Table Of Contenti
Navigating Media’s
Infl uence Through
Childhood and
Adolescence
Navigating Media’s Inf uence Through Childhood and Adolescence moves through research
and questions that are relevant to practicing pediatricians and therapists in
their everyday practice. As we navigate post-pandemic life where screen time
was unrestricted in most homes, this book has never been more important.
Written by a pediatrician and a professor of media effects, this book is a vital
resource for practicing mental health clinicians, counselors, psychologists,
physicians, and students studying in those areas. Grounded in developmental
theory, mass communication theory, current research, and acumen gained
from years of clinical and teaching experience, this book gives professionals
what they need to understand the colossal effect media is having on their
patients. An aid to practitioners, this book is organized by developmental
stage and matches specif c questions related to media’s effects with explicit
research-based recommendations and explanations. It is intended to be a
quick resource guide for the busy professional.
Kate S. Kurtin, PhD, is an associate professor of communication studies at
California State University, Los Angeles. She studies the way young people use
media, has an interest in the relationship people form with media, and is the
author of three books.
Mary Ellen McCormick, MD, works exclusively as an outpatient general
pediatrician in the Los Angeles area. The effects of media on children are an
important part of her day-to-day discussions with patients and their parents.
ii
“Navigating Media’s Inf uence Through Childhood and Adolescence is impressive
in its approach and scope and brings together theory, research, and
wisdom from medicine, childhood development, media, and media
effects. Professionals working with children and youth will f nd the
book’s unique blend of scientif c insight and clinical savvy invaluable
as they grapple with the many issues surrounding youths media use.”
Kaveri Subrahmanyam, PhD, professor of psychology and
associate dean, College of Natural and Social Sciences,
California State University Los Angeles
“Parents ask pediatricians (and others that care for children, adolescents,
and young adults) about growth, development, problem behaviors,
school, and sometimes just to know if something is normal. The need
to ask these questions has intensif ed with increased use of social
media, increased isolation, increased anxiety, depression, and stress. The
authors, a communication scholar and a pediatrician, use research and
experience to answer questions about media and its impact on children
and adolescents. This is a well-written, well-resourced guide to common
concerns about the role of medial in our children’s lives. It is a great
resource for social workers, pediatricians, teachers, and parents.”
Martin M. Anderson, MD, MPH, FAAP, FSAM,
professor of clinical pediatrics and adolescent medicine,
Mattel Children’s Hospital
“This is the book pediatricians and mental health professionals have
been waiting for. Kurtin and McCormick translate research f ndings
on the effects of media upon children into practical advice for guiding
professionals who are navigating this new frontier.”
Gail Shak, PhD, Department of Psychiatry aff liate,
Mills Peninsula Medical Center
“This book offers researched answers to timely questions about how to
work with children of the COVID era who have been exposed to ‘screen
time’ as a means of entertainment, communication, education, and,
for many families, as a means of survival. It has pertinent information
for me as both a speech-language pathologist and a parent of young
children.”
Deanna Gilman, MS, CCC-SLP
ii i
KATE S. KURTIN, PHD AND
MARY ELLEN MCCORMICK, MD
Navigating
Media’s Infl uence
Through
Childhood and
Adolescence
A Question and Answer
Guide for Professionals
iv
Cover image: Getty Images
First published 2023
by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
and by Routledge
4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2023 Kate S. Kurtin and Mary Ellen McCormick
The right of Kate S. Kurtin and Mary Ellen McCormick to be identified as
authors of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and
78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means,
now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording,
or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in
writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice : Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks and are used only for identification and
explanation without intent to infringe.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Kurtin, Kate S., author. | McCormick, Mary Ellen, author.
Title: Navigating media’s influence through childhood and adolescence : a
question and answer guide for professionals / Kate S. Kurtin, PhD &
Mary Ellen McCormick, MD.
Description: New York, NY : Routledge, 2022. | Includes bibliographical
references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2022010341 (print) | LCCN 2022010342 (ebook) |
ISBN 9781032121697 (hardback) | ISBN 9781032121680 (paperback) |
ISBN 9781003223412 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Mass media and children. | Child psychology. | Mass media
and teenagers. | Adolescent psychology.
Classification: LCC HQ784.M3 K87 2022 (print) | LCC HQ784.M3 (ebook) |
DDC 302.23083—dc23/eng/20220613
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022010341
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022010342
ISBN: 978-1-032-12169-7 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-032-12168-0 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-22341-2 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003223412
Typeset in Joanna MT
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
This book is dedicated to Claire, Will, Luke,
and Griffin, who give our lives and
this research more meaning.
Contents
P reface ix
1 Foundations in Development and Theoretical
Considerations 1
2 Foundations in Media Literacy and Understanding
Children’s Media Environments 22
3 Current Guidelines on Digital Media Use by the
American Academy of Pediatrics 36
4 Effects of Media on the Developing Infant and
Young Child 43
5 Growing Up in a Digital World 59
6 Internet Safety 79
7 Video Games 93
8 Tweens and Teenagers: Development and Media 106
9 Learning in the Digital Age 124
1 0 Media, the Body, and Disordered Eating 139
11 Media, Gender, and Sexuality 155
vi ii
12 Pornography 170
1 3 Risky Behaviors Around Sex, Drugs, and Alcohol 184
Index 199
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ix
Preface
Welcome to Navigating Media’s Inf uence Through Childhood and Adolescence: A
Question and Answer Guide for Professionals. Thank you for reading! This book
has been in the works for some time, but never has it been more
important than in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The topics we
discuss in this book have been relevant since the invention of modern
media and will be for decades to come, but the effects of the media
were exacerbated during the pandemic, and therefore research in this
area has never been more prolif c. For the f rst time in history all enter-
tainment, education, and socialization were all on a screen. We have
known for some time that restricting media is in the best interest of
everyone, but in 2020 that became impossible and the trains fell off
the track.
Early research on the effects of quarantine revealed disastrous
results. In their research in the effects of quarantine, T ang et al.
(2021 ) surveyed 4,343 primary and secondary school students from
Shanghai, China, who were in quarantine due to COVID-19. Through
their research the authors discovered an increase in anxiety for nearly
e
a quarter of the respondents (25%), an increase in depression (20%), ac
f
e
and increased stress levels (15%) from the students surveyed. In add- r
P
ition, the authors noted a strong positive correlation between the age x
i
of the student and their psychopathological symptoms, which were
also negatively associated with life satisfaction. Talking about these
issues with an adult were shown to have dramatically positive results
( Tang et al., 2021 ).
Also looking into the early effects of quarantine on youth, S ingh
et al. (2020) conducted a narrative review on articles relating to the
mental health of children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pan-
demic and lockdown. Their results mirrored those of Tang et al. and
added in the additional variable of the media. Specif cally, this review
of the literature revealed that Internet gaming and social media use
