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9 Key Social Media Tips from a NASA Tweetup

Carol Torgan, Ph.D. — Wed, 11 May 2011 15:35:30 +0000

“Pretty awesome. RT @ageekmom: @NASATweetup How’s it feel making dreams come true with every tweetup? #burningquestion : -) ” – Tweet from @NASATweetup, April 19, 2011.

When it comes to utilizing social media to extend a brand and engage, educate and excite an audience, NASA has the right stuff. That was clearly demonstrated during a NASA Tweetup I attended at the NASA Headquarters in downtown Washington, DC. NASA defines a Tweetup as “an informal meeting of people who use the social messaging medium Twitter.”

NASA provides a case study of how to successfully showcase science, or any other topic, product, or event, 140 characters at a time. Here are nine tips for out-of-this-world social media, based on NASA’s extensive media expertise.

1. Treat your participants / followers / friends with respect.
Do you value your followers? Do your actions show it? NASA sent a string of emails to Tweetup participants (who were chosen at random after registering online) that included a congratulatory welcome; details on the Tweetup (directions, the schedule, onsite tech availability); and a recommendation to swing by the nearby National Air and Space Museum to catch a special appearance of Robonaut 2 before the Tweetup.

At the Tweetup we received an official name badge and a swag bag full of goodies (pins, patches, stickers, fun pads and more). The event started on time and finished on time. From launch to landing, we were treated like space royalty.

What do you do for your followers to indicate how much you appreciate them?

2. Don’t overlook the details.
There’s no point in having a Tweetup if people can’t tweet. We had Wi-Fi access with clear, written instructions on how to access the network. We were notified ahead of time that power outlets would not be available. The Tweetup, which was easily accessible by public transportation, took place in an auditorium outfitted with chairs that had desks and many folks set up laptops. Cameras were allowed. NASA created a Twitter list of participants (@nasatweetup/astro-wheels) and repeatedly provided its Twitter account and hashtag (@NASAtweetup, #NASATweetup).

How many times have you been to a social media-related event only to find you have no connectivity? If a tweet falls in the room and no one can send it, then no one can hear it and it doesn’t make a sound.

One very important, but often overlooked, detail during the Tweetup was that NASA showed the live Twitter stream, but made it small enough as to be unreadable (see left and right sides of the above photo). Tweetup participants could see that a very active conversation was going on based on the movement of the stream, but the chatter did not distract from the conversation going on among the participants in the room.

How many events have you attended where the virtual stream of tweets and retweets (RTs) overshadows the live event? When it comes to showing live Twitter streams, size matters.

3. Provide exceptional value: Give people a reason to show up / like you / follow you.
Our Tweetup featured astronaut Doug Wheelock. “Wheels” spent six months on the International Space Station (ISS). He launched to the ISS on June 15, 2010 as part of the Expedition 24 crew. He assumed command of Expedition 25 on September 22 and returned to Earth on November 25, 2010. He worked on more than 100 microgravity experiments and conducted numerous space walks. He was known for sharing amazing twitpics from space and challenging his more than 100,000 followers to guess the locations.

“Okay…here’s one that you may need to dig out a World Atlas to find. Hint: These islands are small, remote, and i http://twitpic.com/2tiaa3“ – Tweet from @Astro_Wheels, from the ISS, Oct 1, 2010.

Other NASA Tweetups occur in tandem with shuttle launches. Granted, not everyone can offer launch pads or robotics demonstrations, but do you provide a compelling reason for people to follow you or ‘like’ you? What do you offer that’s ‘out of this world’?

4. Be clear about your brand and identity.
Look at the photo above. Is there any doubt who hosted the event and who is speaking? Take a look at some of NASA’s social media accounts: @NASAedu, @NASA_Technology, @ISS_NatLab, @AstroRobonaut, NASA Facebook and NASA YouTube.

Do you have a clear brand and brand strategy? What’s your Twitter background? ‘Default’ should not be your answer.

5. Do your social media homework and practice what you preach.
If you’re going to host a Tweetup, you should be facile on Twitter. NASA has a Twitter roster that includes astronauts, engineers, programs, projects, and yes, even robots.

