Media Influences on Children and Advice for Parents to Reduce Harmful Exposure to Firearm Violence in Media

Dan Romer; Brad J Bushman; Michael Rich

doi:10.1016/j.pcl.2023.06.015

Media Influences on Children and Advice for Parents to Reduce Harmful Exposure to Firearm Violence in Media

Pediatr Clin North Am. 2023 Dec;70(6):1217-1224. doi: 10.1016/j.pcl.2023.06.015. Epub 2023 Aug 3.

Authors

Dan Romer¹, Brad J Bushman², Michael Rich³

Affiliations

¹ Annenberg Public Policy Center, University of Pennsylvania, 202 South 36th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. Electronic address: dan.romer@appc.upenn.edu.
² School of Communication, The Ohio State University, 3016 Derby Hall, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
³ Harvard Medical School, Digital Wellness Lab, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

PMID: 37865441
DOI: 10.1016/j.pcl.2023.06.015

Abstract

Firearm violence is now the leading cause of youth fatalities in the United States. This article outlines the various ways that entertainment media glorify the use of firearms and how this content can influence youth interest and use of guns. Social media are also increasingly serving as a source of risk for exposure to firearms. Counseling parents about the impact of media exposure to firearms on their children's health, and how to mitigate these risks, can be effective in promoting their children's health and safety.

Keywords: Firearm access; Firearm violence; Homicide; Mass shooting; Media violence; Neighborhood violence; School shooting; Suicide.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Child
Child Health
Firearms*
Humans
Parents / psychology
Suicide*
United States
Violence
Wounds, Gunshot* / prevention & control