Kids and Media
As you listen to the radio, or read this on the internet, you’re already exercising a skill which is becoming increasingly important in this world – being a critical media consumer. From radio to TV, internet to print, we are constantly bombarded with information and advertising which requires us to distinguish fact from fiction. And we also have to decide when to turn off, and head outside for exercise, fresh air and a spot of old-fashioned human interaction. If these choices are hard enough for adults, they raise more difficult issues for children and their parents. The Paediatric Division of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians has released a policy report to help doctors, parents and policymakers address some of the issues brought up by the relationship between children and the media. James Fletcher spoke to the report’s principal author Dr Michael McDowell about the levels of media use amongst Australian children, and also Robert Koltai – Deputy Chairman, Australian Association of National Advertisers.
Royal Australasian College of Physicians
Young Media Australia
Kaiser Family Foundation