“@cafferatajm I’m not awake yet, technically. But when I am awake, I can see great! I have five cameras in my head.” – Tweet from @AstroRobonaut, aboard the ISS, May 5, 2011

NASA uses a single hashtag for all Tweetups (#NASATweetup). This is extremely active and builds a sense of community. NASA creates Twitter lists for each event, and repeatedly tweets about the events.

Decide on your hashtag and key messaging well in advance. Promote them across multiple platforms so people can share news about your event before, during, and after.

6. Repurpose your content and utilize various social media platforms.
The Tweetup event was streamed live over NASA television. You can view it on NASA’s YouTube Channel, NASA Tweetup Rolls with “Wheels”. During the Tweetup, a highlight film of Doug Wheelock’s shuttle trip aboard the ISS was shown. To sum up, NASA refilmed its own film during a Tweetup and posted it on YouTube.

Of course not everyone is on Twitter. Check out NASA’s list of social media accounts. In addition to Twitter, it includes Flickr, Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube. NASA also has created numerous apps, hosts regular online video chats, and has an extensive program of learning technologies.

7. Be willing to make mistakes, learn from them, and move forward.
During the Tweetup, astronaut Doug Wheelock admitted that initially he didn’t know anything about Twitter, but was “highly encouraged” by NASA to tweet. “What I wasn’t realizing and picking up on, and what you guys all know, is the power and the transformation of this tweet once it hits the internet. And it’s what happens after you tweet that’s the real power in this type of media.”

Colonel Wheelock then confessed, “I had to be careful, because I actually got in trouble early on. You guys were getting these tweet pictures before NASA was getting the official photos from space. So I sorta got the cart before the horse. And I got politely scolded. I got a phone call on a private line on board the space station. ‘Hey, we don’t mind you doing this Twitter thing, but when you tweet a photo, make sure that we have it, … because we get a request coming in for the high resolution photo’ … I had to pull those back a bit and rein them in, and make sure I was downloading the photos so when you guys asked for the high resolution photos, then NASA could politely say, yes we have that for you, we’ll send it to you.”

Don’t be afraid to take one giant step forward into social media. Often times the best way to learn is by doing. (Just be sure you have social media policies in place first).

8. Be nimble.
Go to where your audience is – or will be. What’s trendy now? Foursquare. Doug Wheelock was the first astronaut to ‘check in’ from space on Oct. 22, 2010 when he checked in to the ISS. Thanks to a NASA-Foursquare partnership, Foursquare users can earn a NASA Explorer badge (shown on Wheelock’s right arm, above) by following NASA on Foursquare and checking in to NASA-related venues. NASA was also ahead of the virtual world social media curve with two islands in Second Life back in 2007.

Where should you be that you aren’t?

9. Connect, communicate, and most importantly, have a conversation.
Social media is not one-way communication. It’s not posting links to press releases. It’s listening and engaging in a conversation with your audience. NASA responds to questions and engages. NASA understands that people always come first and that social media is only a tool to further your dialog, educate your audience and spread your message.

NASA invests a lot of time and energy in social media. In return it gets loyal fans – lots and lots of them (over one million followers on Twitter, ~400,000 likes on Facebook). NASA’s messages go viral, and even its Tweetups garner press coverage (Los Angeles Times, NPR).

In return for its investment in social media, NASA is educating individuals about its space program, creating loyalty, inspiring dreams, and – based on the beaming faces at the Tweetup – creating future generations of astronauts who may one day share 3D twitvideos from Mars.

“‘Fly me to the Moon…let me dance among the Stars…’ I hope we never lose our sense of wonder. A passion for exploration and discovery is a noble legacy to leave to our children. I hope we set our sails and venture out one day. That will be one glorious day… ” – Twitpic from @Astro_Wheels, August 22, 2010, from aboard the ISS.

Some of the coverage of the Tweetup with Astro_Wheels

NASA Tweetup: Rocket Star @Astro_Wheels, Beth Beck, Bethbeck’s Blog
At the @NASATweetup, @Astro_Wheels shares the view from space, Alex Howard, gov20.govfresh
Astronauta compartilha sua visão do Espaço no @NASATweetup, Claudia Beatriz, Aprendiz de viajante (translation available on the site)
Science! Space! And NASA Tweetups, Alla Goldman, The Bivings Report
An interview with Col. Doug Wheelock, the first person to check in from space, Ching Yu, About Foursquare

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TEDx MidAtlantic 2010: What if?

