Television Viewing in Infancy and Child Cognition at 3 Years of Age in a US Cohort

322

In 1999, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued a policy statement addressing media use in children. The purpose of that statement was to educate parents about the effects that media—both the amount and the content—may have on children. In one part of that statement, the AAP recommended that “pediatricians should urge parents to avoid television viewing for children under the age of two years.” The wording of the policy specifically discouraged media use in this age group, although it is frequently misquoted by media outlets as no media exposure in this age group. The AAP believed that there were significantly more potential negative effects of media than positive ones for this age group and, thus, advised families to thoughtfully consider media use for infants. This policy statement reaffirms the 1999 statement with respect to media use in infants and children younger than 2 years and provides updated research findings to support it. This statement addresses (1) the lack of evidence supporting educational or developmental benefits for media use by children younger than 2 years, (2) the potential adverse health and developmental effects of media use by children younger than 2 years, and (3) adverse effects of parental media use (background media) on children younger than 2 years.

Section: Lost In Translation: Can Children Learn From Media?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Media Use by Children Younger Than 2 Years

Brown¹,

Mulligan²,

Altmann³

et al. 2011

322

“…98 There have been no studies to indicate that screen time contributes positively to infant development, 99,100 and there are now 7 studies that have documented possible language delays among children younger than 2 years who are exposed to television or videos. [100][101][102][103][104][105][106][107][108] 4. Pediatricians and other child health professionals should ensure that only nonviolent media choices be provided to patients in outpatient waiting rooms and inpatient settings.…”

Section: Aap Actionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Media Violence

Fuld¹,

Mulligan²,

Altmann³

et al. 2009

141

Exposure to violence in media, including television, movies, music, and video games, represents a significant risk to the health of children and adolescents. Extensive research evidence indicates that media violence can contribute to aggressive behavior, desensitization to violence, nightmares, and fear of being harmed. Pediatricians should assess their patients' level of media exposure and intervene on mediarelated health risks. Pediatricians and other child health care providers can advocate for a safer media environment for children by encouraging media literacy, more thoughtful and proactive use of media by children and their parents, more responsible portrayal of violence by media producers, and more useful and effective media ratings. Office counseling has been shown to be effective. Pediatrics 2009;124: 1495-1503 INTRODUCTIONAlthough shootings in schools around the world periodically prompt politicians and the general public to focus their attention on the influence of media violence, the medical community has been concerned with this issue since the 1950s. 1-3 The evidence is now clear and convincing: media violence is 1 of the causal factors of real-life violence and aggression. Therefore, pediatricians and parents need to take action. 4 In 1972, the US Surgeon General issued a special report on the public health effects of media violence that was based on a growing and nearly unanimous body of evidence. 5 Ten years later, the National Institute of Mental Health issued a comprehensive review of the research on media violence and its effects, which outlined concerns about children's psychological health. 6 At a Congressional public health summit in July 2000, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) was joined by the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the American Psychological Association in issuing an unprecedented joint statement on the impact of entertainment violence on children. 7 Also in 2000, the Federal Bureau of Investigation released a report on shootings in schools that stated that media violence is a risk factor. 8 In 2003, a panel of media-violence experts convened by the National Institute of Mental Health, at the request of the US Surgeon General, published its comprehensive report on the effects of media violence on youth, which revealed media violence to be a significant causal factor in aggression and violence. 9 Most recently, in 2007, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released its report on violent television programming and its effects on children and agreed with the Surgeon General that there is "strong evidence" that exposure to media violence can increase aggressive behavior in

“…[85][86][87][88][89][90][91] No studies have documented a benefit of early viewing. 92 4. Pediatricians should serve as role models for appropriate media use by limiting TV and video use in waiting rooms and patients' rooms, using educational materials to promote reading, and having visits by volunteer readers in waiting rooms.…”

Section: Recommendationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Media Education

Strasburger¹

2010

The American Academy of Pediatrics recognizes that exposure to mass media (eg, television, movies, video and computer games, the Internet, music lyrics and videos, newspapers, magazines, books, advertising) presents health risks for children and adolescents but can provide benefits as well. Media education has the potential to reduce the harmful effects of media and accentuate the positive effects. By understanding and supporting media education, pediatricians can play an important role in reducing harmful effects of media on children and adolescents.