Q: I have been reading the Harry Potter series to my children ages 10 and 7. We’ve read the first and second book and watched the corresponding movies. Both my kids love the series and want to continue reading and watching. I’ve read a lot of varying opinions about the age-appropriateness of both the books… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Ask the Mediatrician
Tagged: Fear & Anxiety
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 10-year-old daughter watches female bondage videos online, what should I do?
Q: My 10-year-old daughter recently confessed to watching female bondage videos regularly on YouTube for at least the past year. My question is, do other parents experience this? I understand why she might be curious, but don’t understand why she watches them again and again. She has had a lot of stress-related symptoms, but I… Read more »
What Can I do to Protect My Kids from Seeing Inappropriate Fashion Catalogues?
Q: I recently received the Spring 2015 Catalog from the department store Barneys New York. The catalog was sent to my house without any envelope or sleeve to protect it from being opened by kids, even though it contains pictures that I believe are inappropriate for young children. What can be done to prevent such… Read more »
I’m 14-years old and don’t like playing first-person shooter games like my friends – what should I do?
Q: I am 14 years old, and currently debating my choice of friends. They all play first-person shooter (FPS) games, while I choose other kinds of games. They often tell me how great their games are but criticize mine. When they clamor for the new Call of Duty, I freak out over the new Sonic… Read more »
How can I help children cope when their losses are being broadcast in the news?
Q: My youngest daughter is friends with two girls whose mother has been reported missing. The circumstances don’t look very hopeful. I have a background in helping children cope with grief and loss (and teaching others who are helping children cope), but other than advising them to stay away from social media, newspapers, and internet (which… Read more »
How can I keep my kids from being frightened by scary media this Halloween?
Updated October 25, 2019 Q: My kids (10 and 7) have been invited to a number of Halloween-themed parties this year that are being held at their schools and at the homes of a few of their friends. Several of these parties will have scary movies, scary music, and in one case (the school’s) a… Read more »
My 10-year-old-daughter was frightened by a pornographic video, what do I do now?
Q: My 10-year-old daughter had a sleepover with 3 friends. It turns out that one of the girls brought a smartphone and pulled up some porn. My daughter is still quite traumatized by what she saw, and my husband and I are trying to figure out how to counsel her. The girls saw three explicitly pornographic… Read more »
Should we keep kids away from media after the Boston Marathon bombings?
Dear Readers, Our hearts hurt after Monday's explosions at the Boston Marathon. The pain and shock in our community is palpable, and it’s hard to know where to go from here. But there is also a remarkable upsurge of help and love that sprang out of the shadow of this event. The Center on Media… Read more »
It feels like 9/11 all over again. Our world has changed—forever. Now what do I do?
Q: I am the mother of a 5 year old, an 8 year old and a 12 year old. I am numb with grief, fear, and rage… yes, rage. Rage at myself and at my society, more than anything else. I am numb, but not immobile. Last night I went through all of our DVDs… Read more »
