New York (ECN) - U.S. National Institutes of Health, Yale University and the California Pacific Medical Center experts stated on Tuesday, that after analyzing three decades of 173 reports, mass media is impacting the health of children and adolescents’.
Children and adolescents that are largely exposed to the media are prone to suffer from obesity, are prone to begin sexual activity at an earlier age and start smoking. The studies also found that children and adolescents with mass media exposure are prone to drug and alcohol use and have poor attention skills; whether or not this may be the cause of some Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder patients is uncertain. The reports that were studied finding this conclusion were primarily studied in the U.S. with a large focus on watching television; some other mass media studied include video game playing, computer and internet activity and music.
"This review is the first-ever comprehensive evaluation of the many ways that media impacts children's physical health," lead researcher Dr. Ezekiel J. Emanuel, of the NIH, said in a news release.
Studies show that the average child of today consume 45 hours of mass media at home watching television, average 30 hours of education and at most 17 hours of the time they spend with their parents. Experts say that the responsible thing for parents to do is limit their child’s television and other mass media time, rather than spending their time entertaining themselves with mass media, they should be entertaining themselves playing outside.
"Media is increasingly pervasive in the lives of children and adolescents," James P. Steyer, Common Sense Media founder and CEO, said in a group news release. "Parents and educators must consider the effects of media when they're trying to address issues with their child's health. This report makes is clear that we need a bold new agenda on media and technology use. We hope this report will create a new sense of urgency in that regard."
Experts state that media literacy programs in schools enforced by policy makers nationally needs to be put into place; with hope that an increase in education for parents, children and adolescents’ of the health risks that can occur with over exposure to mass media would alleviate.
With 96 percent of 73 studies proving the health risks that children face with obesity with over exposure to television, 88 percent of 24 studies finding an increase in children starting smoking at an earlier age and 93 percent of the studies finding an astonishing increase in earlier sex activity with mass media exposure; providing parents, children and education facilities with steps to assist with alleviating these health risks is essential.
