by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on October 14, 2011
We recently ran a post on whether or not it’s OK for parents to monitor their teenagers’ Facebook page if they suspect the child is engaging in risky behaviors like drinking or drug use. In this blog by Children’s media expert Michael Rich, MD, MPH, a parent asks for advice on how to balance her desire to respect her son’s online privacy while still setting limits on much time he spends on the computer.
Q: My 16-year-old son uses the computer constantly at home in his room and almost always claims he is doing homework. He doesn’t want me to look over his shoulder and see what he is doing when I come into his room, and frankly, I want to allow him his privacy when he is on the computer, as well as in other areas of his life. I believe that he spends too much time on the computer, to the detriment of other activities such as time with family, reading, extracurricular activities, etc., but he disagrees and doesn’t want to be controlled by his parents. Any suggestions?
-Computer confused mom, NY, NY Full story »
by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on August 31, 2011
Michael Rich, MD, MPH
Michael Rich, MD, MPH, is Children’s Hospital Boston’s media expert and director of Children’s Center on Media and Child Health. Take a look at his blog archive or follow him on Twitter @CMCH_Boston
Q: My boyfriend and I just had a beautiful baby boy. He is a month old. I like to leave the TV on even if he is sleeping so that I can stay awake. I was hoping that the noise would be good for him and that it would keep me awake while he sleeps. Is that okay for him?
-TV for sleep?, in Washington
by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on June 28, 2011
The following was written by Lauren Rubenzahl, EdM, program coordinator at Children’s Center on Media and Child Health (CMCH) and David Bickham, PhD, CMCH staff scientist.
Last week, the FDA released new requirements for labels on cigarette packaging, which will take effect next September. The nine new health warning labels portray the health effects of smoking through text and full-color graphics, like one that compares a healthy set of lungs with a diseased set of lungs and reads, “Cigarettes cause fatal lung disease.” According to the FDA, these labels are intended to “increase awareness of the specific health risks associated with smoking”, “encourage smokers to quit”, and “empower youth to say no to tobacco.”
by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on February 4, 2011
Michael Rich, MD, MPH
With all this snow, taking the kids to the movies may be the best option for many families looking to get out of the house this weekend. Michael Rich, MD, MPH, Children’s media expert has advice for parents about which films to choose when hitting the theaters as a family.
Q: Are two year olds too young to see motion pictures? What about some of the Disney films, like Tangled? What should I consider when thinking about taking my kids to the movies?
- Movie-Curious Mom in Washington, DC
A: Dear Mom,
The answer to your question certainly depends in part on your child’s age, but it also depends on the movie you select and on your individual child. When deciding whether a child of any age should see a given movie, ask these questions:
How will it be perceived by your child’s brain at their stage in development?
We know that kids’ minds are works in progress: Nature determines which parts develop when, but it leaves room for that development to reflect the environments in which kids grow up. That means that everything children experience, from the games they play to the movies they see, becomes part of their growing understanding of how the world works and how they should behave in it. Particularly during the early years of life, when the brain is rapidly developing and refining new connections, all of these new experiences can actually affect the ways their brains are built—and, thus, the way they will work in the future.
by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on January 28, 2011
Michael Rich, MD, MPH
Michael Rich, MD, MPH, is Children’s Hospital Boston’s media expert and director of Children’s Center on Media and Child Health. Take a look at his blog archive or follow him on Twitter @CMCH_Boston
Q: How do I protect my children against what I consider to be harmful media when they are at school or on the bus? Older boys are sharing content that we disapprove of (like Star Wars, Spongebob, etc.) with my 6 year old on their MP3 and portable video players. As you know, these devices are capable of downloading very ugly content—including pornography and sadistic M-rated video games—even on the way to class. No one seems to care about this. What should I do? - Concerned About School Commutes in Lincoln, NE Full story »
by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on January 14, 2011
Michael Rich, MD, MPH
Michael Rich, MD, MPH, is Children’s Hospital Boston’s media expert and director of Children’s Center on Media and Child Health. Take a look at his blog archive or follow him on Twitter @CMCH_Boston
Throughout 2010 Thrive readers asked Children’s Hospital Boston’s media expert, Michael Rich, MD, MPH questions about the effect media has on kids. According to our records, these are the 10 most-viewed questions of the year, along with Rich’s responses.
by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on December 10, 2010
Michael Rich, MD, MPH, is Children’s Hospital Boston’s media expert and director of Children’s Center on Media and Child Health. Take a look at his blog archive or follow him on Twitter @CMCH_Boston. Last week he weighed in on whether nonverbal cartoons encouraged more creativity from the viewer than regular ones, this week he looks at whether or not kids watch too much TV while at daycare.
Michael Rich, MD, MPH
Q: I went back to work recently, so now my daughter goes to day care for several hours after preschool. I recently read that kids in day care are watching more TV than kids who aren’t in day care. Should I be concerned about the amount of TV my child is seeing? If so, what can I say to my day care provider about it? Screen Surprised in Westchester, NY Full story »
Michael Rich, MD, MPH, is Children’s Hospital Boston’s media expert and director of Children’s Center on Media and Child Health. Take a look at his blog archive or follow him on Twitter @CMCH_Boston. Last week he offered advice on how to talk to your children about Native American stereotypes portrayed in Thanksgiving themed media. This week he weighs the merit of nonverbal television for toddlers.
Q: Recently I noticed a friend’s 3-year-old daughter laughing hysterically as she watched a claymation program called Pingu. It seems like a pretty basic kids’ program with cute animals, but what struck me as unique was that the only dialogue featured on the show is gibberish. The characters “talk” to each other, but not in any decipherable language. Still, despite the lack of a scripted dialogue, my friend’s kid was cracking up laughing as she watched, leading me to believe that she’s crafting her own script in her mind as she watches. Could this be what’s happening?
-Perplexed by Pingu in Cambridge, MA Full story »
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Q: My 16-year-old son uses the computer constantly at home in his room and almost always claims he is doing homework. He doesn’t want me to look over his shoulder and see what he is doing when I come into his room, and frankly, I want to allow him his privacy when he is on the computer, as well as in other areas of his life. I believe that he spends too much time on the computer, to the detriment of other activities such as time with family, reading, extracurricular activities, etc., but he disagrees and doesn’t want to be controlled by his parents. Any suggestions?
