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Media Addiction/PIMU

How do I ensure that my wired kids are being responsible citizens offline?
 How do I ensure that my wired kids are being responsible citizens offline? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: My kids are attached to their cell phones and laptops, and it worries me that they’re not paying as much attention to the world happening around them. How can I prevent this?
A: Talk regularly about–and set a good example of–being a responsible citizen on- and offline. We’ve got tips to get you started.

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Video Games: How much time is too much?
 Video Games: How much time is too much? 150 150 Mediatrics

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.

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Further thoughts on “Is my son addicted to Wikipedia?”
 Further thoughts on “Is my son addicted to Wikipedia?” 150 150 Mediatrics

Recently, I answered a question from a mother who wanted to know whether she should be concerned that her teen son was spending several hours a day on Wikipedia. When the answer was featured on Ask the Mediatrician and discussed on the Center on Media and Child Health Facebook page, several readers challenged whether this boy’s intense interest in Wikipedia or excessive internet time was really that bad compared to other things he could be doing. I agreed with many of these comments and realized that I had not made my thoughts totally clear.

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Is my son addicted to Wikipedia?
 Is my son addicted to Wikipedia? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: My 16 year-old spends several hours a day on Wikipedia, reading and editing entries. I’ve searched for scientific papers specifically on Wikipedia habits, but all I find are articles on internet addiction. Should I be concerned? What can I do?
A: A: First of all, your web searches may have been pointing you to the right articles: Even if it seems like an inappropriate term to categorize your son’s behavior, internet addiction refers to unhealthy patterns of internet use…
Answered by Dr. Michael Rich, The Mediatrician®

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How much texting is too much?
 How much texting is too much? 150 150 Mediatrics

A: Dear Texting, Your “gut feeling” is correct — 300 texts in a day is on the high end. To put your daughter’s usage in perspective, the latest numbers from the Pew Internet and American Life project…

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My son’s PS3 requires access to the Internet, but I don’t want Internet in his bedroom—what do I do?
 My son’s PS3 requires access to the Internet, but I don’t want Internet in his bedroom—what do I do? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: My 12-year-old son wanted a PS3, partly as a birthday gift and partly out of money he’s saved. This was to replace his PS2 because some of the games he wanted were not available for PS2. His PS2 is in his room on a non-cable hooked up TV so that all of his approved,…

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Are attention disorders connected to technology addiction?
 Are attention disorders connected to technology addiction? 150 150 Mediatrics

  Q:  Are impulsive children, or children with ADHD, more likely to develop technology addictions? –Answers about ADHD in San Francisco, CA A: Dear Answers, This is a tricky subject for a very basic reason: Although diagnosed and treated as a serious problem in Asia and Europe, technology addiction, also known as video or internet addiction,…

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Are kids addicted to their cell phones, mp3 players, and portable videogames?
 Are kids addicted to their cell phones, mp3 players, and portable videogames? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: It seems like today’s generation is always on their cell phones, iPods, Nintendos, etc. Is this simply a fad, or are these children addicted?
Answered by Dr. Michael Rich, The Mediatrician®

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My son gets really angry when I ask him to stop playing video games, what can I do?
 My son gets really angry when I ask him to stop playing video games, what can I do? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: My son plays video games 4 hours a day, is not studying hard, and is falling asleep in class. When I try to talk to him about it, he gets violent. What should I do?

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Does my 7-year-old grandson play too many computer games with his dad?
 Does my 7-year-old grandson play too many computer games with his dad? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: My 7-year-old grandson comes home from visits with his dad talking non-stop about a computer game marked for ages 10+ that they play together. What would be a good amount of time for him to be allowed to play a game like this, and can it cause him to become addicted?

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