Carol Torgan, Ph.D. — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 04:25:23 +0000

This year’s stellar TEDx MidAtlantic was about our choices and roles relative to our true selves, and relative to the world around us. “What if?” was the theme, and the talks seemed to focus on what parts of our brain we consciously choose to use. In fact, images of brains cropped up repeatedly in presentations throughout the day.

“Amazingly, there are cells in our left hemisphere’s orientation association area that define the boundaries of our body – where we begin and where we end relative to the space around us. At the same time, there are cells in our right hemisphere’s orientation association area that orient our body in space. As a result, our left hemisphere teaches us where our body begins and ends, and our right hemisphere helps us place it where we want to it go.”
- Jill Bolte Taylor, TED speaker, from her book, My Stroke of Insight.

Here are some of the What If’s that the speakers left us to ponder:

What if…..

You strive to be a big picture thinker?

You strive to keep your love of learning?

You embrace failure?

You find and use your own voice?

You bring every aspect of your life’s passions to bear in your work?

You focus on the business of happiness?

You strive to keep your sense of wonder?

You look at the world around you with new eyes?

You inspire and reward those around you to think creatively?

You use collective consciousness to solve big problems?

You create and build something lasting?

You give yourself space to breathe?

TEDx Resources

TEDxMidAtlantic
TEDxMidAtlantic on Twitter, #tedxmid #tedx
TEDxMidAtlantic on Facebook
TEDx MidAtlantic on Flickr
TEDx site
Main TED site

TEDx MidAtlantic 2010 Buzz

Bmore Media, @BmoreMedia, Asking and Answering “What If?” at TEDx MidAtlantic
The City Fix, @TheCityFix, Live Blogging TEDxMidAtlantic
Roman Kudryashov, What are these ideas and why are they here? TEDx MidAtlantic, a brief summary
Think Tank Creative, @think_tank, Live Blog: TEDxMidAtlantic

Speakers/Performers: (Twitter, URLs)

Francis Béland, iprizecleanoceans.org
Jeffrey Brown, @JeffreyBrown, www.pbs.org/newshour
Steve Case, @SteveCase, http://revolution.com, www.casefoundation.org
Storm Cunningham, @restorm, www.revitaliz.com
Dickson Despommier, www.verticalfarm.com
Esther Dyson, @edyson, http://edventure.com
Nina Fefferman, www.rci.rutgers.edu/~feffermn
David Gallo, @gallotar, www.whoi.edu
Christoph Gielen, www.christophgielen.com
Yash Gupta, http://carey.jhu.edu
Cesar Harada, http://cesarharada.com
Bill James, www.jpods.com
Michael Kahn, www.shakespearetheatre.org
Paula Kerger, www.pbs.org
Diana Laufenberg, @dlaufenberg, www.scienceleadership.org
Ted Leonsis, @TedLeonsis, www.verizoncenter.com
Charles Limb, www.hopkinsmedicine.org
Albert Yu-Min Lin, http://exploration.nationalgeographic.com/mongolia
Tim McDonald, www.onionflats.com
Matt Mountain, www.stsci.edu/portal
Iyeoka Ive Okoawo, @iyeoka, www.iyeoka.com
Sandra Postel, www.globalwaterpolicy.org
Adam Pruden, www.mit.edu
Otis Rolley, @OtisRolley, www.updconsulting.com
Saras Sarasvathy, www.effectuation.org
Jackie Savitz, @JackieSavitz, http://na.oceana.org
Susan Shaw, www.meriresearch.org
Sam Shelton, www.designigniteschange.org
Roshini Thinakaran, http://roshinithinakaran.com
Time for Three, @tf3, http://tf3.com

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Image:
Composite image of brain MRIs
Using computer software programs, scientists combined brain MRIs from 20 normal people into this composite image, in which ellipsoids represent normal anatomical variations. Pink purple ellipsoids, signifying the greatest variation, occur in brain regions that are uniquely human for example, regions that control language and logical reasoning. Blue ellipsoids, representing slight variations, occur in brain regions that control sensation and movements. Ultimately, this baseline data on interpersonal variability will allow scientists to distinguish normal anatomical variation from abnormal brain loss, such as that seen in Alzheimer’s disease. Image courtesy of Dr. Paul Thompson, University of California, Los Angeles. Grant No. EB001561, from the picture gallery of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health.

