Young Adults

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…

read more
Violence cosplay
Cosplay costume based on a violent video game character – what should I do?
Cosplay costume based on a violent video game character – what should I do? 750 315 Mediatrics

Q: My 21-year-old daughter and her 26-year-old boyfriend are making wooden replica guns and other weapon accessories for a cos-play convention based on the action video game, “Fallout 4”. I expressed my concerns about these games and how they can affect young peoples’ behavior and views on violence. My daughter’s response – of course – was…

read more
Addicted to Internet
I’m 20 and addicted to the Internet, what should I do?
I’m 20 and addicted to the Internet, what should I do? 750 315 Mediatrics

Q: 
I’m a 20 year old male struggling with internet addiction. It has been ruining my life socially, academically, and personally. I want to break this addiction but I don’t know how. I’ve turned towards using programs to block websites and use complicated passwords to lock myself out of disabling the program but I always find a way…

read more
Internet device addiction
How should clinicians diagnose patients with “Internet Addiction”?
How should clinicians diagnose patients with “Internet Addiction”? 750 315 Mediatrics

Q: I am a clinician who teaches psychiatry at a major medical school, where I lead a class on assessment and diagnosis of mental health and behavioral disorders. Recently my students asked me what kind of diagnosis one should give to designate Internet Addiction. What is the current understanding and clinical best practice? ~ Befuddled…

read more
Relationship status
How can I stop cyberstalking my ex-boyfriend on social media?
How can I stop cyberstalking my ex-boyfriend on social media? 750 315 Mediatrics

Q: My boyfriend of 2 years just broke up with me. We’re still “Friends” on Facebook and follow each other on Instagram and a few other social networks (Snapchat & Vine). When we broke up, I unsubscribed from his newsfeed but I can’t help looking up his profile every now and then. I also see…

read more
Dating App
Are my chances of getting an STD higher if I meet someone through a dating app like Tinder?
Are my chances of getting an STD higher if I meet someone through a dating app like Tinder? 1 1 Mediatrics

Q: I’m 19 and going off to college in the Fall. A bunch of my friends are on Tinder, and I am too, but have only really been looking…I’m concerned that my risk of contracting an STD will be higher if I use the app, rather than meet someone in person…is that true? ~ Sketched…

read more
Facebook Suicide Teen
What should I know about the relationship between social media and suicide?
What should I know about the relationship between social media and suicide? 750 250 Mediatrics

Q: Yesterday one of my daughter’s friends committed suicide. She was a sophomore in college. I am saddened and angry. I went to the girl’s Facebook page and saw that she had 1,194 friends. All of her pictures show her with an impossibly bright smile. Her wall is full of messages sounding like, “I know…

read more
Mediatrician Family Movie Tips 2014
The Mediatrician’s Holiday Tips for Making the Most out of Family Movie Time
The Mediatrician’s Holiday Tips for Making the Most out of Family Movie Time 750 250 Mediatrics

It’s that time of year once again when school vacations and holidays bring many friends and family together. It can also be a great time to continue or start a tradition of cozying up on the couch, or going out as a group to watch a movie. This year, theaters are offering movie versions of…

read more
My 18-year-old son is addicted to video games, what can I do?
My 18-year-old son is addicted to video games, what can I do? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: Our 18-year-old son started playing video games at age 9 and became addicted gradually. We struggled with him over the years to limit the time he was online. It became the center of his world, especially when he hit puberty and was dealing with insecurity, anxiety, and depression. The games became more and more…

read more
Do violent and sexual media affect suburban kids’ attitudes toward sex?
Do violent and sexual media affect suburban kids’ attitudes toward sex? 150 150 Mediatrics

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

read more