Debate Erupts Over Video Game Rating System
Director of CMCH, Dr. Michael Rich
, attended the National Video Game Summit in Minnesota on October 20-21st. Participants of the summit included researchers and
representatives of the video game industry, who disagreed about whether the video game ratings system protects children from violent and sexually explicit content.
Many researchers object to ratings being assigned by the makers of video games, while the video game industry says their system is used by parents and none of them are complaining about it.
The key to solving the problem, says Dr. Rich, is “to reframe this as a health issue, not as a moral issue.”
Pediatricians Criticize Use of TV’s in Hospital
Boston Globe parenting columnist Barbara Meltz presents an interesting question: When the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no television for
children under the age of 2, should children’s hospitals have televisions widely available to patients in that
age group? Director of CMCH, Dr. Michael Rich
, offered his thoughts on the debate.
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Young children targeted by high-fat food ads
A study published in the October issue of Pediatrics examined food advertising in 50 hours of television aimed
at preschoolers. Researchers found that most advertisers focused on creating lifelong brand-loyalty rather
than generating immediate sales.
Director of CMCH, Dr. Michael Rich
, was interviewed about this study on CBS-4 News in Boston.
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