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Tweens

small child watering indoor plants
How can my kids experience nature during lockdown?
 How can my kids experience nature during lockdown? 1024 443 Mediatrics

Q: I live in a high-rise apartment and am the father of two girls, ages 4 and 7. Before living in lockdown due to COVID-19, the girls and I would play outside nearly every day at a local park, and often go on nature adventures on weekends. The lockdown was recently extended and I worry that…

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Dad working from home with toddler
I’m parenting 4 kids of different ages during the pandemic. How do I help my family balance media-use healthfully in lockdown?
 I’m parenting 4 kids of different ages during the pandemic. How do I help my family balance media-use healthfully in lockdown? 1024 462 Mediatrics

Q: My partner and I are parenting three children (ages 3.5, 6 and 10) while staying with my sister and her family, which includes a 19-year-old college student. We’re all in lockdown as my sister is high-risk for coronavirus. The adults are working from home, and some of the kids are remote learning. There are…

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What do I need to know about Slender Man?
 What do I need to know about Slender Man? 750 500 Mediatrics

Q: My 11-year-old daughter was invited to a “Slender Man” themed Halloween party where everyone dresses up as some sort of creepy internet meme, like Slender Man. I thought it was innocent enough, but have recently become concerned after seeing how much my daughter is searching about the 2014 Slender Man stabbing (I looked at…

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Should I take my eighth grader to see the R-rated movie, Eighth Grade?
 Should I take my eighth grader to see the R-rated movie, Eighth Grade? 750 315 Mediatrics

Q: I’ve heard a lot of wonderful things about the new movie, Eighth Grade and my daughter, who is an eighth grader this school year has been asking to see it. I’d like to take her, but am worried and a bit confused by the movie’s R-rating. Is it ok for her to see it?…

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Video Gaming PIMU
How do I know if my tween has “gaming disorder”?
 How do I know if my tween has “gaming disorder”? 750 315 Mediatrics

Es En Espanol Q: I recently read that the World Health Organization has added Gaming Disorder as a mental health diagnosis in the International Classification of Diseases and am concerned about my son’s gaming. As soon as he comes home from school, he games online with his internet friends until we have to force him to…

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13 Reasons Why Season 2
Is it ok to let my child watch the second season of 13 Reasons Why?
 Is it ok to let my child watch the second season of 13 Reasons Why? 750 315 Mediatrics

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…

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Fortnite
What should I know about Fortnite – is it ok for kids to play?
 What should I know about Fortnite – is it ok for kids to play? 750 315 Mediatrics

Q: Can you please offer guidance on Fortnite? It seems to be all that kids 11-14 are doing these days. I do not allow my children to play, but saw my godson play and was horrified – the guns all look real, but the deaths show no blood. As a person who grew up in…

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Facebook Messenger Kids
Should I let my children use Facebook’s Messenger Kids app?
 Should I let my children use Facebook’s Messenger Kids app? 750 315 Mediatrics

Q: I recently read about Facebook’s new messenger app for kids. My kids, who are 6 and 9, have their own smartphones and currently use them for calling/texting only (I think). We’ve avoided using social media apps, as I worry about the content and protecting their privacy. Is Facebook’s new app a good “gateway” app…

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Thirteen Reasons Why Netflix
Should I let my child watch the Netflix show, 13 Reasons Why?
 Should I let my child watch the Netflix show, 13 Reasons Why? 750 300 Mediatrics

Es En Espanol Q: My daughter is 13 and an eighth grader in middle school. Her friends have recently become obsessed with the Netflix show, 13 Reasons Why. I haven’t read the book or watched the show, but have been seeing a few news articles that worry that the show may be dangerous for kids to watch…

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Woman with child at laptop
How can I best use media with children on the autism spectrum?
 How can I best use media with children on the autism spectrum? 750 315 Mediatrics

Es En Espanol Q: I’m a Social Worker who works with children ages 7-18 on the autism spectrum. Many of the kids that I work with interpret what they see in TV and movies as representative of real life situations and how people behave – unfortunately, this kind of rigid, literal thinking often leads to problems…

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