According to the Kaiser Family Foundation (Kaiser Family Foundation), kids and teens are using electronic media for 46 hours per week. Parents are increasingly concerned about the loss of real-life experiences for their children by spending too much time on the computer.

Parents have the opportunity to engage their children in real-world activities during Beijing’s 2008 Summer Olympics. This will allow them to balance screen time and real life.

Harris Interactive found that almost 23 percent of young people feel this way. “addicted to computer games.”The Internet Keep Safe Coalition produced a new book and animated movie for children using the Games to explain what happens when real-life gaming takes over.

In “Faux Paw Goes to the Games,”Tai Shan, the web-surfering, six-toed cat, and Tai Shan (the youngest panda from Smithsonian’s National Zoo), travel to Beijing to light up the Olympic flame at Great Animal Olympics. “Where we set aside our animal differences and play games in peace.”

Tai Shan helps Faux Paw realize that her real life is too important to wait for the online game to end. Parents can have a dialogue with their children by purchasing the companion DVD and book (available at Amazon.com or iKeepSafe.org). The book and companion DVD also include strategies for parents to help their children limit the amount of computer time they allow.

Dr. Kimberly Young is the clinical director at the Center for Internet Addiction Recovery.

– Take action.

Show care.

Become more computer-literate.

– Establish reasonable rules.

– Make your computer visible.

Encourage others to do the same.

– Support, don’t enable.

– When possible, make use of outside resources

Parents can evaluate their child’s dependence on the internet with Young’s online Parent-Child Internet Addiction Test, which is available at www.iKeepSafe.org/TEST. Parents will also find instructions and information to help them prepare their children for the Internet.

Teachers can also get a complete curriculum at no cost, which includes lesson plans, worksheets and activities. www.ikeepsafe.org.