Where do we begin with horror movies? Sometimes staying away completely from the horror genre is best for our families and kids. Yet, with an appropriate and healthy perspective, there can be valuable lessons within some of the darkest places.
Technology & Entertainment Q&A
“I’ve seen lots of news stories linking adolescent social media use to bad mental health outcomes. What’s the connection between these things?”
Should I be concerned that my young son has been spending a lot of time watching violent cartoons and playing with the “spin-off” action figures marketed by the shows’ producers? How do you think these programs and products affect the attitudes and behavior of children?
What can we do to encourage our school-age son to get away from the television and computer screen and spend more time playing outdoors? We’re getting worried about his health and fitness, and we’d like to know how we can motivate him to become more active. So far all of our “nagging” hasn’t helped a …
What’s the best way to stop a teenager from using her cell phone to send and receive sexually explicit messages and photos? We recently discovered that our daughter has become involved in “sexting.” When confronted about this, she claimed that this kind of activity is harmless since it doesn’t involve any physical sexual contact. How …
What’s your opinion on teens getting involved in social networking and online chat rooms? I’ve read some of the teen conversations on the sites my daughter wants to visit, and they seem relatively harmless. But I’m still afraid of losing control over my child’s interactions with her peers. Should I be concerned?
Should I allow my teenage son to continue his involvement with the role-playing game “Dungeons and Dragons?” I don’t know a great deal about it, but I do know that it’s beginning to eat up more and more of his time, and that concerns me. Am I worrying too much?
How can I encourage my teens to combine cell phone use with a proper respect for others? In the beginning I was happy to provide my son and daughter with their own phones because I wanted to make sure that we could stay in touch at all times. More recently, however, I’ve become increasingly frustrated …
How can I know for sure whether my child has become a target of intimidating text messages or cruel rumors on social media? Are there any tell-tale signs? If it turns out my child is being cyber-bullied, what can I do to help?
Should children be allowed to have smart phones or mobile devices? Our oldest has started driving and all of our kids are constantly on the move. My spouse thinks they need phones in order to stay better connected with us. Do you think this is a good idea?
