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Internet & Computers

Am I limiting my child’s chances of success in today’s economy by trying to limit his screen time?
 Am I limiting my child’s chances of success in today’s economy by trying to limit his screen time? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: My 11-year-old son spends every free minute in front of his computer—doing homework (he really does, thank goodness), social networking, playing games, and now creating his own games. Concerned that, one by one, he has dropped sports, playing with friends, getting outdoors, and, frankly, spending time with the family, I have struggled (and been…

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How can I monitor my 12-year-old daughter’s use of Instagram?
 How can I monitor my 12-year-old daughter’s use of Instagram? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: I am trying to monitor my 12-year-old daughter’s use of Instagram and am wondering if there is a way to find any ‘secret storage’ spaces on her smartphone. I am not too concerned right now, but in the future I would like to know how to access it. Instagram is the only social media platform…

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Is it ok to let my kids play with the iPad when I need a break?
 Is it ok to let my kids play with the iPad when I need a break? 150 150 Mediatrics

I have two kids, ages 7 and 2. My eldest is given access to the iPad on car trips and once in a while at home. My younger son likes to sit by his brother while he plays and of late, has been pointing to it and asking for it. There are some days when…

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How important is outdoor recess for children in elementary school?
 How important is outdoor recess for children in elementary school? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: Hi, I am a parent of a first grader who attends public elementary school. Her school offers the option of having an outdoor recess period after lunch or an indoor free-time in the school’s media center (essentially an extension of the library, featuring several computers, tablets, and eReaders). When I first heard about this…

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How can I ensure social media safety for students with special needs?
 How can I ensure social media safety for students with special needs? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: At the therapeutic day school where I work, we’ve been encountering a number of internet and social media issues with our students (all kids with emotional/behavioral special needs). I would love to get your thoughts and ideas on how to best educate our kids and their parents on how to understand and appropriately use…

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My 18-year-old son is addicted to video games, what can I do?
 My 18-year-old son is addicted to video games, what can I do? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: Our 18-year-old son started playing video games at age 9 and became addicted gradually. We struggled with him over the years to limit the time he was online. It became the center of his world, especially when he hit puberty and was dealing with insecurity, anxiety, and depression. The games became more and more…

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Will my young kids be ‘missing out’ without a smartphone?
 Will my young kids be ‘missing out’ without a smartphone? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: I am mom to a 3-year-old and a newborn. I’m careful about the amount and content of my kids’ screen time. I occasionally try to find simple computer games for my toddler to develop keyboard and mouse skills, but I wonder if these skills will be relevant for her in the future. I’m starting…

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Making ‘friends’ with your children’s media—and how it can help you parent
 Making ‘friends’ with your children’s media—and how it can help you parent 150 150 Mediatrics

The Mediatrician® contributed to the following post on A Platform for Good, the Family Online Safety Institute's resource page and blog. Last winter, a father read an angry letter his 15-year-old daughter had posted on Facebook. In response, he put nine bullets into her laptop and posted the video online. Within weeks, it had garnered millions…

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What should I do when my 8-year-old won’t stop asking me for a cellphone and other gadgets?
 What should I do when my 8-year-old won’t stop asking me for a cellphone and other gadgets? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: My 8-year-old son sees a lot of kids around him with iPods, iPads, video games, and phones, and keeps asking us for them. Even though we have explained that he doesn’t need all of these electronics and expose him to lots of other activities, the peer pressure is getting to him. What can I…

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How can I tell if I am being too strict with my kids’ media?
 How can I tell if I am being too strict with my kids’ media? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: I have 4 boys (ages 11, 9, 9, and 7), and I am rather strict about limiting their screen time: We don’t allow any during the school week, and on the weekend, we allow the boys 1 hour per day. I have also told my oldest son that when he is at someone else’s house,…

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