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Health advice from 1908: Tour de France edition

Carol Torgan, Ph.D. — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 02:04:08 +0000

Back by popular demand, more insights from the textbook, Introductory Physiology and Hygiene, by H. W. Conn, Ph.D., published by Silver, Burdett and Company, in 1908.

Apparently the Tour de France riders never learned as children that they should sit straight, ride slowly, and stop before they are too tired. However, they did learn about the importance of ‘out-of-door’ exercise.

The handwriting over the chapter title reads “Begin” most likely marking the start of a lesson or assignment. Almost all the chapters have this, and the end of the chapter on ‘How to strengthen the muscles’ has the handwriting, “End of 1st quarter.”

Don’t miss Twelve Everyday Health Rules from the same book which was picked up by the NIH MedlinePlus Magazine spring/summer 2010 edition for their ‘Then & Now” feature.

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TEDxPotomac: A River Runs Through It

Carol Torgan, Ph.D. — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 02:39:05 +0000

“The river is woven into our history. It graces our landscape. And in a modern urban environment, it is a reminder of our connection to the natural world, to ideas larger than us, and to our past and future.” – Patrick Smith, TEDxPotomac Organizer

The inaugural TEDxPotomac drew its name and inspiration from the Potomac River. Ideas surged and ebbed and flowed and branched.

The word cloud above highlights actions and ideas passionately conveyed by speakers and participants throughout the day. Some concepts that resonated:

Humans have a basic need to collaborate. [Berit Oskey]
We need context to give meaning. Find something in your world and discover its name and learn something about it. [Bob Corrigan @bobcorrigan @eolpm]
The difference between first and second place: Do one more thing one more time. [Josh Sundquist @joshsundquist]
Engage people. Share results. Ask for feedback. Listen. Repeat. [Craig Newmark @craignewmark]
Redesign your expectations of what is possible. [Yoko K @yokokami]
Data is power. Information is power. [Shannon Hader]
Foster accountability over scapegoating, dispersion of power over concentration of power, transparency over anonymity. [Frances Moore Lappé @FMLappe]
Live your life in pursuit of what makes you want to jump out of bed in the morning. [Warren Brown @cakelovewarren]
Excellence touches people deeply [Steve Moore @readysetdc]
Civility is a big deal. Be nice. [Craig Newmark @craignewmark]

And from the final talk of the day highlighting the theme of rivers and water:
Water is life. We are all environmentalists. Water connects us all across the globe. [Alexandra Cousteau @acousteau]

Thanks to the organizers, speakers, sponsors, and other participants for sharing their time, energy, and passion.

TEDxPotomac Resources

TEDxPotomac site
TEDxPotomac on Twitter @tedxpotomac #tedxpotomac
http://twitter.com/tedxpotomac/attendees-2010
TEDxPotomac on Flickr
TEDx site (x = independently organized TED event)
Main TED site

TEDxPotomac buzz

Image generated by Wordle http://www.wordle.net/

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Twelve Everyday Health Rules–From 1908

Carol Torgan, Ph.D. — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 02:43:35 +0000

I collect vintage health / wellness / fitness / physiology textbooks. While flipping through some of the books recently, I came across this wonderful set of everyday health rules. The list is from the first book in the series, Introductory Physiology and Hygiene, by H. W. Conn, Ph.D., published by Silver, Burdett and Company, in 1908. Most of the rules may be even more applicable today than they were over a century ago. Enjoy!

And don’t miss the wonderful ‘A 1930 Medical Record’ from Bob Coffield’s Health Care Law Blog.

Related posts:

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Kids and Media Use: Letting their fingers do the walking?

Carol Torgan, Ph.D. — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 04:17:10 +0000

‘Cell phones’ courtesy of JR Paris on Flickr

Seven hours and 38 minutes. It’s how much time you may spend sleeping each night or working each day. It’s also how much time kids ages 8-18 spend on average each day consuming media, such as watching TV, listening to music, and using a computer, according to a new Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) study.

