/WCW-Blog-Bloggers/Authors/Elanapearlbenjoseph Sat, 03 May 2025 09:09:36 -0400 Joomla! - Open Source Content Management en-gb /WCW-Blog-Women-Change-Worlds/5-ways-parents-can-help-teens-use-social-media-thoughtfully /WCW-Blog-Women-Change-Worlds/5-ways-parents-can-help-teens-use-social-media-thoughtfully A recent study out of University College London confirmed a very strong connection between social media use and depressive symptoms in teenagers. And this connection was much stronger in girls than in boys. (This does not mean that social media causes depression -- it just means that we know that children who use more social media have more depressive symptoms. More research needs to be done to figure out the reason behind this.) The researchers looked at four explanations for why this might be. Poor sleep, online harassment, poor self-esteem, and poor body image all played a role. My mind’s eye went immediately to my three wonderful, intelligent, strong and independent daughters, and to the social media apps that are such an integral part of their lives. My 15-year-old texts and video-chats with her friends through Snapchat, FaceTime and Whatsapp. My 13-year-old creates lip-syncing videos to share with her buddies via...

]]> Women Change Worlds Thu, 26 Sep 2019 10:29:13 -0400 /WCW-Blog-Women-Change-Worlds/Tips-for-parents-to-manage-kids-fortnite-obsession /WCW-Blog-Women-Change-Worlds/Tips-for-parents-to-manage-kids-fortnite-obsession Video games are on my mind these days. Especially violent ones, like Call of Duty or Grand Theft Auto. But special recognition goes to Fortnite, since as a mother and pediatrician, my interests lie in what is most popular among the children. What is Fortnite? It’s an online multiplayer shooter game, in which 100 players are dropped onto an island where they are expected to attack other players while defending themselves. Eventually one player remains and is declared the winner. What has brought Fortnite to my attention? First, I learned about the recent inaugural Fortnite World Cup in which over 40 million players participated, from more than 200 countries. It took place at a real stadium with an audience of almost 24,000 live viewers, and more than 2 million people watching from their electronic devices. If those numbers alone weren’t mind-boggling enough, the tournament offered a $30 million prize pool. Teenagers...

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