ABSTRACT
Since its introduction in the late 1940s, physicians, psychologists, and other health professionals have expressed concern about the effects of television on the physical and mental health of those who use it. Due to the fact that children are both heavy television viewers and developmentally vulnerable, pediatricians in particular have sought research evidence and clinical interventions for children who are at risk for negative health outcomes. Yet many pediatricians and other physicians also recognize that television is a unique and powerful educational tool. Because much of preventive medicine relies on effective education of patients and their families, many clinicians understand that television can reach more people, often more effectively, than any other health education method. Since its advent, the medical community has regarded television with concern, attraction, and ambivalence.
