Media Influences in Young People's Lives.

The rich media world Canadian children and youth enjoy so much – television, movies, music, videos and video games, and the Internet – has a profound influence on their views of themselves and the world around them. While media offers children many opportunities to learn and be entertained, some media images and messages have been linked to health concerns such as aggressive behaviour, substance use and abuse, poor nutrition, obesity, unhealthy body image, risky sexual behaviour and media dependency. In some areas of study, the evidence is irrefutable. In other areas, while so-called “common sense” indicates a strong correlation, more research is needed.