Studies examine impact of media use among youth, recommend preventative measures
In today's society where access to media is ever present, many parents worry about what is appropriate media usage for their children and how media consumption can potentially affect them. Two new studies led by Dr. Dimitri A. Christakis, MD, MPH and Dr. Michelle M. Garrison, PhD of Seattle Children's Research Institute, focus on different uses of media and assess how media usage can lead to depression in college students and disrupt sleep patterns in preschool aged children. The results of Dr. Christakis' study, "Problematic Internet Usage in U.S. College Students: A Pilot Study," were recently published online in BMC Medicine, while Dr. Garrison's study, "Media Use and Child Sleep: The Impact of Content, Timing, and Environment," was published online June 27 in Pediatrics.