Since there has been a great deal of discussion of the media's influence on children's behavior and health lately, it has become increasingly important to let Academy members know about the Media Matters campaign.
Developed in 1997 as a way to involve pediatricians in building awareness of the public health risks associated with media use (such as aggressive behavior and violence, alcohol, tobacco and drug use, risky sexual behavior, obesity, poor body‑image and self‑concept), Media Matters advocates media education as a way to mitigate these problems.
Media Matters has trained hundreds of Academy pediatricians to become involved through advocacy, research, publication, public speaking and other educational activities within their practices, communities and on a national level.
Here are some of the ways members of your chapter can make a difference:
• Familiarize Yourself with Academy Policy. Look for the new policy statement on media education in the August edition of Pediatrics. There are currently five statements on children and the media, which can all be accessed on the AAP website:
Children, Adolescents, and Television
Impact of Music Lyrics on Children and Youth
Children, Adolescents, and Advertising
Sexuality, Contraception, and the Media
Media Violence
• Discuss the Issues and Distribute Materials to Your Patients. The Division of Public Education has developed a guide, Media Education in the Practice Setting, to help pediatricians integrate discussion and education about the media into their practice. The AAP Media History Form, is a tool that helps pediatricians identify potential behavioral risk areas that might be associated with children's media use. There are also parent education brochures on the subject: Understanding the Impact of Media on Children and Teens; Television and the Family; and The Internet and Your Family. All of these materials can be ordered through the Academy's Department of Marketing and Publications.
• Participate in a Letter‑Writing Campaign. Although many movie theatres have started to check IDs for admission to R‑rated movies, there is much more they can do to prevent children from seeing potentially harmful violent or sexually explicit content. The Academy initiated a letter‑writing campaign to movie theatre and video store owners across the country. All Academy members are invited to participate by writing a letter and sending it to movie theatres and video stores in your community. Sample letters can be accessed through the AAP website (www.aap.org)
• Give a Presentation Using the Media Matters Speaker's Kit. Media Matters Critical Thinking and the Media comes with 24 color slides and focuses on the media's influence on children and adolescents' use of cigarettes, alcohol and other drugs. Kits are available for $30 through the Division of Public Education. Call Jennifer Stone at (800) 433‑9016 ext. 7870.
• Join the E-mail List Service. The Academy sends notices to subscribers on media related issues and events. Members of this service are encouraged to engage in a dialogue and share ideas. For more information on joining this service contact Jennifer Stone at jstone@aap.org.
For a Media Matters resource kit or more information, call Jennifer Stone at (800) 433‑9016 ext. 7870, e‑mail JStone@aap.org.