The study, Generation M²: Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-Year-Olds, reveals astounding numbers that surprised the researchers and created their own media mayhem. Some of the mind-boggling numbers include:

Of the 7 hours and 38 minutes (7:38) 8-18 year-olds spend on average using entertainment media across a typical day, much of that time is spent ‘media multitasking’ (using more than one medium at a time). The result is that youth pack a total of 10 hours and 45 minutes (10:45) worth of media content into those 7½ hours.
Black and Hispanic children consume nearly 4½ hours more total media daily (13 hours of total media exposure for Hispanics and for Blacks, and about 8½ for Whites). Black children spend nearly 6 hours and Hispanics just under 5½ hours watching TV, compared to roughly 3½ hours a day for White youth. Differences by race/ethnicity remain even after controlling for other factors such as age, parents’ education, and single vs. two-parent homes.
Youth ownership of cell phones increased from 39% to 66% over the past 5 years. Ownership of iPods and other MP3 players soared from 18% to 76%.
This group spends more time listening to music, playing games, and watching TV on their cell phones (a total of :49 daily) than they spend talking on them (:33). (Texting was not measured.)
Media use increases substantially when children hit the 11-14 year-old age group, to a total media exposure of almost 12 hours per day (vs. about 8 hours for 8-10 year-olds).

“Try waking a teenager in the morning, and the odds are good that you’ll find a cell phone tucked under their pillow–the last thing they touch before falling asleep and the first thing they reach for upon waking.” – Victoria J. Rideout, Ulla G. Foehr and Donald F. Roberts, Generation M²: Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-Year-Olds.

What are the health consequences?
There is already growing concern that this generation of children may be the first in two centuries to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents, fueled by the childhood obesity epidemic. Will even more years be trimmed off due to the increase in media use? Television viewing was found to be associated with an increased risk of death in a recent national study of 8,800 adults in Australia (Television viewing time and mortality). Is this M² generation destined to live many less hours; with many more of those precious hours spent staring at screens?

The study focused on what kids are spending their time doing: watching TV, playing video games, sitting at computers. But the key issue pertaining to their health and well-being may very well be what they are NOT doing during those 7+ hours each day that they are engaged with a screen.

They are not having face to face conversations with family members and friends.
They are not climbing, jumping, or running.
They are not fully engaging their senses in our 3-dimensional world.

What do we do now?
Technology is here and it’s here to stay. These numbers will increase: the only questions are how fast and how much. The huge increase in cell phone ownership emphasizes the ‘anywhere, anytime’ aspect of media penetration. Sure, it can mean more texting of LOL and OMG in bedrooms and buses across the country. But it also provides an opportunity to reach and educate youth that otherwise might slip through the cracks.

As I’ve discussed previously with respect to the mHealth Summit, mobile technology offers an exciting platform by which to develop new tools and messaging strategies that don’t require a high level of literacy, and to develop programs to increase literacy and knowledge in a targeted, non-stigmatizing, non-threatening manner. The report Pockets of Potential: Using Mobile Technologies to Promote Children’s Learning (PDF) from The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop, illustrates how innovative, strategic thinking will help us redefine teaching and learning by harnessing the power of mobile technologies.

“Because I said so!”
This new KFF report clearly highlights the need for parents to…be parents. The data are crystal clear – rules and guidelines work wonders. In the study, only about one third of the youth reported having rules about how much time they can spend watching TV, playing video games, and using the computer. The report shows that when parents do set limits, children spend less time with media: those with any media rules consume nearly 3 hours less media per day than those with no rules.

There are numerous resources available to help parents, including the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s We Can! Program. Start with a family screen time log, work with your kids to set parameters, set a good example, and press the ‘Off’ button on the TV remote. Teachers may wish to look at Every Waking Minute? Examining Personal Media Habits, from The New York Times blog, The Learning Network.

Exchange screen time for green time.
Kids can’t stare at a screen and their hands aren’t available to text or play video games when they are climbing trees, swinging from monkey bars, building a snowman, splashing in a pool, scaling a rock wall, or digging in a garden. Head outside–whether it’s a backyard or a national park–where there is some combination of sand, rocks, water, mud, and even some odd noises. The hands will start exploring, and soon it will be the senses that are multitasking.

