March 15, 2012
Q: I’m a pediatric nurse practitioner, and we have three boys ages 5, 7, and 9. Several parents/patients have told me that they have the same problem as I do enforcing video game time limits. Certain kids just seem “addicted” and can’t wait until they get more. Do you have any visual time charts, contracts, […]
February 24, 2012
Q: My 10 year old used to be an avid skateboarder and baseball player—until Call of Duty on XBOX Live arrived. I didn’t in my wildest dreams think that he would become addicted to a video game. I have a 21 year old who played all of the games but was never ruled by them. […]
February 17, 2012
Q: Is there a connection between excessive video game playing and increased anxiety levels? My son is 14 and has some basic anxieties like walking the dog at night that I feel are made worse by the first-person shooter games he plays. I’d love to understand if you have seen any connections here. –Grappling with […]
January 26, 2012
Q: I have an son who’s 11 and a daughter who’s 9½, and for many years, they have sat close to the TV when watching. I have asked them to sit farther away, and they do move back maybe a foot…but they always go back to viewing the show close up, even if the screen […]
December 22, 2011
Q: Do you have suggestions for how to find appropriate media, such as educational video games, for different ages, such as an 8-year-old boy who likes war stuff? I’d like to help direct him to more creative sites. –Seeking solutions, in Burlington, VT A: Dear Seeking, It’s not always easy to know which video games […]
December 16, 2011
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.
October 21, 2011
On Monday, the American Academy of Pediatrics came out with a revised policy on media for kids two and younger. The recommendations for this age group are much the same as they were in 1999—that it is best for their developing brains and bodies to avoid both screen use (such as placing a toddler in […]
October 19, 2011
Q: My father-in-law bonds with my 4-year-old son by playing video games. Recently, he bought a LEGO pirates game, rated for 10 year olds, and the two play it for about an hour every time they see each other. I love that they spend time together, but since they started playing this game, my son […]
October 5, 2011
Q: I’m wondering if you would consider the results of research that has examined relationships between media and inattention to be conclusive. It seems that even on this website, some researchers find a connection and some don’t. Do the results lean in one direction more than the other? I have a 4-year-old son who is […]
June 8, 2011
Q: My older son has been haranguing me for months to allow him to get an Xbox 360. He currently has a Wii but has deemed the games “stupid,” which is exactly why I allowed him to get it (with misgivings). But the games for Xbox are generally so violent that I could come up […]
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