Problems and solutions associated with media consumption: the role of the practitioner.

As is evident from a wealth of literature, the powerful messages in mass media (advertising, movies, music lyrics and videos, radio, television, video games, and the Internet) influence the way children perceive their environment, their relationships, their bodies, and various risk behaviors. Media-consumption habits in children and adolescents predict risk behaviors and adverse health outcomes as diverse as overweight and obesity, violence and aggressive behavior, tobacco and alcohol use, and early sexual debut.