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Top Gift Ideas for Outdoor Play From The Blogosphere

Carol Torgan, Ph.D. — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 15:52:51 +0000

'Snow play' courtesy of darkmatter at Flickr

Looking for a great gift idea to foster outdoor play? Odds are high you’ll find it here. Incredible folks from the play blogosphere have been busy in their workshops putting together amazing lists that will make you wish they would draw your name for a Secret Santa gift exchange.

Here is my top ten list of simple gift ideas, followed by a roundup of outstanding suggestions for creative, easy and innovative gifts from others.

An old wooden box, shiny tray or big glass bowl to display and store found treasures.
Seeds to plant a pizza garden (tomatoes, peppers, basil, oregano).
A dog from the Humane Society who loves to go outside and play.
A compass, a GPS, a box of trinkets for geocaching, and/or a great set of maps.
Bright colored mittens that form perfect snowballs, galoshes that splash, funny ear muffs, sandals that allow mud to squish through your toes.
Retro toys such as a hula hoop, slip n slide, or saucer sled, and a big red ball.
A donation to a charity that encourages outdoor play for those who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity (see Charity Navigator).
Sun block, a first aid kit, a bike tire patch kit, a flashlight, a water bottle, a Swiss Army knife.
Homemade hot chocolate mix to warm everyone from the inside out after playing in the cold and a big pitcher that screams out for fresh lemonade for the dog days of summer.
A big plush towel and a great smelling bar of soap to clean off the sand, mud, dirt, and muck.

Great gift ideas from folks who ‘play well with others’:

Mara Kaplan at Let Kids Play!! has been featuring 50 Toys in 50 Days. I especially like her list of 10 active outdoor toys for children with and without special needs which features the Hyper Dash and PlasmaCar.

The crew at Active Kids Club.com has put together a list of Top 10 #playoutdoors holiday gifts ideas in response to my challenge via Twitter. They ‘rocked’ with amazing ideas that include a DIY snowman kit and bird watching kit.

Debi at Go Explore Nature includes a bug container and nature journal in her list of 10 Holiday Gift Ideas for Little Nature Explorers.

Michele at Fun Orange County Parks asks in her list, Top Ten Outdoor Presents for Southern California Family and Friends, “…how can you wrap up play days and deliver them to your family or friends? Experiences are what it’s all about when it comes to the following gift ideas.” She lists a wonderful array of memberships, including the America the Beautiful – National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass ($80).

Bethe at the Grass Stain Guru has written a beautiful letter to Santa. Her wish list includes, “A rainbow in the sky over a glorious rain puddle and good kite-flying weather this spring.” Amen sister!

Ben McKinley at Play Outdoors is Making my (Green) List and Checking it Twice. His list includes the gift of fresh local produce, which is a perfect solution to provide healthy calories to fuel all the play.

Arcady at Playscapes offers a list of Playground Books for Christmas. In addition to the list in the sidebar, there is a stunning visual feast of retro playground books “full of interesting playground contraptions being built by men with mustaches and tested by kids with puffy hair and polyester trousers.”

Creative Play Plus has a wonderful list of DIY Creative Christmas Gifts that include homemade play dough and playsilks that can be dyed with Kool-Aid. How kool is that!

Free Range Kids guru Lenore Skenazy sums it all up in her blog post title, The Greatest Gift Of The Season: A Free-Range Childhood. Nothing could be better for children of all ages.

Warmest wishes for a happy and healthy holiday season.

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Health 2.0 STAT: Plugged in and Unplugged

Carol Torgan, Ph.D. — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:53:35 +0000

Cyber Ghost courtesy of Foto Pamp on Flickr

Health 2.0 STAT was just that – STAT. A Health 2.0 Meetup organized by David Blackburn of Aquilent and billed as ‘Rapid Fire Presentations from Health 2.0 Leaders,’ seven of us spoke for five minutes each on a range of topics. The health realm we spanned was digital, virtual, plugged in, meta-tagged, and, well, stat.

