up Connected campaign. If you have questions or comments about the campaign, you can stop one of the following parents on the playground or reach us at the email below:

Email: nettelhorstconnected@gmail.com