But exposure to violence is not a new phenomenon.
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The study authors said they are concerned that exposure to real-life violence may give children additional feelings of distress, victimization or fear that can be shared among social groups.
Children are consuming more media than ever before.
As video games become more and more life-like, and video content is more widespread and easily consumed with the prevalence of smartphones, tablets, televisions and computers, it is increasingly hard to prevent children from viewing violence. As early as the year 2000, G-rated movies intended for young audiences have contained violence, along with 60 percent of prime time television shows. For instance, he led a 2013 study that found that prosocial and educational screen time – including television and video games – can significantly enhance social and emotional competence in children.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has recently released a new statement warning about the negative effects of children being exposed to the so-called “virtual violence” and urging parents to cut down the “media diet” of their children.
“We have done research showing that such events frighten children”, said Brad Bushman, professor of communication and psychology at Ohio State University, who was not involved in the new statement.
Michael Robb, a clinical psychologist and director of research at the nonprofit Common Sense Media, said violent media can be a major risk factor for kids already predisposed to aggression or violence. Just how solid is the connection?
Protect children under age six from all virtual violence, because they can not always distinguish fantasy from reality.
In the study preamble, the group said that based on a 1998 study, a typical child would have seen at least 8,000 killings and 100,000 acts of violence before the child reached middle school. The 1998 report was limited to television, which was appropriate at the time, because it was the primary platform exposing children to violence.
For the statement, which was published in the journal Pediatrics, Christakis and colleagues reviewed and summarized more than a dozen studies and meta-analyses about the effects of virtual violence and aggression on children’s attitudes and behaviors. There is growing concern about the kind of content children are seeing, particularly when it comes to violence. Now with the advent of smart phones, children can access media with minimum parental intervention, and at high rates.
“Parents need to be mindful of their child’s media diet the same way that they’re mindful of their food diet and make sure that it’s balanced, healthy and nutritious, and a big part of that is limiting their exposure to virtual violence and paying attention to the effects it may be having on their behavior”, Christakis said.
Much of the policy statement is aimed not at parents, but at the media.
Additionally, the AAP made multiples requests that the entertainment industry take steps to not “normalize” violence.
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The AAP provides resources for pediatricians to help guide parents about their child’s consumption of media. And they should talk to parents about kids’ “media diets” during annual checkups. It found a significant link between exposure to media violence and aggressive thoughts, angry feeling, physiological arousal and aggressive behavior.
