July 24, 2014
Q: While obesity is a critically important issue, I think there are other consequences of excessive screen time that are being overlooked—some parents might even think that there isn’t a problem with their child’s screen time if their child isn’t overweight. As a parent of a slim boy who loves to spend many hours in […]
June 16, 2014
Q: My six year old loves music, and I would like her to have something digital with which to listen to a variety of good music. I want her to have a certain level of independence as she explores her musical tastes, but I don’t want to get her something too advanced. My husband often […]
June 5, 2014
Q: I teach for an online school that serves students in 4th through 12th grades. All of our lesson content is web-based, and the school would like to add three hours of synchronous lesson delivery four days a week. I believe that the school is trying to satisfy the parent desire for face-to-face contact between […]
May 15, 2014
Q: My youngest daughter is friends with two girls whose mother has been reported missing. The circumstances don’t look very hopeful. I have a background in helping children cope with grief and loss (and teaching others who are helping children cope), but other than advising them to stay away from social media, newspapers, and internet (which […]
April 23, 2014
Q: My 13-year-old son is obsessed with the card game Magic the Gathering (MTG) and occasional video games. Computer time is limited to 45 minutes/weekend day and he rarely plays MTG. However, when he does his homework, he often drifts over to MTG websites and other sites unrelated to homework. He is constantly plotting his […]
April 4, 2014
Dear Readers, I would like to share with you an editorial that I had the opportunity to author for JAMA-Pediatrics this week. I focus on the questions we face about our children’s use of media, which continue to be confusing, sometimes overwhelming, and often leave parents feeling guilty about their choices rather than with the […]
March 28, 2014
Q: At what age is it developmentally ok for kids to see The Lego Movie and even Star Wars with their parents? Is the subliminal (and hidden) marketing in movies unethical, especially given how well it’s made? ~Lamenting over Lego, USA A: Dear Lamenting, Marketing consumer products through TV and movies has been occurring since these […]
March 14, 2014
Q: My wife and I have twin 6-year-old boys and a 4-year-old boy. Many of the strategies I’ve seen about responsible screen use, digital media, TV, etc. seem herculean for a family like ours. My wife will use commercial-free videos so she can take a break to cook, as well as online videos of volcanoes, jet […]
March 5, 2014
Q: My daughter comes home and the first thing she says is, “I want to watch Doc McStuffins.” We try to avoid TV during the week and let her watch it on the weekends. She is 2 now, but before this, she was not exposed to television. If we tell her we don’t watch TV […]
February 14, 2014
Q: My 12-year-old son wants a YouTube account so that he can post videos of himself talking about how to play certain games. He says he can earn money this way, as some of his friends do. He says he can be totally anonymous, so there are no risks. I told him I am willing […]
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