Addressing Media Violence as a Health Care Issue
- Take a media history as part of health care visits. Ask questions such as:
- How do you decide what shows to watch?
- What are the rules about watching shows or movies?
- How many hours a day do you watch TV and is there a limit?
- What are the most watched shows?
- Are there rules regarding music videos? Video games?
- Do you use Internet blocking software?
- Inform parents and children old enough to understand about the effects of media violence and encourage them to increase their general media literacy. Suggest healthy alternatives, such as sports, creative pursuits, interactive play, and reading, for children at risk.
- Become involved in organizations that seek to decrease the use of violence. Speak at public meetings, join media watch and literacy groups, and help in advocacy efforts directed at the media industry, and state and federal legislators. On a local level, health care professionals should encourage parents, schools, and communities to educate children to be media literate as a means of protecting them against deleterious health effects of media exposure.
For more information, see:
Media Violence Facts and Statistics - National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center
Media Education in the Practice Setting: An Overview of the Media and the Pediatrician's Role - American Academy of Pediatrics
Children, Adolescents, and Television. Policy Statement. (2001). American Academy of Pediatrics
Impact of Music Lyrics and Music Videos on Children and Youth. Policy Statement (1996). American Academy of Pediatrics
Media Education. Policy Statement (1999). American Academy of Pediatrics