Games, Media and Children’s Health
PREPARED FOR THE ASPEN INSTITUTE
CHILDREN’S FORUM
VICKY RIDEOUT
VJR CONSULTING
WWW.VJRCONSULTING.COM
Key Issues
 How are media and gaming affecting children’s
health and well-being?
 How could media and gaming be used to affect
children’s health and well-being?
Key Issues
 How are media and gaming affecting children’s
health and well-being?
 How could media and gaming be used to affect
children’s health and well-being?
Time spent with screen media in a typical day
Average hours spent with screen media in a typical
day, by age
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
2:15
2:50
5:15
5-8 yearolds
8-10 yearolds
8:15
6:06
:53
0-2 yearolds
2-4 yearolds
11-14 year- 15-18 yearolds
olds
Sources: Kaiser Family Foundation, Generation M: The Role of Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-Year-Olds, 2010;
Common Sense Media, Zero to Eight: Children’s Media Use in America, 2011
Change in daily screen media time, 1999-2009
Among children ages 8 to 18 years old, average
hours spent with screen media in a typical day
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
4:40
5:40
7:11
1999
2004
2009
1
0
Source: Kaiser Family Foundation, Generation M: Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-Year-Olds, 2010.
Key Issues
 How are media and gaming affecting children’s
health and well-being?
 How could media and gaming be used to affect
children’s health and well-being?
Using games to promote children’s health

Creating games for kids with particular conditions

Creating games to communicate particular messages to a
broader population

Embedding health promotion content in popular games
Using games to promote children’s health

Creating games for kids with particular conditions

Creating games to communicate particular messages to a
broader population

Embedding health promotion content in popular games
Using games to promote children’s health

Creating games for kids with particular conditions

Creating games to communicate particular messages to a
broader population

Embedding health promotion content in popular games
Recommendations
 Fund research to monitor and track children’s media
use.
 Explore new ways to embed health content in popular
media.
 Remember to think about targeting, marketing, and
engagement.
 Treat media as an environmental health variable for
children.
Recommendations
 Fund research to monitor and track children’s media
use.
 Explore new ways to embed health content in popular
media.
 Remember to think about targeting, marketing, and
engagement.
 Treat media as an environmental health variable for
children.
Recommendations
 Fund research to monitor and track children’s media
use.
 Explore new ways to embed health content in popular
media.
 Remember to think about targeting, marketing, and
engagement.
 Treat media as an environmental health variable for
children.
Recommendations
 Fund research to monitor and track children’s media
use.
 Explore new ways to embed health content in popular
media.
 Remember to think about targeting, marketing, and
engagement.
 Treat media as an environmental health variable for
children.
Recommendations
 Fund research to monitor and track children’s media
use.
 Explore new ways to embed health content in popular
media.
 Remember to think about targeting, marketing, and
engagement.
 Treat media as an environmental health variable for
children.