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Media Addiction/PIMU

Video Gaming PIMU
How do I know if my tween has “gaming disorder”?
 How do I know if my tween has “gaming disorder”? 750 315 Mediatrics

Es En Espanol Q: I recently read that the World Health Organization has added Gaming Disorder as a mental health diagnosis in the International Classification of Diseases and am concerned about my son’s gaming. As soon as he comes home from school, he games online with his internet friends until we have to force him to…

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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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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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Girl watching smartphone
My three-year-old is obsessed with the YouTube Kids app, what should I do?
 My three-year-old is obsessed with the YouTube Kids app, what should I do? 1 1 Mediatrics

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…

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Internet device addiction
How should clinicians diagnose patients with “Internet Addiction”?
 How should clinicians diagnose patients with “Internet Addiction”? 750 315 Mediatrics

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…

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twins cell phones
Should I give my tween twins smartphones?
 Should I give my tween twins smartphones? 750 315 Mediatrics

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…

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Child playing Minecraft
My 11-year-old is addicted to Minecraft, what should I do?
 My 11-year-old is addicted to Minecraft, what should I do? 750 315 Mediatrics

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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Teen Social Media Body Image
I’m a seventh grader doing a project on how social media use affects body image – what does the research show?
 I’m a seventh grader doing a project on how social media use affects body image – what does the research show? 750 315 Mediatrics

Q: I am a 7th grader working on an independent research project about whether using social media can be addictive and how using social media affects adolescent girls’ body image. What does the scientific research show? And how can I learn more about this? ~ Scrutinizing Social Media, Wellesley, MA Dear Scrutinizing, As a seventh grader,…

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Boys playing DS
I’m part of a mom’s group that discusses family media management – How should I answer questions about whether or not to expose kids to video games?
 I’m part of a mom’s group that discusses family media management – How should I answer questions about whether or not to expose kids to video games? 750 250 Mediatrics

Q: I am part of a moms’ group that puts on monthly parent meetings in an effort to educate parents about the issues surrounding screen time in the home. In our next meeting, we will be focusing on video gaming, and I would like your advice on how to handle the inevitable parental question: “If…

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Are there physical effects of excessive screen time that are not related to weight?
 Are there physical effects of excessive screen time that are not related to weight? 750 250 Mediatrics

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…

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