January 11, 2011
Q: How can I keep my tween safe as she embarks on using email for the first time?
A: Choose an email provider that fits your ideal, help guide your child as she’s starting out, and learn more about what issues she might face online–and how you can help her navigate them.
December 30, 2010
Q: What sort of media-related resolutions do you suggest for families?
A: Ones that are free, attainable, and fun to work toward! These 8 simple goals will help you tweak your family’s media use and enjoy the resulting time together.
December 28, 2010
Q: It seems like all we ever hear about are the negative effects of media. What research has been done on using media in positive ways?
A: Indeed, studies in the past year indicate just how positive media can be for children and families when it is used in a controlled way, paying particular attention to its content and the context in which it is used.
December 23, 2010
Q: We believe that we need to have our child tested for central auditory processing disorder. Is there any correlation between this condition and video game playing?
A: Though extraneous noises are distracting for kids with APD, video games may actually help them focus. But it’s your job to set limits on the amount of game play.
December 21, 2010
Q: My son’s private middle school decided to insist on a no-FB policy. Is that reasonable, given the students ages (10 and 11)?
A: Whether the school handled the situation appropriately is a more subjective issue, but whether 10 and 11 year olds should be on Facebook gets a definitive no because of their current stage of brain development.
December 13, 2010
Q: Is 15-20 hours per week too much time spent on video games–even if my son gets all A’s, and is involved with lots of other activities? Is gaming a good use of his downtime?
A: There is no magic number of appropriate gaming hours: The key is to ensure that gaming doesn’t get in the way of the other important activities of life—like homework, family meals, and sleep.
December 6, 2010
Q: I don’t want to seem ungrateful, and I know my children would probably like the Dora or Batman version of toys, but I just find that sort of commercialism unnecessary. How can I tell my family that we’d prefer they not get the character versions of toys when giving my kids gifts?
A: Let your family know how important it is to you that your child make up her own stories during plattime instead of having her playtime scripted by pre-digested plotlines.
December 2, 2010
Q: Are shows like ‘Pingu’ that have no dialogue a better media option for young kids because they require a little bit more interaction and cognitive activity on the part of the viewer?
A: They certainly can be: ‘Pingu’ teaches kids how to decipher a visual story and to respond to it in their own imaginative, creative ways.
October 25, 2010
A: As you demonstrate you already know, humor around racism, sexism, discrimination or hate in any form tends to be very mature, and usually dark and painful…
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®
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