No Facebook, says principal
A New Jersey middle school principal implores parents to keep their kids off of social networking sites like Facebook and Foursquare.
Anthony Orsini, the principal at Benjamin Franklin Middle School, sent an email to parents asking parents to help him get all of his students off social networks and keep track of their text messages.
He says his primary problem with the sites is that kids are psychologically prepared to withstand internet name-calling. He said that many posts by this age group are mean-spirited and often anonymous.
He writes:
He also rightly points out that the threat from another teen online is more prevalent than those of sexual predators.
According to Facebook, children under the age of 13 are officially prohibited from having accounts.
Talk with your children about their online behavior and set appropriate limits. If you need help, visit wiredsafety.org or other similar sites.
The Mediatrician will see you now
Wonder if your kid is watching too much t.v.? How to keep your kids safe on the Internet? Will baby videos help my child learn?
Ask the Mediatrician, Dr. Michael Rich, a former Hollywood filmmaker turned director of the Center on Media and Child Health at Children’s Hospital, Boston. His new website offers up answers to questions that parents have about their children’s media use from television to video games to cell phones.
Do you have a question for the mediatrician? Send it in or read up to see what other parents are asking.
What are they playing?
A few weeks ago I posted about my hesitations about introducing video games to my son. This week I found a resource that I will definitely be using as he grows up whether we play games at home or not.
It’s called WhatTheyPlay.com. This site provides parent-focused information about all the hottest video games your kids are clamoring for. With articles like “Too Human: 10 Things Parents Need to Know” or :”Games Girls Will Enjoy,” this site has really helpful and detailed info.
For example the “Too Human” story explains specific issues parents may have with the game such as foul language or violence levels that go beyond just the ratings on the box. Now without having to play the entire game you can have a heads up about what your child will encounter and be able to make a more informed decision.
The sites blog also helps parents keep on top of the latest and greatest in what their kids might be in to such as posts about Dora the Explorer’s “tween” makeover or new offerings from their favorite video game developer.
The site also has lots of information on very popular games like the best-selling Grand Theft Auto series, including what parents have to say, what kids are saying and even what kids say they will do to get their hands on it. It was really eye-opening.
