by Boston Children's Hospital staff on November 30, 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: We have a 16-year-old daughter and a 14-year-old son who are at the same school. They have voluntarily given up Facebook because of the time drain it can be, and both have fairly heavy academic loads. They are interested in starting a blog together. What are the pros and cons?
-Benefits of Blogging in Roseville, CA
A: Dear Benefits,
What a great way for adolescent siblings to connect and use their creativity together! This kind of self-expression that can be incredibly powerful—even therapeutic—for teens pursuing the developmental tasks of finding themselves and connecting with their peers. But it can also be as much of a time sink as Facebook. To help them focus their efforts and make the time they spend on this project rewarding and positive, ask your teens these questions:
“What is the mission of your blog?” Do they want their blog to focus on sports, or music, or issues in their school, or what it’s like to be a teenager? Maybe they want to offer their different age, grade level, and gender perspectives on issues that interest them both. Having a vision and mission will help them focus their blog, limit the time they spend updating it, and create a unique niche in the blogosphere that will draw readers. Full story »
by Boston Children's Hospital staff on October 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: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 has become more violent. My father-in-law doesn’t see the problem, even though I’ve tried talking with him about it. Is there research that might help convince him to choose other bonding activities?
-Baffled over bonding in Palo Alto, CA
A: Dear Baffled,
You know your child better than anyone else, so you are most sensitive to a change in his behavior—and you are in the best position to guide him toward the person you want him to become. Full story »
by Boston Children's Hospital staff on October 21, 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
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 front of a TV or video) and background media (such as leaving the TV on in the same room where a baby is playing)—but there is new scientific evidence to support these recommendations. An infant’s brain triples in volume in the first two years of life and research suggests that brain development during that time can benefit the most from:
We already knew that newborn brains develop in response to whatever is in their environment. New research from the past 12 years suggests that interacting with people, exploring the physical world (like stacking blocks or “reading” board books), and playing in open-ended ways are great for that development. And no matter how “educational” their content, screen media can’t provide that kind of environment.
That said, screen media aren’t toxic for babies—they’re just not really what they need. And other kinds of media, like music and books, can be great for kids of this age group. The updated AAP policy statement also recognizes that there are good screen media options for preschoolers, whose brains have developed to the point where they can learn from electronic screens. Full story »
by Boston Children's Hospital 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 Boston Children's Hospital 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 Boston Children's Hospital 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 Boston Children's Hospital 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 Boston Children's Hospital 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 »
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