Activision Publishing Inc. has linked up with Dr. Cheryl Olson in a bid to enable parents and teachers to “optimize” children’s videogame experience.

Dr. Olson, no stranger to this site, is co-director of the Center for Mental Health and Media at Massachusetts General Hospital and co-author of Grand Theft Childhood: The Surprising Truth About Violent Video Games.

The partnership will result in a series of seven videos posted on Activision’s Ratings Are Not a Game website. The first two are already up:  Using Videogames to Teach Problem Solving and Planning and How Can I Tell if a Game is Appropriate for My Child and How Do I Set Play Limits.

Dr. Olson stated, “These videos give practical research-based advice on how to help your kids--and your family--get more out of video games, and how to watch for and limit electronic game play.”

In related news, Dr. Olson’s husband and co-author of Grand Theft Childhood, Dr. Lawrence Kutner, has been appointed Executive Director of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation.