January 25, 2010
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?
January 21, 2010
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.
January 20, 2010
Q: My 11-year-old son is obsessed with Formula 1 driving video games. Is this okay? What might be the potential dangers be?
Answered by Dr. Michael Rich, The Mediatrician
January 14, 2010
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.
January 7, 2010
Q: My nephew and niece’s mother died due to a tragic accident. She was shot by her 13-year-old son. How can I tell if they are dealing with this tragedy in a healthy way? He continues to play violent video games with graphic shooting and killing people. Is this normal behavior?
Answered by Dr. Michael Rich, The Mediatrician
December 29, 2009
Q: All my son wants is the videogame Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. How do these games impact teen boys? Are there any positive impacts? What’s a parent to do?
Answered by Dr. Michael Rich, The Mediatrician
November 26, 2009
Q: We’re having a lot of fun playing Guitar Hero as a family, but I’m concerned about the lyrics in many of the songs. Do you have any ideas for optimizing the benefits of playing together while minimizing the negatives?
Answered by Dr. Michael Rich, The Mediatrician
November 5, 2009
Q: Are there any good computer games for my 7 year old daughter?
Answered by Dr. Michael Rich, The Mediatrician
November 2, 2009
Q: My 10 & 12-year-old children want to go to PG-13 and R rated movies with their friends, but I don’t think the sexual innuendo and violence “goes over their heads” – does it?
Answered by Dr. Michael Rich, The Mediatrician
October 29, 2009
Q: When we hear that children should not be exposed to more than 1 hour of screen time per day, does that mean that all media are created equal? For example, are watching a movie, watching an age-appropriate TV show, and playing an interactive children’s website game all the same? What are the concerns about and benefits of each?
Answered by Dr. Michael Rich, the Mediatrician
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