Kids too wired?

That's a question being asked in Time magazine's cover story this week, "The Multitasking Generation." Because the whole story isn't available to nonsubscribers of Time, I'm glad CNN provides a summary. We all know that, in many cases, "by the time many kids get to college, their devices have become extensions of themselves, indispensable social accessories." But the summary seems to be saying that it's not so much the technology as their "highly scheduled lives" and related pressures that's the bigger problem. It's "important for parents and educators to teach kids, preferably by example, that it's valuable, even essential, to occasionally slow down, unplug and take time to think about something for a while," according to CNN. Don't miss what Sudbury, Massachusetts, psychiatrist and author Edward Hallowell says in the very last paragraph of CNN's summary. I think he's nailed it. [Time's sidebar, "A dad's encounter with the vortex of Facebook" offers a readable, balanced perspective.] Then there's a ClickZ.com commentary on a new study by BBDO Energy of 13-to-18-year-old "super-connectors": "They want the world to conform to their views, meaning personalization and customization are imperatives, not nice-to-have extras. They want conversations in the world of many-to-many, not broadcast dictums from on high."