Screen Violence, Including News, Can Be Harmful For Children

Mothers really do know best - scientists now believe that screen violence - whether in news, games, TV shows, or movies - are harmful for children. These days, things like dead bodies and bloodied faces are among the things we see often these days, and plenty of the times, not even in fictional shows.

Coverage of violent events like the truck attack in Nice, France, for instance, show terror that kids should not watch. CNN noted that screen violence is associated with aggressive behavior, thoughts, and even angry feelings in children.

Dr. Dimitri Christakis, director of the Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development at Seattle Children's Research Institute and lead author of the statement published in the journal Pediatrics said, "Screen violence, particularly when it is real but even if it is virtual, is quite traumatic for children regardless of age. It is not uncommon to see increases in nightmares, sleep disturbances and increased general anxiety in the wake of these events."

The authors also made specific recommendations for doctors, parents, the media industry, and policy makers to prohibit violent media for young children. Christakis himself said that parents should be mindful of the media that they expose their children to, especially if their children already show aggressive tendencies.

The frightening things shown on television could traumatize children and Christakis advices parents that they should speak to their children about these things and reassure them that their children that there are still plenty of good people in the world.

Not all scientists agree with Christakis and his colleagues, though. Dr. Douglas Gentile of the Iowa State University said that the statement suggests that often, it's the quality of the media that can influence aggression in children, not the quantity of exposure. Gentile warns that public health organizations should review these types of videos as well to cut through the extremists opinions. "Everyone has an opinion, but not all opinions are supported by the science," he said.