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When the Internet goes down in your house, does everyone in your family fly into panic mode? It’s a common reaction. After all, we’re so tethered to our devices and WiFi that one hiccup can increase our stress levels. And let’s face facts: Having your laptop crash isn’t fun.

Nevertheless, it’s important to raise kids who aren’t so dependent on technology that they become paralyzed without it. This means helping them find the delicate balance between treating devices as nice-to-have versus need-to-have tools. Reports show that kids get up to nine hours of screen time daily. That’s more hours than they spend learning in a classroom, sleeping, or engaging in any type of sport. 

Worried that you can’t disengage your child from tech without moving off the grid? Stay calm and have faith in your parenting skills. It’s possible to keep a youngster, tween or teen from total tech reliance. And no relocation to a remote mountain hideaway is necessary.

Show Less Personal Dependance on Tech

Like it or not, your kids will imitate your behavior, at least when they’re in their elementary and middle school years. If you’re able to turn off your smartphone and set it aside for hours, they’ll see that it’s not your world. 

Instead of carrying it in your pocket, place it on the kitchen counter or on top of your dresser. When you’re home, listen and pay attention to the other people in your household. Rather than immediately Googling an answer you should already know, take time to jog your memory without help. Lead by example while using your tech. According to Mainor Wirth Injury Lawyers kids imitate what they see, if they see you texting and driving the chances that they will also be texting and driving when they are of age are high. These behavioral changes will indicate you don’t see technology as the end-all, be-all.

Be Thoughtful About the Tech You Give Your Children

It’s fairly inevitable that you’re going to buy your children tech as they grow. Even if you don’t, your child’s school may issue laptops or tablets to all students. So your youngster will have to get used to handling tech responsibly.

With that being said, you don’t have to go full-throttle when you purchase technological devices. For instance, look for a first phone for kids that doesn’t give them access to the app store or the web. They might grumble, but they’ll have to earn the right to have a different, more sophisticated phone later. For the time being, they’ll be able to text, call, and take images. That’s really all kids absolutely need, and it’ll keep them from having the world in their hands before they’re ready for the responsibility.

Make Non-Tech Activities the Gold Standard in Your Home

Does your home life tend to revolve around technology? Maybe the first thing you do when you come in the door is turn on the television. Later, you ask Alexa to order up some groceries from Amazon Prime. After that, you check news online while your kids jump on the computer to play multiplayer games with their buddies. These habits all indicate that tech guides your leisure time.

The way to weaken tech’s hold over your home is to replace online pastimes with offline ones. Go outside for a quick walk before dinner instead of plopping down in front of the TV. Write up a grocery order on paper and wait until later to submit it through Amazon. Indulge in a book or play games with your kids. Over time, you’ll all crave tech less.

Teach Kids How to Use Brain Power, Not “Swiping Power”

As a society, everyone’s become accustomed to checking the Internet for ideas. Research indicates around a quarter of adults are on the Internet practically nonstop. To be sure, this type of information crowdsourcing can be valuable, saving time and maybe money. Hey, where else but YouTube will you find an extensive how-to video of how to remove acrylic paint from an expensive silk blouse? 

Still, it can be refreshing and satisfying to have an “Aha!” moment without Google’s help. When your kids come to you with a conundrum, don’t immediately suggest they swipe or scroll their way to a solution. Teach them to be critical thinkers, coming up with hypotheses based on the facts they have on hand. Kids often forget that the gray matter between their ears is nothing short of a powerful computer. The more they use it, the more successful and self-reliant they’ll be.

Curb the Overuse and Misuse of Social Media

Many parents find their kids’ TikTok videos hilarious, or their filtered Instagram images incredible. However, social media can be a slippery slope in terms of tech addiction. Even adults aren’t immune to the need for constant social validation. So how could young kids understand that having a low number of followers, likes, or comments shouldn’t affect their self-esteem?

Moms and dads have every right to monitor the movements of their sons and daughters on social platforms. Quite honestly, they should have family discussions about social media frequently before the kids ever have their own accounts. And if your child says they want to be part of any social media scene, set up usage parameters immediately—and stick to them. 

