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Internet & Computers

small child watering indoor plants
How can my kids experience nature during lockdown?
 How can my kids experience nature during lockdown? 1024 443 Mediatrics

Q: I live in a high-rise apartment and am the father of two girls, ages 4 and 7. Before living in lockdown due to COVID-19, the girls and I would play outside nearly every day at a local park, and often go on nature adventures on weekends. The lockdown was recently extended and I worry that…

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Dad working from home with toddler
I’m parenting 4 kids of different ages during the pandemic. How do I help my family balance media-use healthfully in lockdown?
 I’m parenting 4 kids of different ages during the pandemic. How do I help my family balance media-use healthfully in lockdown? 1024 462 Mediatrics

Q: My partner and I are parenting three children (ages 3.5, 6 and 10) while staying with my sister and her family, which includes a 19-year-old college student. We’re all in lockdown as my sister is high-risk for coronavirus. The adults are working from home, and some of the kids are remote learning. There are…

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Fortnite
What should I know about Fortnite – is it ok for kids to play?
 What should I know about Fortnite – is it ok for kids to play? 750 315 Mediatrics

Q: Can you please offer guidance on Fortnite? It seems to be all that kids 11-14 are doing these days. I do not allow my children to play, but saw my godson play and was horrified – the guns all look real, but the deaths show no blood. As a person who grew up in…

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Minecraft ADHD
Is it ok for my 8-year-old child, who has ADHD, to play Minecraft?
 Is it ok for my 8-year-old child, who has ADHD, to play Minecraft? 750 315 Mediatrics

Q: My 8-year-old son has ADHD and is on medication for it. He wants to play the video game, Minecraft, but I’m not sure if he should. Do you think it is ok for him to play, and if so, for how long? ~ Muddled about Minecraft, The Overworld, Earth A: Dear Muddled, Yes, your son…

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Media Forbidden Fruit
How can I avoid making media into a “forbidden fruit” for my kids?
 How can I avoid making media into a “forbidden fruit” for my kids? 750 315 Mediatrics

Q: I was able to attend a community presentation you gave about children and screen time. During your talk, you discouraged parents from setting screen time limits because doing so makes media into “forbidden fruit”, or increasingly tempting for kids. In my house, we often take away TV or iPad time from our kids (ages…

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Baby Skype
Is it dangerous to have my 3-month-old Skype with his grandparents?
 Is it dangerous to have my 3-month-old Skype with his grandparents? 750 315 Mediatrics

Q: I’d like my parents to be able to see and start talking to my three-month-old son via Skype on my smartphone. I’m concerned about how the video emitted from the screen will affect his brain development and his eyes. Any advice will be helpful! ~ Nana Skype, New York, NY A: Dear Nana, This…

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Boy online search
My 12-year-old son searched for “son and mother sex videos” online. What should I do?
 My 12-year-old son searched for “son and mother sex videos” online. What should I do? 750 315 Mediatrics

Q: My 12-year old son is insecure due to the fighting in our country, Syria. We’ve had to move several times and my son expresses concern over losing me or his father, but mostly me. If I am in another room for a while, he will call from his own room, just to hear my…

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Addicted to Internet
I’m 20 and addicted to the Internet, what should I do?
 I’m 20 and addicted to the Internet, what should I do? 750 315 Mediatrics

Q: 
I’m a 20 year old male struggling with internet addiction. It has been ruining my life socially, academically, and personally. I want to break this addiction but I don’t know how. I’ve turned towards using programs to block websites and use complicated passwords to lock myself out of disabling the program but I always find a way…

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Online Comments
How can I protect my child from inappropriate comments online?
 How can I protect my child from inappropriate comments online? 750 315 Mediatrics

Q: How do you deal with racism, vulgarity, and hatred found in comment sections, even on websites hosting material that is appropriate for my child like YouTube or educational coding websites? ~Troll Fighter, Grand Rapids, MI A: Dear TF, This is a great question, and one I’m sure anyone who has ever scrolled through an online…

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Masturbation webcam ATM
I’m 14 and masturbate on webcam for strangers, how can I stop?
 I’m 14 and masturbate on webcam for strangers, how can I stop? 750 315 Mediatrics

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’…

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