Media & Health

Media Messages Impact
Children's Health

Reports & Research

The Impact of Industry Self-Regulation on the Nutritional Quality of Foods Advertised on Television to Children, 2009

The Future of Children’s Media: Advertising, Conference Report, 2007

The Effects of Interactive Media on Preschoolers’ Learning, 2007

Fall Colors: Prime Time Diversity Report, 2003

Boys to Men: Conference Report on Media Messages About Masculinity, 1999

A Different World, 1999

Reflections of Girls in the Media, 1997

Facts & Figures

A new study of children found that watching TV was more harmful to children’s health than other sedentary activities like using a computer. In the study, the more TV children watched, the higher their blood pressure rose, regardless of their weight.

Existing research shows that children’s exposure to television advertising for non-nutritious food products is a significant risk factor contributing to childhood obesity.

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Children are uniquely susceptible to the messages they get through the media. For example, children under the age of eight do not recognize the persuasive intent of ads and tend to accept them as accurate and unbiased. TV shows, advertising, video games, online content and other media all play a role in informing children’s opinions and shaping their health and well-being.

Children Now’s work on the following childhood issues related to media and health aims to provide children with an enriching media environment while also protecting them from unhealthy outcomes: