• The Washington Post, Wednesday, December 3, 2008 9:30 AM

A new study, based on 30 years of research, found that several negative health effects are linked to the increased use of media by children and teens. The report found strong connections between media exposure and childhood obesity, tobacco use and early sexual behavior.

The National Institutes of Health and the nonprofit organization Common Sense Media conducted the study. Among its findings: The average child spends nearly 45 hours a week with television, movies, magazines, music, the Internet, cellphones and video games. By comparison, children spend about 17 hours a week with their parents and 30 hours a week in school.

"We need to factor in the effects of media exposure as we consider our social policies," says researcher Ezekiel J. Emanuel, a director at the NIH. "We tend not to think of this as a health issue, and it is a health issue."

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