Center on Media and Child Health
Encyclopedia
The Center on Media and Child Health (CMCH) is a non-profit organization based at Children’s Hospital Boston
. CMCH was founded in 2002, by Dr. Michael Rich, pediatrician, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School
and Associate Professor of Society, Human Development, and Health at Harvard School of Public Health
.
and provide evidence-based expertise to initiatives and programs that address children's involvement with media.
outcomes, measuring media exposure in youth. Combining techniques of momentary sampling and video capture
, this method is more sensitive to the variety of media used, more responsive to media multitasking
, and more accurate in its capture of both media content and usage time.
CMCH researchers have developed the Video Intervention/Prevention Assessment (VIA) method, a research method which allows children and teen patients the opportunity to create video dairies about living with illness. These videos can be used to teach physicians more about the realities of various conditions. CMCH maintains a database of scientific studies on media effects on children’s health. Dr. David Bickham has researched the role of television viewing and social isolation
. CMCH has been involved in research which addresses the media education of pediatric residents.
Children's Hospital Boston
Children's Hospital Boston is a 396-licensed bed children's hospital in the Longwood Medical and Academic Area of Boston, Massachusetts.At 300 Longwood Avenue, Children's is adjacent both to its teaching affiliate, Harvard Medical School, and to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute...
. CMCH was founded in 2002, by Dr. Michael Rich, pediatrician, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....
and Associate Professor of Society, Human Development, and Health at Harvard School of Public Health
Harvard School of Public Health
The Harvard School of Public Health is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University, located in the Longwood Area of the Boston, Massachusetts neighborhood of Mission Hill, which is next to Harvard Medical School. HSPH is considered a significant school focusing on health in the...
.
Mission
CMCH conducts scientific research to improve the understanding of media influenceMedia influence
Media influence or media effects are used in media studies, psychology, communication theory and sociology to refer to the theories about the ways in which mass media affect how their audiences think and behave....
and provide evidence-based expertise to initiatives and programs that address children's involvement with media.
Research
The Center on Media and Child Health researchers investigate associations between media use and children’s physical and mental healthMental health
Mental health describes either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and...
outcomes, measuring media exposure in youth. Combining techniques of momentary sampling and video capture
Video capture
Video capture is the process of converting an analog video signal—such as that produced by a video camera or DVD player—to digital video. The resulting digital data are computer files referred to as a digital video stream, or more often, simply video stream...
, this method is more sensitive to the variety of media used, more responsive to media multitasking
Media multitasking
For other uses, see multitasking Media multitasking involves using TV, the Web, radio, telephone, print, or any other media in conjunction with another...
, and more accurate in its capture of both media content and usage time.
CMCH researchers have developed the Video Intervention/Prevention Assessment (VIA) method, a research method which allows children and teen patients the opportunity to create video dairies about living with illness. These videos can be used to teach physicians more about the realities of various conditions. CMCH maintains a database of scientific studies on media effects on children’s health. Dr. David Bickham has researched the role of television viewing and social isolation
Social isolation
Social isolation refers to a lack of contact with society for members of social species. There may be many causes and individuals in numerous generally social species are isolated at times, it need not be a pathological condition. In human society, in those cases where it is viewed as a pathology,...
. CMCH has been involved in research which addresses the media education of pediatric residents.