What impact does media have on us?

1. Dietz WH, Strasburger VC. Children, adolescents and television. Curr Probl Pediatr. 1991;21:8–31. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

2. Johnson JG, Cohen P, Smailes EM, Kasen S, Brook JS. Television viewing and aggressive behaviour during adolescence and adulthood. Science. 2002;295:2468–71. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

3. American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Public Education Media violence. Pediatrics. 2001;108:1222–6. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

4. Strasburger VC. Children, adolescents and the media: Five crucial issues. Adolesc Med. 1993;4:479–93. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

5. Bernard-Bonnin AC, Gilbert S, Rousseau E, Masson P, Maheux B. Television and the 3- to 10-year old child. Pediatrics. 1991;88:48–54. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

6. Media Awareness Network Young Canadians in a Wired World: A Students’ View. Prepared by Environics Research Group. October 2001. <http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/special_initiatives/surveys/index.cfm> (Version current at May 16, 2003).

7. Josephson WL. Television Violence: A Review of the Effects on Children of Different Ages. Ottawa: National Clearinghouse on Family Violence; 1995. [Google Scholar]

8. Dietz WH, Jr, Gortmaker SL. Do we fatten our children at the television set? Obesity and television viewing in children and adolescents. Pediatrics. 1985;75:807–12. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

9. Canadian Paediatric Society, Healthy Active Living for Children and Youth Advisory Committee Healthy active living for children and youth. Paediatr Child Health. 2002;7:339–45. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

10. Strasburger VC. Does television affect learning and school performance? Pediatrician. 1986;38:141–7. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

11. Stasburger VC. Adolescent sexuality and the media. Pediatr Clin North Am. 1989;36:747–73. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

12. American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Communications Children, adolescents, and advertising. Pediatrics. 2001;107:423–6. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

13. Statistics Canada Average hours per week of television viewing, Fall 2001Catalogue No. 87F0006XPE. <www.statcan.ca/english/Pgdb/arts23.htm> (Version current at May 16, 2003).

14. American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Communications Children, adolescents, and television. Pediatrics. 1995;96:786–7. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

15. Certain LK, Kahn RS. Prevalence, correlates and trajectory of television viewing among infants and toddlers. Pediatrics. 2002;109:634–42. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

16. Luke C. Television and Your Child: A Guide for Concerned Parents. Toronto: TV Ontario; 1988. [Google Scholar]

17. Wright JC, Huston A. Effects of educational television viewing of lower income preschoolers on academic skills, school readiness and school adjustment one to three years later. Lawrence, KS: University of Kansas; 1995. [Google Scholar]

18. Huston AC, Anderson DR, Wright JC, Linebarger D, Schmitt KL. Sesame Street viewers as adolescents: The Recontact study. In: Fisch S, Truglio R, editors. G is for growing: Thirty Years of Research on Sesame Street. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum; 2000. [Google Scholar]

19. Rice ML, Woodsmall L. Lessons from television: Children’s word learning when viewing. Child Dev. 1988;59:420–9. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

20. Paquette G. La violence sur les réseaux canadiens de télévision. Paediatr Child Health. 2003;8:293–5. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

21. Comstock G, Strasburger VC. Deceptive appearances: Television violence and aggressive behaviour. J Adolesc Health Care. 1990;11:31–44. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

22. Green RG. Television and aggression: Recent developments in research and theory. In: Zillman D, Bryant J, Huston AC, editors. Media Children and the Family: Social, Scientific, Psychodynamic and Clinical Perspectives. Hillsdale: Lawrence Erlbaum; 1994. pp. 151–62. [Google Scholar]

23. Huston AC, Donnerstein E, Fairchild H, et al. Big World, Small Screen: The Role of Television in American Society. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press; 1992. [Google Scholar]

24. Gould MS, Davidson L. Suicide contagion among adolescents. Adv Adolesc Mental Health. 1988;3:29–59. [Google Scholar]

25. Gould MS, Shaffer D, Kleinman M. The impact of suicide in television movies: Replication and commentary. Suicide Life Threat Behav. 1988;18:90–9. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

26. Gould MS, Shaffer D. The impact of suicide in television movies. Evidence of imitation. N Engl J Med. 1986;315:690–4. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

27. Shaffer D, Garland A, Gould M, Fisher P, Trautman P. Preventing teenage suicide. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1988;27:675–87. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

28. Center for Media and Public Affairs Studies of television violence<www.cmpa.com/tvent/violence.htm> (Version current at May 16, 2003).

29. Ostbye T, Pomerleau J, White M, Coolich M, McWhinney J. Food and nutrition in Canadian “prime time” television commercials. Can J Public Health. 1993;84:370–4. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

30. Briggs Rudolph G.Psychosocial parameters of internet addiction<http://library.albany.edu/briggs/addiction.html> (Version current at May 16, 2003).

