Tag: Kimberly M. Thompson

  • Science & Tech

    Study finds M-rated video games contain violence, sexual themes, substances, and profanity not labeled on game boxes

    According to a study led by Associate Professor Kimberly Thompson of the Kids Risk Project at Harvard School of Public Health, 81 percent of a random sample of “mature”-rated video games included content that was not noted on the game box. This is the first independent, quantitative study to characterize content in M-rated games related…

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  • Health

    Staying healthy amidst bacterial “Overkill”

    A new book by Harvard School of Public Health Assistant Professor of Risk Analysis and Decision Science Kimberly Thompson takes a look at how the way we live is causing the rise of drug-resistant germs that are threatening an abrupt end to “The Age of Miracles” and bringing us all into “The Age of Risk…

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  • Science & Tech

    How media violence touches children

    Children and adolescents are consuming more television than ever before. The average 8- to 18-year-old spends nearly seven hours each day involved with some form of media. Kids are also more violent than ever before. At the turn of the last century, children and adolescents were most likely to die of environmental causes, especially infectious…

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  • Science & Tech

    Depiction of alcohol, tobacco use in G-rated animated films still high

    Alcohol and tobacco use is depicted as normal behavior in nearly half of G-rated animated feature films. While researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health say that this is a slight decline, they note that “trends do not provide a strong indication of a commitment from the film industry to eliminate the depiction of…

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  • Health

    Study quantifies children’s mouthing of objects

    A study asked parents to observe and record their children’s mouthing behavior over five non-consecutive days. Approximately 300 children showed a wide range of mouthing behaviors, from essentially none at all to a relatively large amount. “Concerned parents should be reassured by these results, which show that children tend to mouth objects less than previously…

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