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Tweens

Mexico Friends ATM
Since moving, my teen son spends a lot of time connecting with his old friends through media instead of making new friends – what should I do?
 Since moving, my teen son spends a lot of time connecting with his old friends through media instead of making new friends – what should I do? 750 315 Mediatrics

Q: Our family moved recently from the U.S. to Mexico for my husband’s job, and while most things have been transitioning smoothly, I am concerned that my 14-year-old son is spending too much time with screens and not enough time making friends. Since moving, he spends a lot of time Skyping or playing video games…

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mom daughter TV
What can I do about the adult commercials shown during children and family programming?
 What can I do about the adult commercials shown during children and family programming? 750 315 Mediatrics

Q: I am fed up with all of the adult content in commercials that are shown during children and family programming. I have witnessed them across every network and have now started a Facebook page in hopes of gathering as many people as I can to petition for showing only G-rated commercials during children and…

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Tween bedroom technology devices
How do we get the laptops, smartphones and tablets out of our kids’ bedrooms?
 How do we get the laptops, smartphones and tablets out of our kids’ bedrooms? 750 315 Mediatrics

Q: We would like to get devices (smartphones, laptops, kindles, tablets) out of our kids’ bedrooms, but we don’t know how to do this. They use their laptops for homework and smartphones for music and as alarm clocks. Do you have any good suggestions on how to implement this change? Our oldest is now 18 and…

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Teen Social Media Body Image
I’m a seventh grader doing a project on how social media use affects body image – what does the research show?
 I’m a seventh grader doing a project on how social media use affects body image – what does the research show? 750 315 Mediatrics

Q: I am a 7th grader working on an independent research project about whether using social media can be addictive and how using social media affects adolescent girls’ body image. What does the scientific research show? And how can I learn more about this? ~ Scrutinizing Social Media, Wellesley, MA Dear Scrutinizing, As a seventh grader,…

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Three different aged children with laptop
Are websites like “Animal Jam” appropriate for tweens and young children?
 Are websites like “Animal Jam” appropriate for tweens and young children? 750 315 Mediatrics

Q: Is Animal Jam an appropriate website for tweens and children as young as 5-year-olds? As a parent and librarian, I am concerned by a number of Animal Jam’s features, such as pushing players to purchase items within the website, and am skeptical as to the site’s “educational” value, even though it is associated with National…

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Three teen girls looking at a fashion magazine
What Can I do to Protect My Kids from Seeing Inappropriate Fashion Catalogues?
 What Can I do to Protect My Kids from Seeing Inappropriate Fashion Catalogues? 750 315 Mediatrics

Q: I recently received the Spring 2015 Catalog from the department store Barneys New York. The catalog was sent to my house without any envelope or sleeve to protect it from being opened by kids, even though it contains pictures that I believe are inappropriate for young children. What can be done to prevent such…

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Facebook Suicide Teen
What should I know about the relationship between social media and suicide?
 What should I know about the relationship between social media and suicide? 750 250 Mediatrics

Q: Yesterday one of my daughter’s friends committed suicide. She was a sophomore in college. I am saddened and angry. I went to the girl’s Facebook page and saw that she had 1,194 friends. All of her pictures show her with an impossibly bright smile. Her wall is full of messages sounding like, “I know…

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hands texting
Should I worry about my teens texting, or is it similar to the time I spent talking to my friends on the phone when I was their age?
 Should I worry about my teens texting, or is it similar to the time I spent talking to my friends on the phone when I was their age? 750 250 Mediatrics

Q: I’ve noticed that many parents worry a lot about their children texting. But when we were kids, we would spend hours on the phone, sometimes not even talking much. When my teens are texting with friends at home, I liken it to those phone calls of yesteryear. I don’t allow texting during family meals…

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Media Education Literacy
Are there studies demonstrating that media education benefits children/teens?
 Are there studies demonstrating that media education benefits children/teens? 750 250 Mediatrics

Q: Our school is considering adding media education to the curriculum, but some board members want “evidence” of its benefit. Can you recommend any studies that clearly demonstrate that media education helps children/teens? – Reaching for Research, USA A: Dear Reaching, You are right to want to have media education (often called media literacy education)…

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Mediatrician Family Movie Tips 2014
The Mediatrician’s Holiday Tips for Making the Most out of Family Movie Time
 The Mediatrician’s Holiday Tips for Making the Most out of Family Movie Time 750 250 Mediatrics

It’s that time of year once again when school vacations and holidays bring many friends and family together. It can also be a great time to continue or start a tradition of cozying up on the couch, or going out as a group to watch a movie. This year, theaters are offering movie versions of…

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