October 8, 2009
Q: Can a weekly diet of violent and sexual media for teens from good families affect their attitudes and behaviors when they’re in college, contributing to the high numbers of college sexual assaults?
Answered by Dr. Michael Rich, The Mediatrician
October 5, 2009
Q: My husband loves to play X-Box and used to play in his home office with the door wide open. My toddler would saunter in and watch him play on occasion. However, I can tell that my husband doesn’t see any negative consequences of playing games with loud noises and lots of physical contact. What can I do? Do you have any studies I can use to back up my argument?
Answered by Dr. Michael Rich, The Mediatrician
September 28, 2009
Q: My parents didn’t have a TV in the house when I was growing up and I didn’t get a stereo until I was a teenager. We read and played outside and I didn’t think I was deprived as a kid. It seems like what is out there now, in terms of violence, sex, and taking risks, is far worse than when I was a kid. Is there anything wrong with just cutting out electronic media completely from my kids’ lives?
Answered by Dr. Michael Rich, The Mediatrician
September 17, 2009
Q: I’ve introduced my 22-month-old son to a computer program designed for babies that makes shapes and plays a sound every time a button is pushed. Lately, I’ve noticed that he is becoming more thoughtful about it. He used to just bang at the keys, but now he pushes one button at a time and watches what happens on the screen. For his birthday, I’ve been looking for an age-appropriate game that involves more thought. I have found a few games that are marked for 2 years and up, but they seem mostly targeted at kids closer to age 3 than 2. Do you have any suggestions?
Answered by Dr. Michael Rich, The Mediatrician
September 14, 2009
Q: My boys, now 15 & 17, are so different. I’ve noticed that my two kids can watch the same violent programs and, depending on each child’s nature, they respond differently. Is it true that after viewing violent programs, some children will behave more aggressively while some children become more fearful? If yes, can you explain how that happens? Any chance that some children are not affected at all?
Answer from Dr. Michael Rich, The Mediatrician
September 10, 2009
Q: I have three sons, ages 8, 5, and 5 (twins) who love to play computer games (Club Penguin, Webkinz, PBS kids.com, and others). I try to limit their screen time to one hour per day, but I know they have been using it for longer than that when they can get away with it. Is there a parent-controlled program I can buy that allows each child to login and have only a limited amount of access per day? Dr. Michael Rich answers this question and others on Ask the Mediatrician.
August 31, 2009
Q: I heard a report on the news that too much time in front of TV or computer screens can raise kids’ blood pressure. Is that just for more action-oriented shows and games? And is even a little screen time a problem for kids’ hearts?
August 11, 2009
Q: The manual for my teenage son’s favorite video game contains a warning that says that some games cause seizures and that parents should watch for seizure symptoms or ask their children if they’ve experienced any symptoms while playing. I can’t monitor every minute of game play, and if I asked my son about it, I’m not sure he would admit any symptoms to anything he thought might lead me to limit his game time. How worried should I be?
August 10, 2009
Q: My son is entering 3rd grade and is an only child. When he has playdates at his friends’ homes, sometimes the moms allow video games above my son’s age level, usually because my son’s friends have older siblings. It makes me uncomfortable, but I’ve noticed that a lot of parents don’t appreciate it when I ask that they not play any video games during the playdate—it’s viewed as trying to control what happens in their home, or as some judgment upon them for allowing the younger child to play age-inappropriate games. I don’t want to tell my son he can never go to their houses, so do you have any advice? I usually try to have kids over to my house so that it’s not an issue, but at some point, the other parents want my son to come to their home.
August 3, 2009
Q: My children like to watch TV before bed, and they often fall asleep while it’s still on. I have a feeling that that’s not good for them, but I’m not sure why. Can you offer any guidance?
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