Pinstripes: A Bold Type of Entertainment Hub

Nov. 22, 2019 update: Pinstripes will now open officially to the public on Dec. 3, 2019 after their community opener Dec. 2, 2019. Original Post: As the surge continues with millennials making … [Read more...]

Blizzard’s Snow Job: Security About As Tight As Parental Controls

Nov. 14, 2012 Call it karma, payback, or just ‘got caught,’ the class action lawsuit against Blizzard Entertainment (makers of mega-hits like Diablo, World of Warcraft, Starcraft etc) is really about … [Read more...]

War Games Blitz the Homefront: Halo 4, Call of Duty Livestream

Nov. 12, 2012 There’s irony noting many who’ve never served in the armed forces are in a firestorm of shoot ‘em ups with newly hyped titles lobbed into the media mix like grenades bombarding the … [Read more...]

AHA & Nintendo: Tag-Teaming Innovation To Get Kids Moving (Pt2)

Feb 3, 2011 When I was invited to attend the “Power of Active Play” summit hosted by the American Heart Association and Nintendo, my synapses were firing in Howard Rheingold mode, wondering if this … [Read more...]

Is There A “Decline” In Kids Reading Or Is It Just Shifting Forms?

Nov. 16, 2010 When I lobbed the “what do you read just for fun” query at some middle and high school kids recently, reactions ran the gamut from quizzical, “what do you mean by “for fun” to … [Read more...]

Summer Fun & The War Play Dilemma (+Online Gaming Stats)

May 22, 2014 Adding this article from The Guardian Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare; a non-gamer's guide and Jinny Gudmundsen's Common Sense Media's post, "10 Most Violent Video Games and 10+ … [Read more...]

CyberSafety Online: Tips From The Inside Out Via eModeration (Part 2)

Nov. 26, 2009 Who’s minding the kids online? What’s ‘moderation’ got to do with it? It doesn’t take a retro flashback to know that “Kids say the darndest things,” but who is there to help them … [Read more...]

Internet Safety: Media Literacy Tips From Industry Insiders Pt 1

Nov. 24, 2009 As fall weather kicks in and families hunker indoors to ‘more screen time’ than summer time norms, I hear tales of media management missteps that would spin heads faster than a Linda … [Read more...]

Disney XD: A Case Study on Packaging Boyhood

Nov. 3, 2009 In diving into media messages targeting boys for my weekly Tuesday Packaging Boyhood posts, my mind snap went to ‘gaming’ pronto. Is this a stereotype? Or did I just do a Malcolm … [Read more...]

“Bring Your Baby to Life With Your Wii Remote?”

Nov. 2, 2009 Not sure which part of this creeps me out more, the fact that 21st century baby dolls have a Wiimote crammed up the wazoo to ‘bring the baby to life’ as a Wii system accessory, the … [Read more...]

Mindless Eating Goes Mobile: HealthGamers Unite!

Feb. 18, 2015 Interesting pairing of mindful eating with the ongoing distracted driving problems which I've written about often regarding what works to drive behavior change...in this MD's new … [Read more...]

healthGAMERS Part Two: Interview With Melanie Lazarus, MPH

June 30, 2009 Today in my Twitter feed (yes, I finally joined, see sidebar badge!) I immediately benefited from the 'following' phenom to shortcut my research time when a new friend/follower in … [Read more...]

Consider This: Virtual Worlds In Institutional Settings

May 7, 2009 See this smiling face? Meet my goddaughter, Lara, who recently turned 12. We gifted her an Elf Island 'virtual world' membership for 'premium content' as part of her B-Day celebration. … [Read more...]

Budget Hero Game: Want To Be President of the USA?

Sept. 18, 2012 Tomorrow Sept. 19, 2012, two students from the Maryland School of Public Policy join WilsonCenter.org on Capitol Hill to launch Budget Hero new "Election Edition" engaging a group of … [Read more...]

Holy Budget BALANCE Batman! Open Source Gotham Game

Feb. 20, 2009 Carping about your local officials? Don’t like the decisions being made? Still a student and can’t vote yet? Here’s a little micro-level peek into what the feds are dealing with on the … [Read more...]

A Virtual World to Be Wild About: Elf Island Tweens Help WildAid

Feb. 18, 2009 As reticent as I am to bring MORE media into kids’ lives, when I’d rather they be outside in non-electronic natural environs, I’m firmly convinced that it’s all about balance, content, … [Read more...]

Wii Are Family: A French Look At A Global Gaming Phenom

Romantic that I am, I took French in 8th grade yet proceeded to live in locations where Japanese, Chinese or Spanish were the language of choice; yet somehow, French still sticks in my brain. There … [Read more...]

Kids@Play: Elf Island Unlocks the Secret to Parent Approval

I was AWOL at CES as my IBM went MIA. Translated? You're SOL (simply outta luck) if you're seeking a fresh thread on the big Consumer Electronics Show toys and tactics targeting kids at the Kids at … [Read more...]

Games For Health Regional Summit: Playnormous, Humana & More

Are these critters cute, or what? They're the lil' monsters from our friends at  Playnormous, who shared news of a one day event called the Games for Health Regional Summit coming up December … [Read more...]

Kids Online UnConference: Everyone Has An Agenda, Including YOU!

November 13, 2008: Be there for the Kids Online: Balancing Fun and Safety Unconference! A few years back when I heard the geek/chic term “UnConference” I immediately thought it must be … [Read more...]