Is sexting a sign of early sexual activity?
September 30, 2010
Q: I thought I had a handle on my 15 year old’s texting habits, but I recently found some sexually explicit texts between him and a 12 year-old friend. Are my son and his friend more likely to jump into sexual activity, since they have been so daring in their texts?
A: A report from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy shows that 40% of all teen boys report having sent a sexually suggestive text, so your son and you are part of a growing proportion of families…
Answered by Dr. Michael Rich, The Mediatrician®
September 14, 2010
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…
July 12, 2010
Q: Boys in my daughter’s 8th grade class were looking at pornographic images on one of their phones during lunch. How do these images affect boys’ ideas about sex?
Answered by Dr. Michael Rich, The Mediatrician®
June 28, 2010
Q: What is your take on smartphone apps being used in the classroom? I know a lot of schools are using them now, and I’m not sure what to think about it.
Answered by Dr. Michael Rich, The Mediatrician®
May 4, 2010
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®
March 31, 2010
Q: My husband and I want to model good media habits, but we have trouble disconnecting because we are self-employed and use social media for our work. Do you have any practical tips for how to step back from technology in this situation?
Answered by Dr. Michael Rich, The Mediatrician®
March 17, 2010
Q: My 3 year old son can spend hours playing with the PBS kids iPhone app but how long should he spend using it?
Answered by Dr. Michael Rich, The Mediatrician®
February 17, 2010
Q: I just recently found some sexual pictures in my son’s phone and don’t know what to do. Are we as parents legally responsible when our teens engage in sexting?
Answered by Dr. Michael Rich, The Mediatrician®
January 21, 2010
Yesterday the Kaiser Family Foundation released a report detailing just how much media kids are using. Dr. Michael Rich, The MediatricianSM, was interviewed on NBC Nightly News, and the Center on Media and Child Health sent out the following in email to parents today.
October 12, 2009
Q: Texting, cruising the Internet, and Facebooking are interfering with my son’s academic goals. What facts and tips can you share that will help my wife and me and, ultimately, our son learn to manage media wisely?
Answered by Dr. Michael Rich, The Mediatrician
