My son’s school assignment is to watch the news, but I don’t usually let him; what do I do?
October 7, 2010
Q: My son’s homework was to think about the news he watches and relate it to something in his history book, but I don’t let him watch the news. What should we do?
A: You are right to be concerned about your kids’ exposure to TV news. Because a more tabloid approach tends to bring higher ratings, TV news stations often cover the most outrageous…
Answered by Dr. Michael Rich, The Mediatrician®
September 30, 2010
Q: I thought I had a handle on my 15 year old’s texting habits, but I recently found some sexually explicit texts between him and a 12 year-old friend. Are my son and his friend more likely to jump into sexual activity, since they have been so daring in their texts?
A: A report from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy shows that 40% of all teen boys report having sent a sexually suggestive text, so your son and you are part of a growing proportion of families…
Answered by Dr. Michael Rich, The Mediatrician®
September 21, 2010
Q: We have taken away screen media from our son’s daily routine and it seems to be helping with his hyperactivity. Do you think we should continue with this?
Answered by Dr Michael Rich, The Mediatrician®
September 20, 2010
Q: Why should my family participate in Turnoff Week?
A: TV, video games, and computers have become so common that, for many families, they are a default activity, rather than a choice they make about how they want to spend their time. It is not just cramming facts into children’s brains, but giving them the unstructured “down time” to process those facts and come to their own conclusions, that will give them the richest environment in which to develop.
Answered by Dr. Michael Rich, The Mediatrician®
September 14, 2010
A: Dear Texting, Your “gut feeling” is correct — 300 texts in a day is on the high end. To put your daughter’s usage in perspective, the latest numbers from the Pew Internet and American Life project…
September 7, 2010
Q: We are opening a new children’s center at our hospital. What kind of recreational technology would you recommend we put in our waiting room?
Answered by Dr. Michael Rich, The Mediatrician®
August 26, 2010
Q: My teenage sons love watching Family Guy, but I am not sure they understand the sarcasm?
A: I am impressed that as the mom of three sons, you have the courage to share with them a show in which the brilliant but angry baby, Stewie, is focused on killing his mother. Seriously, though, you have picked up on a subtle…
Answered by Dr. Michael Rich, The Mediatrician©
August 23, 2010
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?
August 13, 2010
Q: What are your thoughts on animal programs that show graphic killing that is in the wild, like “Big Cat Diaries”? I’m not sure if they are appropriate for my 4-year-old.
Answered by Dr. Michael Rich, The Mediatrician
August 10, 2010
Q: Despite their very limited access to television (and no access to video games), my 4-year-old son has just started asking for a toy gun and sword. I think he’s picking up these ideas from boys at school who run around the playground and play “shooter.” Now my 2-year-old daughter is joining in and making […]
