January 11, 2011
Q: How can I keep my tween safe as she embarks on using email for the first time?
A: Choose an email provider that fits your ideal, help guide your child as she’s starting out, and learn more about what issues she might face online–and how you can help her navigate them.
January 6, 2011
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.
December 30, 2010
Q: What sort of media-related resolutions do you suggest for families?
A: Ones that are free, attainable, and fun to work toward! These 8 simple goals will help you tweak your family’s media use and enjoy the resulting time together.
December 28, 2010
Q: It seems like all we ever hear about are the negative effects of media. What research has been done on using media in positive ways?
A: Indeed, studies in the past year indicate just how positive media can be for children and families when it is used in a controlled way, paying particular attention to its content and the context in which it is used.
December 28, 2010
Each week this year, you asked our Mediatrician, Dr. Michael Rich, your most pressing questions about the effects of media on kids, and he answered! Here are the top 10 most-viewed Ask the Mediatrician Q&As of 2010.
December 23, 2010
Q: We believe that we need to have our child tested for central auditory processing disorder. Is there any correlation between this condition and video game playing?
A: Though extraneous noises are distracting for kids with APD, video games may actually help them focus. But it’s your job to set limits on the amount of game play.
December 15, 2010
Q: Our soon-to-be 12 year old loves to read and dearly wants a Kindle. Should we get him one?
A: E-readers can be wonderful for tweens and any readers who do not need colorful images. Just as with ink and paper books, e-readers let the author’s words be transformed through the reader’s individual imaginations, life experiences, and aspirations into a shared vision.
December 13, 2010
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.
December 6, 2010
Q: I don’t want to seem ungrateful, and I know my children would probably like the Dora or Batman version of toys, but I just find that sort of commercialism unnecessary. How can I tell my family that we’d prefer they not get the character versions of toys when giving my kids gifts?
A: Let your family know how important it is to you that your child make up her own stories during plattime instead of having her playtime scripted by pre-digested plotlines.
December 6, 2010
Q: Help! I’m shopping for kids of all ages this year for the holidays, and don’t know where to begin. What are your thoughts about the kinds of toys that are good for kids?
A: This year, focus on the CHILD–opt for Creative gifts you’ve decided upon after doing your Homework on the recipients’ interests, keeping in mind the importance of Imagination, Learning, and making Donations.
But while you’re here, subscribe to the Mediatrician’s Media Rx — a weekly prescription for raising and mentoring healthy, smart, kind kids in our screen-saturated world.
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