Teen Delinquency All Media's Fault

Sounds like a headline from The Onion, doesn't it? And yet, studies were reported in the most recent issue of Pediatrics that linked the media to harmful teen behaviors. One study, which tracked more than 700 adolescents for three years, shows that teens who watch a lot of television involving sex are much more likely than their peers to get pregnant or get someone pregnant. Apparently other studies have found links between watching steamy TV and early sexual activity and sexually-transmitted diseases, but this is the first one that links to pregnancy.
Another study indicates that children and teens who play violent video games show increased physical aggression for months (!) afterward. The authors looked at data from the United States and Japan and found similar effects in both countries, which is interesting because Japan has a lower crime rate than we do. The American Academy of Pediatrics already recommends limiting children's TV, computer and video game time to one or two hours a day, but officials there are revisiting the recommendation and plan to release a new statement on media violence next year.