Media matters for youth health

We live in a media world and the mass media offer educational and entertain ment opportunities for adults and children. However, pediatricians and pare nts are increasingly aware of the potential health risks that media exposur e presents to children and adolescents. For many pears, the American Academ y of Pediatrics (AAP) has made media education a key goal for member pediat ricians: Six policy statements about the impact of mass media have been pub lished land revised) over the past decade. In 1997, the AAP launched a 5-ye ar, nationwide media education campaign called Media Matters. Although educ ation about media is the cornerstone of Media Matters, pediatricians have o ther important roles. In offices and clinics, the AAP suggests that pediatr icians take a media history from patients and discuss connections between a child's health and behavior and media use habits. Pediatricians can also p rovide anticipatory guidance to families about media in the home, including limiting media use, making wise media choices, encouraging co-viewing and critical thinking, and making the home a positive media environment. Many g aps in our knowledge about the effects of media images and messages on youn g people still exist; pediatricians call for ongoing, targeted research abo ut media. In this way, we can all enjoy the benefits offered by media, whil e minimizing the risks. (C) Society for Adolescent Medicine, 2000.