Center on Media and Child Health

Research Toolbox: Reliable Websites

Not sure how to evaluate reliable, high quality websites when searching the Internet? Here are two portals which offer a selection of trustworthy websites on multi-disciplinary subjects:

• Intute is a portal to social, health, medical sciences, engineering, and arts and humanities subjects with links to high quality Internet sites, selected and described by specialists from within British academia.

• Librarian's Internet Index  is a searchable directory of links to reliable, trustworthy, librarian-selected websites on multi-disciplinary subjects.

Please let us know about any research tools that you would like to see highlighted in our blog.

Research Wrap-Up: July 24, 2009

Here is a list of recently published studies on children, media, and health which explore a range of topics:

Braun-Courville,D.  &  Rojas, M. (2009). Exposure to sexually explicit web sites and adolescent sexual attitudes and behaviors. Journal of Adolescent Health, 45(2), 156-162.

• This study investigates the Internet's impact on adolescent sexual attitudes and behaviors.

Ellickson, P., McCaffrey, D., & Klein, D. (2009). Long-term effects of drug prevention on risky sexual behavior among young adults. Journal of Adolescent Health, 45(2), 111-117.

• This study assesses the impact of a school-based drug prevention program, called Project ALERT, on risky sexual behavior among 1901 nonmarried, sexually active young adults who participated in one of two program variations as adolescents.

Harris, J.,  Bargh, J., & Brownell, K. (2009). Priming effects of television food advertising on eating behavior. Health Psychology, 28(4), 404–413.

• This research tests the hypothesis that exposure to food advertising during TV viewing may also contribute to obesity by triggering automatic snacking of available food.

Russ, S.A., Larson, K., Franke, T.M., & Halfon, N. (2009). Associations between media use and health in US children. Acad Pediatr. Available Online July 8.

•  The aim of this study was to determine associations between TV and computer use, both separately and combined, and health attributes in US children.

Williams, D., Martins, N., Consalvo, M. & Ivory, J. (2009). The virtual census: Representations of gender, race and age in video games. New Media & Society,11(5), 815-834.

• This study presents a content analysis of characters in video games to answer questions about their representations of gender, race and age in comparison to the US population. 

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Use the free CMCH Database of Research to find other studies on children, media, and health.

Research Wrap-Up: July 17, 2009

Here is a list of recently published studies on children, media, and health which explore a range of topics:

Elm, M. ( 2009). Exploring and negotiating femininity: Young women's creation of style in a Swedish Internet community. Young, 17(3), 241-264.

• This study looks at how teenage girls use their production of style in their identity work in the Swedish Internet community, Lunarstorm.

Fujioka, Y., Ryan, E., Agle, M., Legaspi, M., & Toohey, R. (2009). The Role of racial identity in responses to thin media ideals differences between white and black college women. Communication Research, 36(4), 451-474.

• This study examines the racial differences in perception of thin media images and its relation to personal importance of thinness and fear of fat. 

Grassi, A., Gaggioli, A. & Riva, G. (2009). The green valley: The use of mobile narratives for reducing stress in commuters. Cyberpsychol Behav. 12(2), 155-61.

• This study tests the effectiveness of mobile phone usage can enhance relaxation and reduce anxiety in a sample of college student commuters.

Mathers, M., Canterford, L., Olds, T., Hesketh, K., Ridley, K., & Wake, M. (2009). Electronic media use and adolescent health and well-being: Cross-sectional community study. Acad Pediatr.  Available online July 8.

• This study aims to describe time adolescents spend using electronic media (television, computer, video games, and telephone); and to examine associations between self-reported health/well-being and daily time spent using electronic media overall and each type of electronic media.

Quintanilla-Dieck, M., Artunduaga, M. &  Eavey,  R. (2009). Intentional exposure to loud music: The second MTV.com survey reveals an opportunity to educate. The Journal of Pediatrics, Available online July 13.

• This study is a repeat hearing-loss survey with Music Television (MTV) to compare awareness and behavior trends regarding hearing loss.

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Use the free CMCH Database of Research to find other studies on children, media, and health.

Research Wrap-Up: July 10, 2009

Here is a list of recently published studies on children, media, and health which explore a range of topics:

Adachi-Mejia, A.M. et al. (2009). Influence of movie smoking exposure and team sports participation on established smoking. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 163(7),638-643.

• This study examined the joint effects of movie smoking exposure and team sports participation on established youth smoking.

Delfabbro, P., King, D., Lambos, C. & Puglies, S.J. (2009). Is video-game playing a risk factor for pathological gambling in Australian adolescents? Journal Gambl Stud. Available online Jul 4.

• This study  examined the relationship between video-game playing and gambling in adolescence.

Okuma, K., & Tanimura M. (2009). A preliminary study on the relationship between characteristics of TV content and delayed speech development in young children. Infant Behav Dev. 32(3),312-21.

•   This study examined relationships between the characteristics of habitually viewed videos and language development in young children.

Pempek, T.A. & Calvert, S.L. (2009).Tipping the balance: Use of advergames to promote consumption of nutritious foods and beverages by low-income African American children. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 163(7), 633-637. 

• This study examined how advergames, online computer games developed to market a product, affect consumption of healthier and less healthy snacks by low-income African American children.

Shadela, W.G., Tharp-Taylora, S. &  Fryerb, C.S. (2009). How does exposure to cigarette advertising contribute to smoking in adolescents? The role of the developing self-concept and identification with advertising models. Addictive Behaviors, Available online May 22.

• This study evaluated whether self-concept development and identifying with the models used in cigarette print advertising contributed to smoking intentions among adolescents.

 

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Use the free CMCH Database of Research to find other studies on children, media, and health.

Using Digital Games to Improve Children's Learning and Health

How can we best use digital games to improve children's learning and health?  A new report entitled Game Changer: Investing in digital play to advance children's learning and health, by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop, tackles this question with renewed vigor.

Digital games have been shown to aid in learning in particular contexts, but the question of how far this potential goes has yet to be fully explored. For that reason, in addition to discussing specific games that encourage physical health, development of healthy long-term habits, and disease management, the report calls for strategic investment in this field to maximize the potential of this technology.

The report also outlines a strategy of research and development, innovative partnerships, support for the adults who guide children's digital lives, modernization of public media, and increased public dialogue about digital media.

Featured Books

Here is a list of published and upcoming titles of interest on the topics of children, media, and health. Please let us know about any new books you would like to see highlighted in the future!

• Children and the Internet (2009) by Sonia Livingstone

This new book addresses pressing questions such as: Is the internet really transforming children and young people's lives? And, is the so-called 'digital generation' genuinely benefiting from exciting new opportunities?

• Reclaiming Childhood: Freedom and Play in an Age of Fear (2009) by Helene Guldberg

The author argues that parents need to allow children to grow and flourish, to balance sensible guidance with youthful independence. That means letting children play, experiment, and mess around without adults hovering over them.

• Harm and Offense in Media Content -Second Edition (2009) by Sonia Livingstone and Andrea Millwood

This fully revised edition offers a unique and comprehensive analysis of the latest research on  the media's potential for harm, especially in relation to children.

• WATCH IT! (2009) by by Mary Strom Larson

The author highlights the likely consequences of kids consuming television ad other media without adult intervention.

Upcoming Book

• Serious Games: Mechanisms and Effects (2009) by Ute Ritterfeld, Michael Cody and Peter Vorderer

The central purpose of this book is to examine critically the claim that playing games can provide learning that is deep, sustained and transferable to the "real world."