ABSTRACT
The medical community in the U.S., led by pediatricians and psychiatrists, hoped screen media could improve health literacy, but have worried for decades that it does more harm than good. Embracing the danger paradigm when television was the only screen, efforts to control unhealthy media content were repeatedly stymied by limited research and First Amendment concerns. Physicians have urged balanced research on the effects of the media youth use and how they use them, advocated for more child-friendly content and user experiences, and have developed clinical and parenting policies related to media use. Since mobile interactive media transformed lifestyles, rigorous research into positive and negative effects of media use has become more widespread, accessible to consumers, and acceptable to technology and entertainment producers. Recent efforts by the medical community to work with tech and entertainment to focus on individual and societal wellness as a “second bottom line” appear promising for the future of the digital environment.