Spend Money on Gifts That Aren’t Technical

As a final way to ease your children away from a tech-is-everything mindset, be pragmatic about the gifts you give at holiday time or for special occasions. As an example, you may want to buy your kids more items that don’t require WiFi, batteries, or cords and less that do. It’s okay to purchase technology now and then, but make tech products supporting players, not the star of the gift-giving show. 

What happens if your child hands you a holiday shopping wish list that only includes tech suggestions? Hand it back and ask for an addendum. Explain that you’re not going to only buy electronics equipment or accessories. You might be surprised at how quickly your kids can come up with other things they’d like that are decidedly old-school and offline.

It’s not likely that tech’s going to disappear. All signs show it’s becoming a bigger and bigger influence on everyone’s lives. Nonetheless, you can bring up kids who have a healthy relationship with technology. Just make a few changes and you should see big results that’ll pay off down the road.

Why so many patients are opting for clear aligner therapy over traditional braces

Those who have invested in traditional braces know how hefty the cost can be to straighten a smile. The average cost in the United States is $5,600. This is a high price to pay for a smile you’ll love when Smile Direct Club’s advanced clear alignment therapy can achieve the same excellent results for a fraction of the price. 

Smile Direct Club (SDC) prides itself on providing aligner therapy that customers need but otherwise might not be able to afford. SDC helps people across the world overcome this hurdle by offering affordable orthodontic treatment. Thanks to SDC’s forward-thinking approach, customers pay up to 60 percent less for clear aligner therapy than they would for traditional braces.

But it’s not just the cost benefits of Smile Direct Club’s clear aligners that make them such a winner for so many customers. Here are the other advantages of SDC’s clear aligner therapy over traditional braces.

1. A Removable Product

While patients need to wear traditional braces 24/7, typically for at least a year, users have much more flexibility over when they wear their Smile Direct Club clear aligners. For example, SDC’s aligners are designed for 22 hours of wear at a time, allowing customers to remove their aligners when eating, drinking, and brushing. This makes these processes much easier, especially compared to braces, which can restrict some foods – such as popcorn, nuts, chewing gum, and crunchy fruit and vegetables – from a customer’s diet.

2. Improved Hygiene

As the clear aligners are removable, it’s also much easier for customers to clean their aligners and their teeth. With no need for tiny interdental brushes, customers can uphold excellent hygiene and prevent plaque buildup. Removing the aligners also enables customers to clean the plastic thoroughly, particularly when using SDC’s ultrasonic SmileSpa™ cleaning solution.

3. Shorter Timeframe

Smile Direct Club’s clear aligners straighten a patient’s smile in as little as four to six months, making the whole process much quicker than the traditional braces route. Patients typically wear braces for one to three years, enduring a painstakingly long journey to straight teeth. Meanwhile, SDC’s clear aligners are ideal for customers who hope to straighten their teeth in time for an important event, such as a wedding or graduation, that is just a few months away.

4. Comfort

Braces can be immensely painful, especially after tightening appointments. While patients can sometimes expect a little soreness when wearing aligners, they are typically far more comfortable than braces. Plus, braces often cut cheeks and gums, which isn’t a problem with Smile Direct Club’s specially formulated BPA-free plastic.

5. Remote Options

While traditional braces require time off work to make regular trips to the orthodontist, patients can manage their Smile Direct Club clear aligner therapy entirely from home. The option to order a doctor-prescribed, easy-to-use, remote impression kit is particularly popular in the current pandemic climate.

6. Discreet Appearance

Clear aligners fit snugly over your teeth and are virtually undetectable. Meanwhile, traditional braces are far more obvious. Though Smile Direct Club’s aligners are discreet, those who are particularly worried about aesthetics will love SDC’s Nighttime Aligners™ , which customers only need to wear for 10 consecutive hours.