During the panel discussion, we were asked a zinger of a question by moderator David Hale from the National Library of Medicine. David drew from Clay Shirky’s concept of cognitive surplus. The amount of time Americans collectively spend watching commercials on TV each weekend is 100 million hours – enough time to recreate Wikipedia, as of 2008. And so David asked each of us what we would have every person in the United States do if they had a surplus hour over a weekend.

I proclaimed that everyone should unplug and go outside. Experience all their senses. Be in the present.

Wait a minute. Shouldn’t I have said something about infectious diseases or preventable chronic illnesses or world peace?

Engage your five senses. Touch. Smell. Move. Live in four dimensions rather than the two dimensions of the computer screen. Engage with others in the real world, in the present.

I thought I would be booed and tweckled. But an amazing thing happened. There was applause, and “a collective ‘hooray’ and a couple ‘amens’” (much thanks to Mary Kay Alegre for documenting this).

Is unplugging really a key to good health? Is this really a good way to channel an extra hour of our collective time? Yes.

Keyboard helper courtesy of M.H.ick9s on Flickr

The more we learn about the health impact of online time, the more important it may be to encourage individuals to go offline.

Dr. Aric Sigman, noted psychologist and biologist, cautioned in a recent interview with Online Educa Berlin:

“Social networking appears to be actively displacing the time people spend socially interacting with real (non-virtual) friends and even with people in their own house – members of their own family. Furthermore, this displacement is most noticeable in younger and younger children who are now experiencing less social interaction and have fewer social connections during key stages of their physiological, emotional and social development. At the same time, a large number of medical and physiology studies are finding a strong link between this lack of non-virtual social interaction and connection and biological changes in the immune system and genes, along with higher rates of illness, disease and premature death. So, obviously Facebook does not directly cause these changes but social networking is merely a new distraction away from real face-to-face social interaction and this lack of interaction is the health risk, not the act of social networking. If people only spent a short amount of time each day online, there wouldn’t be any need for this discussion.”

For stunning visual evidence of the impact of screen time, take a stroll through the online photography exhibit, A Disenchanted Playroom.

If you were given an extra hour during your weekend, what would you do with it?

Many thanks to David Blackburn for founding the DC/MD/VA Health 2.0 Meetup group (Twitter: @DCHealth2_0) which has now been recognized as a local chapter of Health 2.0, and to sponsors Aquilent and Palladian Partners.

Fellow panelists and their topics included:

Tim Clarke, Jr., NMHM Deputy Director (Communications) – Web 2.0 at the National Museum of Health and Medicine, a Division of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
Lindsey Hoggle, RD, MS, PMP, Health Project Partners, LLC – Can Health 2.0 Drive Health 2%?
Mark Scrimshire, Senior Web Strategist, CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield – HealthCamp: Built on Health 2.0 and Web 2.0
Michael Paley, PhD, Executive Vice President, Aptima – Using Virtual World Technologies for Application in Disaster Preparedness Training
Chris Lindsley, Web Editor, UMMC – University of Maryland Medical Center Adoption of Web 2.0
Ram Singh, CEO, informediq – Using mobile devices to provide better healthcare

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America’s National Parks: 14 Resources for a Most Excellent Adventure

Carol Torgan, Ph.D. — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 02:11:23 +0000

Trail Ridge Road, Rocky Mountain National Park

“The beauty and charm of the wilderness are his for the asking, for the edges of the wilderness lie close beside the beaten roads of the present travel.” Theodore Roosevelt

When I was growing up in Colorado our family would routinely load up the station wagon and head off to a National Park. We explored Glacier, Arches, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Mesa Verde, Dinosaur, Grand Teton and Rocky Mountain National Park (our ‘neighborhood’ park). As a college graduation gift my mom took me to Denali. Several years later friends and I headed off to Volcano National Park for a reunion. This past year we loaded up the car for a multisport visit to Acadia.

Our national parks cover over 80 million acres and offer the perfect blend of inspiration and perspiration. There are 12,250 miles of unpaved trails, 8,500 miles of roads and 26,830 campsites. My parents shared their love of spacious skies and purple mountains majesty and now when I visit national parks I often encounter smells and sounds that bring back fond childhood memories of family outings.

“Life is a great adventure…accept it in such a spirit.” Theodore Roosevelt

In celebration of America’s National Parks: America’s Best Idea, here are 14 great national park resources to help you plan a most excellent outdoor adventure with your family and friends.

