Q: My child is 13 months old and loves reading books. She is below the 24 month suggested age for screen time recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Is it ok to read books with her on the iPad? ~ iPerplexed, USA A: Dear iPerplexed, This is a wonderful question and one that many parents… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Ask the Mediatrician
Tagged: Mobile Media
Is it ok for my 8-year-old child, who has ADHD, to play Minecraft?
Q: My 8-year-old son has ADHD and is on medication for it. He wants to play the video game, Minecraft, but I’m not sure if he should. Do you think it is ok for him to play, and if so, for how long? ~ Muddled about Minecraft, The Overworld, Earth A: Dear Muddled, Yes, your son… Read more »
How can I avoid making media into a “forbidden fruit” for my kids?
Q: I was able to attend a community presentation you gave about children and screen time. During your talk, you discouraged parents from setting screen time limits because doing so makes media into “forbidden fruit”, or increasingly tempting for kids. In my house, we often take away TV or iPad time from our kids (ages… Read more »
Do today’s media play a role in teen anxiety and depression?
Q: I am working on a project about adolescents in this century. I am curious why there are so many more cases of anxiety and depression within teenage groups these days. Do media play a role in this? Have antidepressants and anxiety medications helped or hurt youth? ~ Stressed Or Saddened, USA A: Dear SOS, Depression… Read more »
My three-year-old is obsessed with the YouTube Kids app, what should I do?
Q: My three-year-old daughter is obsessed with watching YouTube Kids on my phone. What can I do to stop this? ~ R You(Tube) Kidding, Arlington, VA A: Dear R, Stopping your daughter from watching YouTube Kids is easy, although may require you to deal with protests from your daugther. She is 3. YouTube Kids has… Read more »
How should clinicians diagnose patients with “Internet Addiction”?
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 »
My 8-year-old watches twerking videos on YouTube, what should I do?
Q: On several occasions, I’ve caught my 8-year-old son going on YouTube and searching for “black butts that are twerking” as well as “Chinese characters with big breasts”. How do I handle this? I’ve taken away his devices that can go on the internet, should I punish him too? ~ Twerk Trouble, USA A: Dear… Read more »
Should I give my tween twins smartphones?
Q: I have a set of twins, ages 11 soon to be 12. My son has Asperger’s Syndrome and my daughter has ADHD. They both have a natural affinity for screens and are very rule-oriented. My daughter very much wants a smartphone, as “everyone” at middle school has one and she wants to fit the… Read more »
My 8-year-old son watched a sex video on my smartphone, what should I do?
Q: My 8-year-old son took my phone to play with, left the room and was quiet. When I took my phone back nothing was there, however when I searched the history, I discovered that he had been watching a sex video. I know that he searched for it as he looked up the term “secsy”…. Read more »
Is it wrong for me to give my three-year-old my tablet or smartphone to use unsupervised?
Q: I recently read the New York Times article discussing young children using high tech devices unsupervised before they turn 4. Admittedly, I give my three year old daughter my iPad to play with on long car trips and I’ll occasionally hand her my smartphone while in line at the grocery store (she usually melts… Read more »
