Mass Media
Media Effect | Potential Consequences |
Violence |
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Sex |
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Substance use and abuse |
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Obesity |
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Body image |
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- Actions to promote positive media
- Parents
- Follow American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations for 2 hours (total) of screen time daily for children 2 years of age and older.
- Establish clear guidelines for Internet use and provide direct supervision. Have frank discussions of what youth may encounter in viewing media. Be mindful of own media use in the home.
- Encourage unstructured play in the home, and plan to help kids readjust to this change in family dynamic. Consider planned, deliberate use of media to experience the benefits (i.e., watching a television show together to bond or start a sensitive discussion).
- Nurses/Health Care Providers
- Dedicate a few minutes of each visit to provide media screening and counseling.
- Discourage presence of electronic devices in children’s rooms.
- Be sensitive to the challenges that parents face in carrying this out.
- Schools
- Offer timely, accurate sexuality and drug education.
- Promote resilience.
- Develop programs to educate youth on wise use of technology.
- Develop and implement policies on dealing with cyber-bullying and sexting.
- Parents