School Age Children

Are kids benefiting from all these electronics?
Are kids benefiting from all these electronics? 150 150 Mediatrics

I keep hearing how younger and younger children are being exposed to electronics, which must certainly affect their lives. But are the effects positive or negative?

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How can kids respond to email chain letters?
How can kids respond to email chain letters? 150 150 Mediatrics

How an empowered mom helped her tween daughter deal with upsetting email chain letters.

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Should I take my kids to see Alice in Wonderland?
Should I take my kids to see Alice in Wonderland? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: Is the new Alice in Wonderland movie too scary for kids?
Answered by Dr. Michael Rich, The Mediatrician®

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How can I talk to my pediatricians about the TV screens in their waiting room?
How can I talk to my pediatricians about the TV screens in their waiting room? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: My pediatrician’s office plays Disney movies in their waiting room and my child was scared by one of the movies he saw. How can I talk to the doctors about monitoring what they show on their TV screens?
Answered by Dr. Michael Rich, The Mediatrician

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How are toys marketed differently to boys and girls?
How are toys marketed differently to boys and girls? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: Can you tell me more about how toys get marketed differently to boys and to girls?
Answered by Dr. Michael Rich, The Mediatrician ®

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How do swear words factor in to a movie’s MPAA rating?
How do swear words factor in to a movie’s MPAA rating? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: I let my 13-year-old watch the movie “Once” and I didn’t understand why it was rated R; there was some bad language but no irresponsible display of risky behavior like so many PG-13 movies I’ve seen. How do movie ratings work?
Answered by Dr. Michael Rich, The Mediatrician

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What goes on in the brain during a 3D movie?
What goes on in the brain during a 3D movie? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: I just saw Avatar and I was wondering – do scientists know anything about how 3D movies are processed by children’s brains?

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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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Kids use media for almost 8 hours a day — Now what?
Kids use media for almost 8 hours a day — Now what? 150 150 Mediatrics

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.

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Response to controversy over violent video game answer
Response to controversy over violent video game answer 150 150 Mediatrics

Recently, I answered a question from a mother asking whether she should purchase the video game Call of Duty for her son. When the answer was featured on Thrive, the Children’s Hospital Boston blog, it ignited controversy and spurred many gamers to comment. Here is my response.

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