31. Crespo CJ, Smit E, Troiano RP, Bartlett SJ, Macera CA, Andersen RE. Television watching, energy intake, and obesity in US children: Results from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988–1994. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2001;155:360–5. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

32. Greenberg BS, Stanley C, Siemicki M, et al. Sex Content on Soaps and Prime Time Televisions Series Viewed by Adolescents Project CAST (Children and Sex on Television), Report no 2. East Lansing: Michigan State University Department of Telecommunication; 1986. [Google Scholar]

33. Lowry DT, Towes DE. Soap opera portrayals of sex, contraception and sexually transmitted diseases. J Commun. 1989;39:76–83. [Google Scholar]

34. Brown JD, Greenberg BS, Buerkel-Rothfuss NL. Mass media, sex and sexuality. Adolesc Med. 1993;4:511–25. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

35. American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Public Education Sexuality, contraception and the media. Pediatrics. 2001;107:191–4. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

36. McKenzie D.Under the influence? The impact of advertising on YouthAlcohol Policy Network, 1999. <http://www.apolnet.org/resources/adsummary.pdf> (Version current at May 13, 2003).

37. Strasburger VC. Adolescents, drugs and the media. Adolesc Med. 1993;4:391–416. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

38. Romelsjo A. Decline in alcohol-related problems in Sweden greatest among young people. Br J Addict. 1987;82:1111–24. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

39. Thompson K, Fumie Y. Depiction of alcohol, tobacco and other substances in G-rated animated feature films. Pediatrics. 2001;107:1369–74. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

40. Atkin CK. Television advertising and socialization to consumer roles. In: Pearl D, Bouthilet L, Lazar J, editors. Television and Behavior: Ten Years of Scientific Progress and Implications for the Eighties. Rockville: National Institutes of Health; 1982. pp. 191–200. [Google Scholar]

41. Liebert RM, Sprafkin JN. The Early Window: Effects of Television on Children and Youth. 3rd edn. New York: Pergamon Press; 1988. [Google Scholar]

42. Media Awareness Network <http://www.media-awareness.ca> (Version current at May 16, 2003). [Google Scholar]

43. Wals D, Gentile D. A validity test of movie, television and video-game ratings Pediatrics. 2001;107:1302–8. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

44. Coles R. The Moral Intelligence of Children. New York: Random House; 1997. [Google Scholar]

45. American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Communications Impact of music lyrics and music videos on children and youth (RE9144) Pediatrics. 1996;98:1219–21. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

46. Rich M, Woods ER, Goodman E, Emans J, DuRant RH. Aggressors or victims: Gender and race in music video violence. Pediatrics. 1998;101:669–74. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

47. Thompson KM, Haniger K. Violence in video games. JAMA. 2001;286:591–8. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

48. Salter RB. Textbook of Disorders and Injuries of the Musculoskeletal System: An Introduction to Orthopaedics, Fractures and Joint Injuries, Rheumatology. Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins; 1983. [Google Scholar]

49. InternetAddiction.ca. <http://www.internetaddiction.ca/richard_davis.htm> (Version current at May 16, 2003).

50. Ferris JR.Internet addiction disorder: Causes, symptoms, and consequences<http://www.chem.vt.edu/chem-dept/dessy/honors/papers/ferris.html> (Version current at May 12, 2003).

51. Media Awareness Network and Canadian Paediatric Society . Media History Form in Media Pulse: Measuring the Media in Kids’ Lives, A Guide for Health Professionals. Ottawa: Canadian Paediatric Society and Media Awareness Network; 2003. [Google Scholar]


Page 2

Benefits and risks of Internet use by children and youth

Benefits of the Internet
  • Near limitless information resource

  • High degree of availability and affordability in most communities in the western world

  • An asset for research or homework

  • A communication tool for teachers and university professors with their students

  • Rapid and inexpensive communication via e-mail and video linkage

  • Access by the disabled to much that may otherwise be unavailable:

    • Through technology that makes computer use possible

    • By taking advantage of communication with peers that does not require that their disability be visible

  • Source of entertainment

General risks
  • The Internet, by its interactive nature, is prone to use for excessive periods of time. ‘Internet addiction’, also known as pathological Internet use or Internet addiction disorder, is a known problem among adults and is no less a problem with children whose usage may be unlimited (30,49,50)

  • Instant messaging and e-mail may interfere with legitimate work (schoolwork and in the workplace)

  • Like television, excessive time spent on the Internet may interfere with normal socialization between child and peers, and with family

  • Excessive use fosters inactivity and, potentially, obesity

Misinformation
  • Lack of monitoring for appropriateness or accuracy of information

  • Health risks posed from following incorrect information

  • Fostering inappropriate ideas for children and teenagers such as the following:

    • Generating a sense of need to acquire material goods

    • False advertising or scams typically spread by e-mail

    • Temptation to acquire (or steal) credit cards to pay for on-line services

Adverse effects on values
  • Pornography: Underage children may accidentally or by design access pornographic sites

  • Predators have access to minors through unsupervised use of chat rooms and e-mail

  • Loss of inhibitions normally experienced when face-to-face, promoting sexual exchanges and promiscuity

  • On-line gambling

  • Potential for plagiarism in school work

  • Promotion of hatred or violence through Web sites targeting a specific group, such as women, homosexuals, and religious or ethnic groups

  • Use of the Internet by school bullies to ridicule or spread hatred toward a victim

  • Violence through video games, song lyrics and on-line bullying, access to hazardous materials or information on making weapons