7. No White Spot Lesions

While wearing braces can cause white spot lesions – the result of the brackets discoloring teeth – clear aligners bear no risk for this issue. With SDC’s clear aligners, customers don’t need to worry about discoloration when it’s finally time to enjoy their smiles.

How Smile Direct Club’s Clear Aligner Therapy Works

Smile Direct Club works on your schedule, so you can choose whether to attend an appointment at a SmileShop to get a free scan or order a doctor-prescribed remote impression kit. Both options are risk free, and one of SDC’s state-licensed dentists or orthodontists will use your impression or 3D image to create custom clear aligners for your individual treatment plan. SDC will ship your aligners within about 4-6 weeks, so you won’t have to wait long for your treatment to begin. Each set of aligners in your treatment plan will gradually shift your teeth into their correct positions. 

Smile Direct Club offers a single payment option of $1,950 for clear aligners or a monthly payment of less than $89, which is spread over two years. SDC also offers a Smile Guarantee to protect customers. This guarantee allows you to return your aligners and receive a full refund within 30 days after delivery.

About SmileDirectClub 

SmileDirectClub Inc. (Nasdaq: SDC) (“SmileDirectClub”) is an oral care company and creator of the first medtech platform for teeth straightening, now also offered directly via dentist and orthodontists’ offices. Through our cutting-edge teledentistry technology and vertically integrated model with all aligner products made in the United States, we are revolutionizing the oral care industry, from clear aligner therapy to our affordable, premium oral care product line. SmileDirectClub’s mission is to democratize access to a smile that each and every person loves by making it affordable and convenient for everyone. SmileDirectClub is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, and operates in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Spain. For more information, please visit  SmileDirectClub.com.

As head of JD.com, China’s largest online retailer, Liu Qiangdong has seen his company soar to meteoric heights, with yearly revenues exceeding $80 billion dollars. Although there has been a tremendous amount of economic damage resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, JD.com’s 2020 second quarter has been absolutely stellar, with revenue rising as high as $28.5 billion. This surge in revenue represents a double-digit percentage increase in both online sales and the company’s customer base. 

JD.com has expanded its marketing strategy over recent years and the results are appearing to pay off through its many subsidiary departments, especially JD Health and JD Logistics. 

JD Health is the division responsible for the company’s pharmaceutical distribution and has been instrumental for many individuals and companies throughout the pandemic. Recently, JD Health partnered with Hillhouse Capital to expand its ability to meet the ever diversifying healthcare sector and to make its supply chain more flexible. With the addition of the company’s steps to curtail the impact of potential COVID-19 infections, such as regularly screening workers and offering contactless delivery, JD Health is looking more and more like a realistic option for healthcare organizations to maintain a business relationship with. 

Similarly, JD Logistics, recently renamed JDL, has been making significant developments of its own. Already a significant force in China’s distribution sector, JDL has just rolled out an automatic heavy item retrieval system that is saving people tons of time and energy. Made possible by a dramatic increase in the number of warehouses at its disposal, JDL has promised to dedicate much of its energy towards services that cater to underserved markets over the next decade. 

The ability for JD.com to see so much success in the face of adverse circumstances can largely be attributed to Liu Qiangdong’s leadership. 

Born in rural China to migrant worker parents who sought employment in the coal industry, Liu was primarily raised by his grandmother and endured an early life of poverty; living in a house with no electricity, no running water, and forced to eat the exact same food day after day. Although it was hard, Liu learned the true value of everyday items and never took anything for granted. 

Liu Qiangdong also became quite ambitious from an early age. Deciding to save up what little money he could muster, Liu traveled to his province’s capital city during his middle school years where he realized he wanted to change the world in a big way. 

Liu was eventually accepted to university, where he learned computer programming skills that would later become invaluable. He also briefly started his first business, which ultimately failed, but he learned a valuable lesson about always taking a hand-on approach.. 

After working a corporate position at a Japanese company for a couple years, Liu Qiangdong used the money he saved up to open his own technology kiosk in Beijing, which quickly became successful. Liu was able to open several retail stores and JD.com’s success became all but assured when online retailing began to boom in the early 2000s.