Children, Adolescents, and the Media: Five Crucial Issues.

Television and other media represent the single most important modifiable influence on children and adolescents in the 1990s. Five issues are examined in this context: the extent to which the media influence children and adolescents; the varying susceptibility of children and adolescents to media influence; the validity of relevant research; strategies to improve the quality of the media; and the role of the primary-care physician.