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Video Games

My 18-year-old son is addicted to video games, what can I do?
 My 18-year-old son is addicted to video games, what can I do? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: Our 18-year-old son started playing video games at age 9 and became addicted gradually. We struggled with him over the years to limit the time he was online. It became the center of his world, especially when he hit puberty and was dealing with insecurity, anxiety, and depression. The games became more and more…

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What should I do when my 8-year-old won’t stop asking me for a cellphone and other gadgets?
 What should I do when my 8-year-old won’t stop asking me for a cellphone and other gadgets? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: My 8-year-old son sees a lot of kids around him with iPods, iPads, video games, and phones, and keeps asking us for them. Even though we have explained that he doesn’t need all of these electronics and expose him to lots of other activities, the peer pressure is getting to him. What can I…

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How can I tell if I am being too strict with my kids’ media?
 How can I tell if I am being too strict with my kids’ media? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: I have 4 boys (ages 11, 9, 9, and 7), and I am rather strict about limiting their screen time: We don’t allow any during the school week, and on the weekend, we allow the boys 1 hour per day. I have also told my oldest son that when he is at someone else’s house,…

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My teen loves a role-playing game involving torture, what should I do?
 My teen loves a role-playing game involving torture, what should I do? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: My 16-year-old son loves playing role-play games on the Internet. We recently became concerned, though, when we found out that the plots often involve torture. We are wondering why he is attracted to this kind of play and if there are any long or short term risks we should know about. We wonder if…

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How do I limit my child’s media time if he’s physically fit and gets good grades?
 How do I limit my child’s media time if he’s physically fit and gets good grades? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: My child is in third grade, and he’s already diagnosed with ADHD. He has a high IQ, is in honors classes, and is physically active—he’s a Gold-medal wrestler. He still uses media for too many hours each day, though. Given that he’s in good shape and gets good grades, how can I tell him…

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How do I help my 14-year-old cope with the Aurora movie theater shooting?
 How do I help my 14-year-old cope with the Aurora movie theater shooting? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: My 14 year old son has been anticipating the release of the new Batman movie ever since he saw the trailer last year. He pre-ordered his tickets for opening weekend and was all set to go with friends when he heard about the theater shooting at the midnight showing in Aurora Colorado. The news…

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How can I help my son limit computer time when he says he can’t resist?
 How can I help my son limit computer time when he says he can’t resist? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: My 10-year-old son plays mostly role-playing games, and has a 90-minute screen time limit per day. Overall he’s a great kid—does well in school, is active in sports, has plenty of friends—but we have limited his screen time as a consequence for poor behavior, which is mostly related to abusing screen time limits. He…

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What can I do for my 15-year-old son, who has Asperger’s and ADHD and seems addicted to video games?
 What can I do for my 15-year-old son, who has Asperger’s and ADHD and seems addicted to video games? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: My son is 15 and displays symptoms of video game addiction, including lying and sneaking to try to gain access. He has Asperger’s and ADHD, and regardless of what medication regimen we try, the gaming obsession remains. I recently asked the psychiatrist to hospitalize him and treat him as they would other addicts, but…

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My 17-year-old is having serious anxiety since he started playing Call of Duty–is there a connection?
 My 17-year-old is having serious anxiety since he started playing Call of Duty–is there a connection? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: My 17-year-old son started playing Call of Duty a few months ago. Since that time, he has had more trouble than usual falling asleep and has been waking up in the middle of the night. Last night, he woke me saying he felt like he was having a panic attack—racing heart and hyperventilation. I…

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Am I overreacting if I don’t want my husband to play games like Grand Theft Auto with our 5-year-old?
 Am I overreacting if I don’t want my husband to play games like Grand Theft Auto with our 5-year-old? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: My husband plays X-box games rated for those over 16 or over 18, like Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto, and Modern Warfare. He allows our 5-year-old son to play these games with him. I do not know anything about X-box, but I feel they are not suitable for a child that is so young.…

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