Deer Park-North Babylon Blogs of the Week: Mar. 17

What are your neighbors thinking about? Is a national-news story peeking the interest of the neighborhood or is someone simply sharing their insight on every day life? No worries if you missed the past week – we've collected the top blog posts across our local Patch sites in one convenient place.

Do you have ideas to share? You can always join our Local Voices right here.

Increased Use of Smartphones among Teens: What’s A Parent to Do?

Dr. Meryl Ain writes in her weekly education blog about the rise of smartphone use among our nation's teenagers, from the minute they wake up to the point they fall asleep – their iPhones are in their hands. Dr. Ain notes the challenges facing today's parents, especially as cell phone use has evolved in such a short time.

"Previous generations of teenagers used the landline to connect with their peers. Teens may have tied up the family phone for hours, but parents were well aware of their activities," she writes. "The privacy and portability afforded kids by cellphones makes it increasingly difficult for parents to monitor their teens’ behavior. Texting, sexting, taking and sending inappropriate pictures, and cyberbullying are all serious concerns, as is the potential of smartphone addiction."

Tech-Savvy Spring Break

Local blogger Ellen Webner writes in about having a technology-filled Spring Break, including the latest gear, apps and preparations everyone from the college freshman to the parent should know when they go traveling with their cell phones.

"Get the right packages.  Different rates apply for calling, texting, and data usage.  Get a package for each just to be safe," she writes. "The data package you choose will depend on what you plan on doing while abroad.  It’s important to remember that email and many apps use data in the background even if you are not surfing the web."

Four Reasons Why Women Lose Their Hair

Dr. Michael Polcino discusses an issue that's not seen on commercials in the middle of the day – hair loss for women and its causes. He discusses the several disorders on what causes female fair loss and how each can be treated.

"Traction Alopecia is hair loss from excessive pulling at the hair roots over a prolonged period of time," he writes. "The loss occurs where the hair is pulled in one direction, for example, by a ponytail or a cornrow pattern of braids."