INSIDE MOBILE: Watch the Time You Spend Looking at TV, Computer, Smartphone, Tablet Screens

Recommendation to all parents

I want to end with a very strong recommendation to all parents: Do you know what’s on the screen your kids are looking at right now? I think we have a societal responsibility to (as Crosby, Stills & Nash appropriately sang) “teach our children well.” We need to help them make good use of all the wonderful information—particularly mobile—technologies that certainly enrich our lives.

We can get immediate answers to almost any question we pose. But it’s clear that kids—particularly those from around the age of 10 through college age—spend a lot of time using IT. We need to make sure that they are educated on what’s an appropriate and inappropriate way to use these information systems. And we need to educate them on how to effectively interact with others and with the world in which we live. Some balance may also help correct the child obesity problem.

My wife Alicia and I are fortunate to celebrate the end of each day far away from electronic screens. We celebrate the end of each day on the balcony in our home in Florida, toasting with a glass of champagne all the good things that have happened during the day. Then, we take the time to sit and watch God paint another amazing golden sunset.

J. Gerry Purdy, Ph.D. is Principal Analyst of Mobile & Wireless at MobileTrax LLC. As a nationally recognized industry authority, Dr. Purdy focuses on monitoring and analyzing emerging trends, technologies and market behavior in the mobile computing and wireless data communications industry in North America. Dr. Purdy is an "edge of network" analyst looking at devices, applications and services, as well as wireless connectivity to those devices. Dr. Purdy provides critical insights regarding mobile and wireless devices, wireless data communications and connection to the infrastructure that powers the data in the wireless handheld. He is author of the column Inside Mobile & Wireless that provides industry insights and is read by over 100,000 people a month.

Dr. Purdy continues to be affiliated with the venture capital industry as well. He currently is Managing Director at Yosemite Ventures. And he spent five years as a Venture Advisor for Diamondhead Ventures in Menlo Park where he identified, attracted and recommended investments in emerging companies in mobile and wireless. He has had a prior affiliation with East Peak Advisors and, subsequently, following their acquisition, with FBR Capital Markets. For more than 16 years, Dr. Purdy has been consulting, speaking, researching, networking, writing and developing state-of-the-art concepts that challenge people's mind-sets, as well as developing new ways of thinking and forecasting in the mobile computing and wireless data arenas. Often quoted, Dr. Purdy’s ideas and opinions are followed closely by thought leaders in the mobile and wireless industry. He is author of three books as well.

Dr. Purdy currently is a member of the Program Advisory Board of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) which produces CES, one of the largest trade shows in the world. He is a frequent moderator at CTIA conferences and GSM Mobile World Congress.  He also is a member of the Board of the Atlanta Wireless Technology Forum. Dr. Purdy has a B.S. degree in Engineering Physics from University of Tennessee, a M.S. degree in Computer Science from UCLA, and a Ph.D. in Computer Science and Exercise Physiology from Stanford University. He can be reached at gerry.purdy@mobiletrax.com.

Disclosure Statement: From time to time, I may have a direct or indirect equity position in a company that is mentioned in this column. If that situation happens, then I’ll disclose it at that time.