Too much screen time and digital diversion for kids can mean less attention to studies. In particular, homework that doesn’t get done. A pediatric physician shares some interesting research findings. Then, a little-known insurance database can impact what you pay for auto and home insurance.
Episode Segments:
Too Much Screentime Stephanie Ruest, MD, FAAP, is a Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellow at Rhode Island Hospital, and fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Ruest’s research on behalf of the American Academy of Pediatrics found that the more time children spend using digital devices, the less likely they are to finish their homework. Children who spent two to four hours a day using computers, video games, tablets and smartphones had 23 percent lower odds of always or usually finishing their homework, compared to children who spent less than two hours. Dr. Ruest offered advice to parents on how to monitor and control digital usage.
The Database that is costing you money Laura Adams is a Senior Insurance Analyst for insuranceQuotes.com. Ms. Adams outlined a new study by insuranceQuotes that found that 86% of Americans are unaware that insurers use the claims history of previous homeowners to set premiums for new policies. She explained why consumers are unaware of this database, what it contains, and how they can obtain a free report for their property.
Crunching the Numbers on Heathcare 3. The average amount an American spends on healthcare varies wildly, depending on where they live. Yet the outcome—average life expectancies—are similar. Dr. Heidi Williams, Career Development Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, co-authored a study of millions of Medicare patients’ records. She found that decisions by patients and doctors are responsible for virtually equal shares of the differences in regional spending.