Media Effects Of Screen-Based Media

In the past decade, increases in the use of technology and social media have raised concerns about how high levels of exposure to screen-based media can affect children and adolescents. Although the number of hours spent watching television has not increased significantly in the last fifty years, the number of television sets per household has. Televisions programs and content have also changed dramatically; featuring more violent and inappropriate content. Compared to fifty years ago, children now have access to a wider range of video games, as well as more leeway when it comes to internet usage. In the following study, Namik Top analyzed how parents, if they choose to, monitored their children’s use of screen-based media. Top also analyzed

Prior studies have demonstrated that less parental monitoring resulted in more negative behaviors, such as accidental injuries in young children and smoking in teens. “When parents also monitor their adolescents’ media usage, there might be some behavioral and development improvements during late childhood and adolescence,” (Top 197). Therefore, Top concluded that by examining the socio-demographic differences in how parents monitor screen time, researchers might be able to “better comprehend parenting types in adolescent media usage that may have implications for adolescent adjustment and developmental outcomes,” (Top 197). Since media is being introduced to children at a much younger age, parental monitoring can be crucial. However, very few studies have been completed regarding how parents monitor screen time and what groups of parents choose to do so. Research completed prior showed that parents monitored young children more than teenagers and girls more than boys when it came to limiting the use of media. Previous studies also showed that co-viewing, when a parent views the same media as the child or children, is more effective than completely restricting a particular form of

After receiving approval, a survey link was spent to the central office of an open-enrollment charter school system, which was then distributed via-email to the parents. The survey was completed in the spring semester of 2013. In order to match the student to their parent, each parent had to include their children’s student ID number. The children included in the study were from thirty eight open-enrollment charter schools in Texas. “A sample of 799 fifth- (n = 157), sixth- (n = 198), seventh- (n = 170). Eighth- (n = 103), ninth- (n = 78), eleventh- (n= 20), and twelfth- (n = 13) grade children and their parents participated in this study,” (Top 201). Of the 799 participants, 53 percent were female, 21 percent were White, 21 percent were African-Americans, 34 percent Hispanic and 20 percent were