by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on March 18, 2010
Each day there are more and more iPhone apps created specifically for children. Whether they’re educational or not, is up in the air.
Is there any harm in handing off your iPhone to your toddler for a little distraction? It all depends on how you look at it.
Children’s media expert, Michael Rich, MD, MPH, talks to Parenting about the pros and cons of letting your tot take over your phone. He also answers a parent’s question of how long you should let your toddler play with iPhone apps in his Ask the Mediatrician column.
Do you have a question about your child’s media use? Ask the Mediatrician today!
by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on March 12, 2010
Media expert Michael Rich, MD, MPH, director of the Center on Media and Child Health at Children’s Hospital Boston, answers your questions about media use. Last time, he discussed if what goes on in the brain during a 3D movie.
Here’s this week’s question:
Q: The previews for the new Disney movie Alice in Wonderland seem a little scary (particularly the music and goth costuming/make-up). However, the movie is rated PG. Is it too scary for children ages 5-10? What age do you think is old enough to see this film? Any other comments for parents considering taking their kids to see this film?
-
What about Alice? from
JustAsk.com Full story »
by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on March 5, 2010
by Dafna Lemish, PhD
Actress Geena Davis’s recent speech to the United Nations highlighted a concern that researchers of children and media have been speaking about for many years. The programs on the screens our children view – on television, computers, movie theaters or even their mobile phones – portray a world of gross gender inequality: Girls still appear marginal to society. Full story »
by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on February 26, 2010
Media expert Michael Rich, MD, MPH, director of the Center on Media and Child Health at Children’s Hospital Boston, answers your questions about media use. Last week, he discussed if parents are legally responsible when their teens engage in sexting.
Here’s this week’s question:
Q: I took my sons to see Avatar over vacation, and while I sat there with giant 3D glasses on, I wondered if scientists know anything about whether 3D affects how children process the experience of a movie?
Thrilled by 3D in Wilmington, MA Full story »
by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on February 19, 2010
by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on February 12, 2010
Media expert Michael Rich, MD, MPH, director of the Center on Media and Child Health at Children’s Hospital Boston, answers your questions about media use. Last week, he discussed speech delays.
Here’s this week’s question:
Q: My daughter is in junior high, and I’m noticing signs of anxiety. She has become more needy of me, is more fearful, will no longer go upstairs alone, and just feels “randomly stressed.” She is a strong, organized student, has good friends, exercises, eats healthily, and (until recently) sleeps well. The only lifestyle red flag I see is that all year she has been reading very dark and intense books that include subjects like hooking up, angels, suicide, after-life, car accidents, and murder (The Vampire Diaries, for example). She starts a new one every 2-3 weeks. Could these books be contributing to her stress even though she likes them, or should I just accept this behavior as part of puberty?
Vexed About Vampires in Glencoe, IL
Full story »
by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on January 29, 2010
Media expert Michael Rich, MD, MPH, director of the Center on Media and Child Health at Children’s Hospital Boston, answers your questions about media use. Last week, he discussed a report detailing just how much media kids are using.
Here’s this week’s question:
Q: In your NPR Parents’ Journal interview, you stated that children under the age of 30 months do not learn anything about language from TV programs, but I disagree. My 17-month-old daughter is not allowed to watch entertainment TV, but since she was 9 months old, she has watched a baby signing language DVD series about 3 times a week. Now she knows about 80 signs (and about 60 spoken words), and learning sign language as a family has greatly enhanced our relationships because she can tell us what she needs without crying and throwing a tantrum. I feel strongly that the 1-2 hours of media exposure a week are making her toddlerhood much less frustrating and are worth whatever negative effects are possible. I would love to hear your thoughts on this matter.
-Serious about Signing, Baltimore, MD Full story »
by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on January 24, 2010
