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Event Summary

American children are heavily exposed to media, with almost constant access and often without adult supervision. In addition to television and radio, growing numbers have access to video games, ipods, cell phones, and the internet and social networking websites. Young people spend more time using media than they do on any single activity other than sleep. Some believe that media technology is helping American children become better educated, more socially connected, and better informed than any previous generation. Others fear that it is a hazard – exposing them to advertising, disturbing images, and strangers.

Event Information

When

Wednesday, April 23, 2008
9:00 AM to 11:00 AM

Where

Falk Auditorium
The Brookings Institution
1775 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC
Map

Event Materials

Contact: Brookings Office of Communications

E-mail: events@brookings.edu

Phone: 202.797.6105

When examining the effects of media on youth, one thing is clear: content matters. While some media can have a negative effect on children, positive media campaigns have been shown to enhance healthful behaviors. On April 23, a slate of panelists, including researchers, media representatives, and advocates discussed the role of government and the private sector in making media a positive force in the lives of young people. Video clips from several positive media campaigns designed to improve the health and well-being of the nation’s youth were presented. This event also marked the release of the latest volume of The Future of Children Journal, “Children and Electronic Media,” published by Brookings and Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School.
 

Transcript

ISABEL SAWHILL:  I think that all of us, when we think about the media and children, the question, particularly if you’re a parent, that you always have is “what impact does the media have on children?” You know, there’s so much sex and violence and other less-than-uplifting stuff in the media, that I think all of us sort of look at that and say “how is this affecting the development of children?” whether they be very young children or older children such as teenagers.

What’s wonderful about this volume, I think, is that it’s pulled together some of the best people in the country, most knowledgeable people, to look at what we know about that topic. And then to ask the question, a much tougher question, even, “what can we do about it?” There being various First Amendment reasons why we can’t necessarily stop some of the bad stuff that is on television or in the rest of the media, but I think what the policy brief we’re releasing today does and does very nicely is it says “let’s fight fire with fire. Let’s put some positive messages into the media and see if we can make a difference in that way.”

Participants

Welcome and Introduction

Isabel V. Sawhill

Senior Fellow, Economic Studies

Overview

Elisabeth Hirschhorn Donahue

Lecturer of Public and International Affairs, Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University

Panel One: Role of Government and Policy

Elisabeth Hirschhorn Donahue

Lecturer of Public and International Affairs, Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University

Amy Jordan

Director, Media and the Developing Child Sector, Annenberg Public Policy Center, University of Pennsylvania

Colin Crowell

Professional Staff Member, Committee on Energy and Commerce, U.S. House of Representatives

Susan Newcomer

Extramural Program Staff, Demographic and Behavioral Sciences Branch, National Institutes of Health

Panel Two: Positive Media Campaigns

Ron Haskins

Senior Fellow, Economic Studies

W. Douglas Evans

Division Vice President and Director, Center for Health Promotion Research, Research Triangle Institute

Tina Hoff

Vice President and Director, Entertainment Media Partnerships, Kaiser Family Foundation

Peter Klaus

Senior Vice President, Fleishman-Hillard Digital

Marisa Nightingale

Senior Director, Media Programs and Youth Initiatives, The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy


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