A teenage boy goes shopping on the Internet, sees something he likes, immediately reaches his mother via cellphone, and in a few short keystrokes, types in her credit card number and gets a shiny new iPod. Elsewhere, a conscientious eighth-grader researches her homework online, but despite her best intentions, the barrage of Instant Messages sent by her friends (from around the world) leaves her unable to finish her assignment in time...and gets her grounded for the weekend. Today’s children, due to technological advances including computers, the Internet, cell phones, and satellites, are faced with a world markedly more complex—and often more distracting—than any other preceeding generation. Parents who want to ensure that their children successfully develop key social skills, a healthy identity, and a strong work ethic, need to make the right choices every step of the way. In The Access and Excess Generation, clinical psychologist Dr. Michael Osit draws on his...