Arianna Huffington Wants to Save You From Your Phone
*By Britt Terrell*
As we become more aware of the potential health hazards of spending too much time glued to screens, company's like Apple and Google are helping users combat digital dependency. And one of the world's most prominent voices in digital media has a few suggestions on how consumers can fight their own tech addiction.
Arianna Huffington, the founder and CEO of Thrive Global, has partnered with the biotech company Shire to raise awareness about the potential dangers of screens and how users can protect their eyes
"There is a lot we can do," Huffington said Wednesday in an interview with Cheddar. "For example, if you have dry eyes, blink more or take breaks every 20 minutes."
She also advised people who have jobs that keep them in front of a computer most of the day to get moving. "Take walking meetings, the weather is now great, get out and walk rather than doing meetings at home and multitasking," Huffington said.
Thrive Global is working with companies such as Accenture, JP Morgan Chase, and Hilton Hotels, which are trying to change workplace behavior and "actually helping their employees set more boundaries."
Huffington said Thrive Global helps employers set expectations for their workers when it comes to the amount of time they are spending on their phones, which affects productivity and mental health.
Americans are never going to fully give up their screens, Huffington said, so setting boundaries is important.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/arianna-huffington-talks-tackling-tech-addiction).
Despite challenges like inflation, labor and product shortages, and the Omicron variant, holiday sales saw record levels of growth this year, according to a new report from Mastercard SpendingPulse. The group reports on national retail sales across all payment types, finding that holiday sales rose at the fastest pace in 17 years this year. Mastercard senior advisor and former chariman and CEO of Saks Incorporated Steve Sadove joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Keith Fitz-Gerald, chief investment officer at Fitz-Gerald Group, spoke to Cheddar about the growing competition for Tesla's electric cars in China as tech giant Huawei enters the race. "There's a lot of legacy worry, but that does not discount the possibility that Elon might have a contender on his hands," he said about the sometimes troubled telecom company. Fitz-Gerald also gave a nod to two other local rivals, Nio and XPeng, noting the latter as having something of an edge with its CEO He Xiopeng being lauded by Chinese state media.
2021 was a wild ride for the world of cryptos. Both Bitcoin and Etherum hit new all-time highs, as well as other coins like SHIB-INU. According to several experts, crypto is here to stay and is expected to blast off in the year 2022 as more and more people invest in the crypto world. The host of "The O Show" Wendy O, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Over the past year, the new love for gaming has created a huge demand for the consumption of content on streaming platforms. All this has caused a rise in gaming influencers all over the world. Founder of Viral Nation Joe Gagliese and Digital Video Executive Andrew Wall, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
