Boca Raton Center for Child & Family
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Parents often focus on the game itself.
But in multiplayer gaming, the bigger concern may be who your child is interacting with.
Someone who sounds like another kid may not actually be another kid.
Watch for red flags such as:
• gifts or virtual currency
• Robux offers
• requests for secrecy
• personal questions
• attempts to move the conversation to another app
The goal is not to make parents afraid of gaming. It is to make sure you understand who has access to your child online.
Don’t just ask:
“What game are you playing?”
Ask:
“Who are you playing with?”
Screen Check by Dr. Alcalay
BocaRatonChild.com
09/18/2026
A screen being “interactive” does not automatically mean it is developmentally beneficial.
Children’s brains also develop through conversation, imaginative play, physical movement, boredom, problem solving, social interaction, and real world exploration.
Technology can be one part of childhood. It should not become a substitute for the experiences that actually build childhood.
09/18/2026
09/16/2026
Children today are consuming entertainment designed to keep their attention movChildren today are consuming entertainment designed to keep their attention moving constantly.
Autoplay, rapid scene changes, short videos, bright stimulation, endless recommendations, and very few natural stopping points can make transitioning away from screens much harder.
The concern is not simply the number of minutes a child watches.
We also need to ask:
What type of stimulation is the developing brain receiving during those minutes?
Handheld devices may seem harmless because they are small, portable, and often marketed as educational or entertaining.
But iPads, iPhones, and handheld gaming systems can provide children with a constant stream of rapid rewards and stimulation while requiring very little physical movement.
The concern is not simply screen time.
It is what that screen may be replacing:
Physical activity
Creative play
Face to face interaction
Boredom and imagination
Real world problem solving
Family connection
Technology can absolutely have a place in childhood. But when handheld devices become the default source of entertainment, children may get fewer opportunities to move, explore, create, and regulate themselves without constant stimulation.
Ask yourself:
What is this screen replacing?
Screen Check with Dr. Alcalay
BocaRatonChild.com
09/15/2026
Boredom is not an emergency.
When every quiet moment gets filled with a screen, children lose opportunities to create their own activity, tolerate frustration, and use their imagination.
Sometimes the best thing a parent can do is resist the urge to immediately entertain.
Let them wonder.
Let them explore.
Let them figure out what comes next.
Boredom can be the beginning of creativity.
Learn more at BocaRatonChild.com
09/14/2026
Not everything labeled “for kids” is necessarily healthy for every child.
One of the most useful things parents can observe is what happens after the television turns off.
Does your child easily transition back to play, conversation, and everyday activities?
Or do you notice irritability, fixation, overstimulation, or difficulty disengaging?
Sometimes a child’s behavior after watching tells us more than the show itself.
This is exactly what I look at in Screen Check with Dr. Alcalay.
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