More job cuts.

In case there weren’t enough people worried about losing their job, Hewlett-Packard have jumped on the bandwagon too. 

They’re cutting 27,000 jobs by the end of 2014, as a part of their plans to simplify the business and deliver better results for their customers and employees. The cuts, which will affect around 8% of the company’s workers, is said to reduce Hewlett-Packard’s costs by £2.2bn a year.

Though it was announced this week that their profits are higher than expected, the good news was put to one side as their employees were warned of possible job losses.

Hewlett-Packard have said that the £2.2bn they’re saving due to the job cuts will be reinvested back into the company, but that’s no comfort to the 27,000 people losing their jobs.

As it seems that unemployment figures are soon to be higher, the pressure to find a job is getting even stronger. Perhaps a job as a CV-writer is the best way to go...

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Kids and iPads.

Smartphones and tablets are so popular now that pretty much everyone has used one at some point. But are they going to result in kids being dependent on such devices?

Psychologists believe that parents who are always checking their phones and iPads are negatively affecting their children’s development, and even go as far as to say that it’s a form of neglect.

According to statistics, the average 12-16 year old spends more than six hours a day watching TV or playing on tablets and smartphones, and this happens at home rather than at school. One psychologist, Dr Eric Sigman, has said that this leads to other health problems like obesity, high blood pressure and sleeping disorders.

Although some apps can help children learn by using fun techniques, some parents are using tablets and smartphones as a way of babysitting their kids. Dr Eric Sigman warns that this could lead to a lifetime of poor health, and argues that TV for toddlers should be banned to avoid a risk to their mental and physical health in the future.

But surely TV and educational apps are fine in moderation. Technology is only developing further, so kids should start getting used to these devices in small doses. It’s only when it’s relied on as a babysitter that it becomes an issue. 

What do you think - is Dr Eric Sigman right?

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