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School Age Children

mom daughter TV
What can I do about the adult commercials shown during children and family programming?
 What can I do about the adult commercials shown during children and family programming? 750 315 Mediatrics

Q: I am fed up with all of the adult content in commercials that are shown during children and family programming. I have witnessed them across every network and have now started a Facebook page in hopes of gathering as many people as I can to petition for showing only G-rated commercials during children and…

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Three different aged children with laptop
Are websites like “Animal Jam” appropriate for tweens and young children?
 Are websites like “Animal Jam” appropriate for tweens and young children? 750 315 Mediatrics

Q: Is Animal Jam an appropriate website for tweens and children as young as 5-year-olds? As a parent and librarian, I am concerned by a number of Animal Jam’s features, such as pushing players to purchase items within the website, and am skeptical as to the site’s “educational” value, even though it is associated with National…

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Three teen girls looking at a fashion magazine
What Can I do to Protect My Kids from Seeing Inappropriate Fashion Catalogues?
 What Can I do to Protect My Kids from Seeing Inappropriate Fashion Catalogues? 750 315 Mediatrics

Q: I recently received the Spring 2015 Catalog from the department store Barneys New York. The catalog was sent to my house without any envelope or sleeve to protect it from being opened by kids, even though it contains pictures that I believe are inappropriate for young children. What can be done to prevent such…

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Young boy proudly showing off his lego creation
How can I help maintain my 5-year-old’s interest in age-appropriate Legos?
 How can I help maintain my 5-year-old’s interest in age-appropriate Legos? 750 315 Mediatrics

Q: My Lego-loving 5-year-old son is now interested in the Lego Ninjago series (influenced by his 7-year-old cousin). I have tried to keep him from Ninjago as it seems to me to be inappropriate for his age. Currently, all of his Lego building has been with the City series. I believe he looks at Ninjago…

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Media Education Literacy
Are there studies demonstrating that media education benefits children/teens?
 Are there studies demonstrating that media education benefits children/teens? 750 250 Mediatrics

Q: Our school is considering adding media education to the curriculum, but some board members want “evidence” of its benefit. Can you recommend any studies that clearly demonstrate that media education helps children/teens? – Reaching for Research, USA A: Dear Reaching, You are right to want to have media education (often called media literacy education)…

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Mediatrician Family Movie Tips 2014
The Mediatrician’s Holiday Tips for Making the Most out of Family Movie Time
 The Mediatrician’s Holiday Tips for Making the Most out of Family Movie Time 750 250 Mediatrics

It’s that time of year once again when school vacations and holidays bring many friends and family together. It can also be a great time to continue or start a tradition of cozying up on the couch, or going out as a group to watch a movie. This year, theaters are offering movie versions of…

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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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Kids school laptops
My 8 year old is being given a laptop for school – what should I do?
 My 8 year old is being given a laptop for school – what should I do? 750 250 Mediatrics

Q: My 8 year old is being given a laptop by her public school. While I do understand the benefits, I have serious concerns about such a young child having minimally supervised online access at school and at after-school care. The school laptops do not even come with any tracking software or restrictions. At home,…

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Facebook logo
My six-year-old’s class is opening a Facebook account – what should I do?
 My six-year-old’s class is opening a Facebook account – what should I do? 750 250 Mediatrics

Q: My 6 year-old daughter’s class is opening a Facebook account. They are spinning it as an “exciting new way to expose 1st graders to social media” and to help them learn to use it responsibly at a young age. The class will post photos, news, and videos of the children, and parents and relatives can read…

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How can I help my daughters shift their media routine into back-to-school mode?
 How can I help my daughters shift their media routine into back-to-school mode? 750 250 Mediatrics

Q: I have two daughters, 8 and 6, who will be returning to school this September. I tend to be fairly liberal with the rules around media use during the summer, but this year both girls will be receiving iPads from their schools to use for classwork and homework. I’m concerned about getting the girls…

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