The Effects of Electronic Media on Children Ages Zero – Six: A History of Research — Issue Brief

The Effects of Electronic Media on Children Ages Zero to Six: A History of Research — Issue Brief

This issue brief explores the history of research about the effects of electronic media on children zero to six years old (including the funding sources), summarizes the findings of the seminal studies in this area, and notes gaps in the research base.

Recent studies indicate that even the youngest children in the United States are using a wide variety of screen media. Some children’s organizations have expressed concerns about the impact of media on young children; others have touted the educational benefits of certain media products. This issue brief provides a comprehensive overview of the major research that has been conducted over the decades on various aspects of young children’s media use, and also highlights the issues that have not been researched to date.

This is the thirteenth is a series of reports and fact sheets on topics related to children, media and health that pull together the most relevant research on such issues as TV violence, teens online, media ratings, and children and video games.

Issue Brief (.pdf)