Mediatrics
Q: There’s a lot of hype around the new Joker movie and its portrayal of violence and the potential it has to incite people to act violently. I know it’s a common argument, but given your experience and expertise, do you think the entertainment industry bears any responsibility when it comes to people acting violently…
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Q: My fourteen-year-old wants to watch the new season of 13 Reasons Why. Although she read the book, I didn’t allow her to watch the first season, given the controversy surrounding its depiction of suicide. I’m thinking that it might be ok for her to watch now that she is in high school and because…
read moreQ: A very good English teacher at my children’s high school is having her 10th grade students read a book that’s causing quite a stir: “The House of the Spirits,” by Isabel Allende. The book contains some very graphic descriptions of violence, sex, and sexual abuse. The teacher is using the book as a way…
read moreDear Readers, Last week, the New York Times featured an article entitled “Unlearning Gun Violence”, which discussed the work of an epidemiologist who, after a decade of fighting TB, HIV, and cholera in Africa, returned to a life-threatening epidemic in his hometown of Chicago—violence. He uses the same techniques that worked in Africa, teaching perpetrators and…
read moreQ: My kids (10 and 7) have been invited to a number of Halloween-themed parties this year that are being held at their schools and at the homes of a few of their friends. Several of these parties will have scary movies, scary music, and in one case (the school’s) a dramatic reading of a…
read moreAfter reading a recent article in the New York Times about the connection between media violence and aggression in real life, Dr. Michael Rich felt compelled to respond, writing the following letter to the editor: Asking whether video games “cause” violent behavior is asking the wrong question. As a parent, I constantly make risk-benefit analyses…
read moreQ: My ten year old grandson is seemingly addicted to his Xbox and is allowed to play M-rated games. On weekend he spends hours on end playing. He becomes very defensive when you call him. His room has become his dungeon and his parents allow it, I guess to keep him out of their hair!…
read moreDear Readers, Our hearts hurt after Monday's explosions at the Boston Marathon. The pain and shock in our community is palpable, and it’s hard to know where to go from here. But there is also a remarkable upsurge of help and love that sprang out of the shadow of this event. The Center on Media…
read moreQ: Hello, I am the mother of a 10-year-old boy. We don’t allow violent video games in the house, but we do allow him to play first-person shooter hunting games (Duck Hunter, Cabela’s, Big Buck Hunter, etc.), which he loves, especially as he takes a hunting trip with his father every year. My fear is…
read moreQ: I am the mother of a 5 year old, an 8 year old and a 12 year old. I am numb with grief, fear, and rage… yes, rage. Rage at myself and at my society, more than anything else. I am numb, but not immobile. Last night I went through all of our DVDs…
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