Health practitioners play an influential role in the lives of parents and children. As such, they are in a unique position to raise parents’ awareness of the impact of media and to influence children’s media habits and behaviour.

Consulting MediaPulse: A Guide for Health Practitioners (see right sidebar) is a good way to find out about current research on media-related health concerns, including body image, nutrition, sexual behaviour, interactivity and aggression.

Health-care professionals can become proactive in the practice setting by:

• using the Media History Form (see right sidebar) as an assessment tool to record the media habits of their patients, and then discussing the information with parents
  
  
• inquiring regularly about the types of television programs, video games, music, music videos and Web sites children and teens are exposed to
  
  
• using information and tips from the MediaPulse guide to talk to parents about the significance of media influences on health and lifestyle choices
  
  
• offering parents advice on managing children’s media use:
  
• • Be a good role model. Examine your own media habits and change them if necessary.
    
  • Limit the amount of time spent using media, especially with young children.
    
  • Be involved in your children’s media use. Know what they’re watching and playing and guide them toward good-quality media.
    
  • Check ratings on games, television shows and movies before choosing them for your children.
    
    
• photocopying Tips to Manage Media Use in the Home (see right sidebar) and making it available to parents in the waiting room
  
  
• counselling families to keep televisions, Internet-connected computers and video game consoles out of children’s bedrooms
  
  
• paying attention to media available in hospitals and private office waiting rooms, such as television programs, videos, DVDs and video games, and making sure the content is age-appropriate
  
  
• offering magazines in the waiting room that promote nutritious eating, healthy body image and physical activity and avoiding those that contain tobacco and alcohol advertising
  
  
• using Canada’s Physical Activity Guides for Children and Youth (see right sidebar) to promote physical activity among patients and encouraging parents to balance their children’s media use with physically active pastimes
  
  
• providing good-quality resources to parents and teens about healthy sexuality, and encouraging them to discuss contraception and safe-sex practices
  
  
• directing parents to the “For Parents” section of MNet’s Web site for resources and information to promote media awareness in the home and community (http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/parents/index.cfm)

MNet’s “For Parents” section contains information on video games, movies, television, advertising, music and the Internet. Parents can print off tipsheets on managing media in the home and talking to children about various media issues, including stereotyping and media violence