July 28, 2016
Q: I’m 14 and have had this bad habit for a while now, almost a year; I masturbate on webcam for total strangers. My mom’s caught me before, but that didn’t stop me. But now it’s taken control of my life. Like last week, on the last day of school, I masturbated in the boys’ […]
June 30, 2016
Q: I am working on a project about adolescents in this century. I am curious why there are so many more cases of anxiety and depression within teenage groups these days. Do media play a role in this? Have antidepressants and anxiety medications helped or hurt youth? ~ Stressed Or Saddened, USA A: Dear SOS, Depression […]
May 3, 2016
Q: My three-year-old daughter is obsessed with watching YouTube Kids on my phone. What can I do to stop this? ~ R You(Tube) Kidding, Arlington, VA A: Dear R, Stopping your daughter from watching YouTube Kids is easy, although may require you to deal with protests from your daugther. She is 3. YouTube Kids has […]
April 12, 2016
Q: I am a clinician who teaches psychiatry at a major medical school, where I lead a class on assessment and diagnosis of mental health and behavioral disorders. Recently my students asked me what kind of diagnosis one should give to designate Internet Addiction. What is the current understanding and clinical best practice? ~ Befuddled […]
March 4, 2016
Q: My boyfriend of 2 years just broke up with me. We’re still “Friends” on Facebook and follow each other on Instagram and a few other social networks (Snapchat & Vine). When we broke up, I unsubscribed from his newsfeed but I can’t help looking up his profile every now and then. I also see […]
February 18, 2016
Q: On several occasions, I’ve caught my 8-year-old son going on YouTube and searching for “black butts that are twerking” as well as “Chinese characters with big breasts”. How do I handle this? I’ve taken away his devices that can go on the internet, should I punish him too? ~ Twerk Trouble, USA A: Dear […]
February 1, 2016
Q: I have a set of twins, ages 11 soon to be 12. My son has Asperger’s Syndrome and my daughter has ADHD. They both have a natural affinity for screens and are very rule-oriented. My daughter very much wants a smartphone, as “everyone” at middle school has one and she wants to fit the […]
January 5, 2016
Q: My 8-year-old son took my phone to play with, left the room and was quiet. When I took my phone back nothing was there, however when I searched the history, I discovered that he had been watching a sex video. I know that he searched for it as he looked up the term “secsy”. […]
December 28, 2015
Q: I just caught my daughter watching porn. She is 11 years old and told me that she masturbates while watching. Will having orgasms at 11 affect her future? ~ The Big Uneasy, USA A: Dear Big, While I am sure this was a worrying experience for you, remember that your daughter, like all healthy […]
December 22, 2015
Q: My 11-year-old daughter is addicted to the game Minecraft. During the week it doesn’t seem to be a problem as she is busy with sports and homework. However, during the weekends she has a lot more free time and tends to spend hours playing Minecraft. What would be the amount of time that you […]
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