Ever have one of those weeks in which everything seemed to be going to plan, but when Friday rolled around everything turned to sludge? That sums up last week for me. Hope yours was better, and that the next seven days are an improvement on the previous seven.

With that out of the way, let's get Monday started with these links:

Silver scrollers: What is screen time like for seniors? — An interesting peek into how some older New Zealanders are using the internet. And, for the most part, that's to the level they need and for the tasks they need. Maybe there's a lesson in there for all of us.

From the article:

While stereotypes still exist about 'oldies' being technophobic – and some choose not to engage with digital devices through fear, cost or lack of access to devices – research shows the majority of seniors are active online. A 2020 Victoria University survey of New Zealanders’ internet use reported 90 percent of people aged 65-74 used the internet.

Yes, you can be allergic to water — The allergy is to water touching one's skin rather than what one gulps down to hydrate themselves. But the effects of aquagenic urticaria on human skin are real.

From the article:

Although scientists don’t fully understand exactly how aquagenic urticaria works, they believe water itself isn’t the culprit. Rather, it appears that certain people’s skin responds differently to water contact, setting off a reaction in the skin’s outermost layer. This triggers the body’s mast cells (immune cells that sound the alarm during allergic reactions), which releases histamine, the troublemaking chemical responsible for allergic responses.

Tech bros say AI may become your friend. Experts explain why it can’t — Having pumped billions into the digital money pit that's AI, of course those tech bros will tout is a being the solution to everything. But they're forgetting key aspects that make relationships special and which technology can't meaningfully replace.

From the article:

People need to be face-to-face to connect, said Dr. Melissa Perry, dean of the College of Public Health at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. Humans evolved to feel good when they can hear someone’s tone of voice, see their facial expressions and read their body language, she added. While it feels like the AI chatbot cares and is validating, a lot of missing sensory information keeps you from connecting.

Ban Non-Compete Clauses — It's easy to forget some of the ways in which employers keep employees under their thumbs, and a non compete is one of the most insidious of those.

From the article:

The basic case against the non-compete is both economic and moral. Quitting for a higher-paying job—or even credibly threatening to do so—is one of the primary ways workers increase their earnings over time. Job switching is also how undervalued employees find better matches for their talents, skills, and interests. It is how new firms get staffed, and how startups are born. Economists describe this process as “labor mobility,” but the underlying idea is simple and intuitive.