Media Literacy

Am I being paranoid if I don’t want to post pictures of my baby on Facebook?
Am I being paranoid if I don’t want to post pictures of my baby on Facebook? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: I am a new mom, and I’m not sure how I feel about posting pictures of my baby on Facebook. Nearly all of my friends do it. I can understand the need to remain connected to family and friends and to show off your beautiful child, but this makes me uneasy. As we know,…

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How can I protect my child when she’s learning to use email?
How can I protect my child when she’s learning to use email? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: How can I keep my tween safe as she embarks on using email for the first time?
A: Choose an email provider that fits your ideal, help guide your child as she’s starting out, and learn more about what issues she might face online–and how you can help her navigate them.

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The Top Mediatrician Q&As of 2010
The Top Mediatrician Q&As of 2010 150 150 Mediatrics

Each week this year, you asked our Mediatrician, Dr. Michael Rich, your most pressing questions about the effects of media on kids, and he answered! Here are the top 10 most-viewed Ask the Mediatrician Q&As of 2010.

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How do I decide which health websites to trust?
How do I decide which health websites to trust? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: Are there guidelines about how to find reliable health information on the web?
A: Keep these three tips in mind when evaluating online health sources: Consider the ‘Rules of Media Literacy.’ / Ask yourself: What is this website trying to sell? / Visit multiple websites; compare advice.
Answered by Dr. Michael Rich, The Mediatrician

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Are preschoolers affected by watching professional wrestling?
Are preschoolers affected by watching professional wrestling? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: I am a Pre-K Special Educator and some of the boys have hit, kicked, scratched, punched, and head-butted me and their classmates. I know their parents watch professional wrestling with them. Do you know of any research connecting this behavior with what they are watching?

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My son’s PS3 requires access to the Internet, but I don’t want Internet in his bedroom—what do I do?
My son’s PS3 requires access to the Internet, but I don’t want Internet in his bedroom—what do I do? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: My 12-year-old son wanted a PS3, partly as a birthday gift and partly out of money he’s saved. This was to replace his PS2 because some of the games he wanted were not available for PS2. His PS2 is in his room on a non-cable hooked up TV so that all of his approved,…

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Can kids and teens help each other use media safely and wisely?
Can kids and teens help each other use media safely and wisely? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: Much of the discussion on kids’ media use centers, appropriately, on parent involvement. I’m wondering, though, are there ways kids and teens can help each other use media safely and wisely?
Answered by Dr. Michael Rich, The Mediatrician®

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Kids use media for almost 8 hours a day — Now what?
Kids use media for almost 8 hours a day — Now what? 150 150 Mediatrics

Yesterday the Kaiser Family Foundation released a report detailing just how much media kids are using. Dr. Michael Rich, The MediatricianSM, was interviewed on NBC Nightly News, and the Center on Media and Child Health sent out the following in email to parents today.

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Should I worry about junk food ads on kids’ websites?
Should I worry about junk food ads on kids’ websites? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: My 7-year-old son uses a lot of kid websites that seem harmless enough, but I keep hearing about junk food ads on the Internet and wonder if they will really affect him?
Answered by Dr. Michael Rich, The Mediatrician

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Is there anything wrong with cutting out electronic media completely?
Is there anything wrong with cutting out electronic media completely? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: My parents didn’t have a TV in the house when I was growing up and I didn’t get a stereo until I was a teenager. We read and played outside and I didn’t think I was deprived as a kid. It seems like what is out there now, in terms of violence, sex, and taking risks, is far worse than when I was a kid. Is there anything wrong with just cutting out electronic media completely from my kids’ lives?
Answered by Dr. Michael Rich, The Mediatrician

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