Citation

Villani VS, Olson CK, Jellinek MS. Child Adolesc. Psychiatr. Clin. N. Am. 2005; 14(3): 523-553.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA. villani@kennedykrieger.org

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.chc.2005.03.001

PMID

15936672

Abstract

Families and children are in the midst of a media revolution. Television, Internet access, instant messaging, cell phones, and interactive video games are delivering more information for more hours than ever in history. Exposure is occurring at younger and younger ages, often without parental oversight or interpretation. The impact on children is just beginning to be studied. Does media exposure prepare children for the world in which they live or deprive them of critical developmental opportunities? Does the steady display of violence contribute to violent behavior? This article presents a developmental context, discusses the research conducted to date, reviews the recommendations of major organizations, and tries to take a balanced perspective in the midst of a rising tide of media, technology, commercialism, and controversy.

Language: en