Kathleen Custers1, Jan Van den Bulck. 1. Leuven School for Mass Communication Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Parkstraat 45, Box 3603, 3000, Leuven, Belgium. kathleen.custers@soc.kuleuven.be
Abstract
UNLABELLED: Both news media and entertainment fiction may lead to short-term and enduring fright reactions. Even TV programs, movies and news made for children may trigger fear. Preoperational children (3 to 7 years of age) are most afraid of fantasy characters, transformations and interpersonal violence. Operational children (8 to 11 years) are more afraid of abstract ideas and imagined implications regarding their own risk. Pediatricians must include media in their history taking and beware of ensuing fear, phobias, sleep and behavior problems. Parents can play a vital role in preventing exposure to or mediating the effects of frightening media. Hospitals must have a pediatric media exposure policy. CONCLUSION: Media use can have immediate and enduring fear effects that affect many children and that are far from trivial.
UNLABELLED: Both news media and entertainment fiction may lead to short-term and enduring fright reactions. Even TV programs, movies and news made for children may trigger fear. Preoperational children (3 to 7 years of age) are most afraid of fantasy characters, transformations and interpersonal violence. Operational children (8 to 11 years) are more afraid of abstract ideas and imagined implications regarding their own risk. Pediatricians must include media in their history taking and beware of ensuing fear, phobias, sleep and behavior problems. Parents can play a vital role in preventing exposure to or mediating the effects of frightening media. Hospitals must have a pediatric media exposure policy. CONCLUSION: Media use can have immediate and enduring fear effects that affect many children and that are far from trivial.
Authors: Michael W Otto; Aude Henin; Dina R Hirshfeld-Becker; Mark H Pollack; Joseph Biederman; Jerrold F Rosenbaum Journal: J Anxiety Disord Date: 2007-01-10
Authors: M A Schuster; B D Stein; L Jaycox; R L Collins; G N Marshall; M N Elliott; A J Zhou; D E Kanouse; J L Morrison; S H Berry Journal: N Engl J Med Date: 2001-11-15 Impact factor: 91.245