National Park Service (NPS) Main Website The perfect place to get acquainted with the parks.
Find a National Park Search by name, location, activity (biking, boating, climbing, swimming) and topic (caves, civil war, fossils, glaciers, volcanoes).
Park Reservations Make reservations for cabins, tents and ranger-guided tours as well as for various permits. Federal and private campsite reservations can also be made via ReserveAmerica.
Fuel Cost Calculator Planning to load up the family car and take a road trip to a National Park? Calculate the estimated fuel cost of your trip, courtesy of AAA.
National Parks Weather Search a national park, state park, or recreation area by name or search by location. Visit a specific national park website or the National Weather Service to get local weather updates and travel advisories (road closures due to blizzards or lava flows).
NPS Interactive Map Center (IMC) Base maps and park brochure maps for geographic reference and navigation to and within parks. Maps are also available from the National Park Service Maps site.
National Parks Geology 3D and photographic tours that feature park geology and natural history from the U.S. Geological Survey.
National Parks Service Jobs Permanent, temporary and seasonal positions.
NPS Volunteer Opportunities Search for positions throughout the National Parks (use ‘National Park’ for the keywords).
Junior Ranger Program Complete a series of activities during a park visit, share answers with a park ranger, and receive an official Junior Ranger badge and certificate. Or become a Web Ranger through the online program for kids of all ages.
‘Share the Experience’ Photo Contest Official federal recreation lands photo contest. For inspiration, view the NPS historic photo collection.
News and Commentary A multimedia blend of news, feature content, debate, and discussion tied to America’s national parks.
Tips for Visiting National Parks Information from the Sierra Club on fees, lodging, gear, activities and avoiding crowds.
National Parks by the Numbers NPS stats, workbooks to estimate the economic impact of NPS visitor spending, and acreage reports. Also see NPS Quick Facts.

“It is an incalculable added pleasure to any one’s sum of happiness if he or she grows to know, even slightly and imperfectly, how to read and enjoy the wonder-book of nature.” Theodore Roosevelt

Other Resources

Dad fishing near Rocky Mountain National Park

Theodore Roosevelt quotes from the NPS
National Parks Foundation
On Twitter:
National Parks News @NPCA
U.S. Forest Service @forestservice
National Park Foundation @GoParks

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7 simple tips to grow active, playful kids

Carol Torgan, Ph.D. — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 02:28:58 +0000

Kids playing in the Crowne Fountain, Minenium Park, Chicago. Photo courtesy of Kymberly Janisch at Flickr.

Here are seven simple tips (one for every day of the week) to foster happy, healthy kids. A special shout-out to listeners of Radio Disney Philly who caught my interview on the Backyard Show – these are especially for you!

Lead. By example. You are a role model for your kids. If they see you plop on the couch, they will be inclined to recline as well. If they see you dance around the house, play tug-of-war with the dog, and dig about in the garden, they will be inclined to dance, tug and dig.
Think. Outside the box. Give a child an expensive gift and they promptly rip it open and…start playing with the gift paper and box. Skip expensive toys and break out the pans, wooden utensils, brooms, and pails. It’s often said the best toys are 10% creation and 90% imagination.
Watch & Listen. What do your children enjoy doing? What activities do they talk about doing? (Ask them.) Encourage those activities and build on them.
Share. What are your favorite childhood memories of play? Share them with your family and then break out the Slip ‘n Slide or hula-hoop, or break out the chalk for a game of hopscotch (great for balance for kids and adults).
Sculpt. By providing your children with opportunities to move and create, you are sculpting their brains. Play fosters new neural connections and prunes existing ones. As kids sculpt play-doh and sand castles, they sculpt their futures.
Meet. Safety is one of the major reasons parents are hesitant to let their children play outside. Organize a play-date that really is about play.
Create. Opportunities. Don’t over-schedule your children or yourself. Leave open little windows of time – even if only for ten minutes – just to goof off and move around. Any activity is much, much better than nothing.

Resources especially for parents
These are just a few of the numerous available resources (several of these are also on the 100+ Top Play Resources list). Feel free to add more of your favorites below.

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