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Media Influences on Health

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The media — everything from television, radio, and film to games, advertising, and social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter — can have significant impacts on individual and population health. Exposure to media, especially among youth, may affect health behaviors such as substance use, sexual activity, and eating habits.

Research Brief

Drinking It In: The Impact of Alcohol Advertising on Kids

May 23, 2018

On average, adolescents see three alcohol ads per day. Exposure to these ads led youth to view alcohol and drinking more positively.
Q&A

How Marijuana Ads Affect Youth: Q&A with Elizabeth D'Amico

Aug 21, 2018

RAND's Elizabeth D'Amico discusses her research on how medical marijuana advertising influences adolescents' use of—and positive attitudes toward—the drug. Los Angeles County used her findings to limit the placement of marijuana billboards and signage outside dispensaries.

Explore Media Influences on Health

Commentary

Meghan Markle May Avoid the Spotlight After Giving Birth and Send a Powerful Public Health Message

Meghan Markle plans to break from royal tradition by declining to present her baby to the public on the the steps of the maternity ward, hours after giving birth, with flawless hair and makeup. This could bring attention to many of the postpartum challenges faced by women everywhere.

Apr 11, 2019
Content

Newt Minow: Crusader for the Public Interest

Newt Minow is an attorney and former Chair of the Federal Communications Commission known for his speech referring to television as a “vast wasteland.” He came to RAND in the early 1960s looking for help with what would become one of his signature accomplishments, the development of communications satellites. He's been a part of RAND's story ever since.

Jul 19, 2018
Journal Article

Journal Article

SOVA: Design of a Stakeholder Informed Social Media Website for Depressed Adolescents and Their Parents

An online behavioral intervention for depressed adolescents and parents includes two moderated social media websites (one for adolescents, one for parents); both use similar content and both leverage the benefits of social media tools.

Jun 28, 2018
Journal Article

Journal Article

Persistence of Shifts in Beliefs Associated With Exposure to Alcohol Advertising Among Adolescents

Youths are exposed to an average of three alcohol ads per day-and black and Hispanic youths' exposure is roughly double that of white youths—and the effect of a single exposure can last up to two days.

Jun 21, 2018
Journal Article

Showing Adolescents Graphic Anti-Smoking Posters May Encourage Some to Try Smoking

Exposing teens to graphic anti-smoking posters may actually increase the risk that some start smoking. Some teens who viewed a poster depicting gruesome displays of smoking-caused diseases actually reported being more susceptible to cigarette smoking after viewing the displays during a shopping trip.

Feb 13, 2018
Commentary

Does Social Media Depression in Young People Really Exist?

What are the mental health risks to adolescents and young adults from the use of social media? And how can young people and social media companies manage these risks?

Feb 6, 2018
Journal Article

Journal Article

Effects of Antismoking Media on College Students' Smoking-Related Beliefs and Intentions

Among college students, anti-smoking media messages appear to shift the beliefs and intentions of experimental smokers, a group that is at high risk of becoming regular smokers.

Jan 25, 2018
Journal Article

Journal Article

Sexual Media and Childhood Well-being and Health

Incomplete brain development pushes adolescents to engage in risky behaviors and may affect the extent to which sexual media content is sought and acted on.

Dec 18, 2017
Journal Article

Journal Article

Exposure to Alcohol Advertising and Adolescents' Drinking Beliefs: Role of Message Interpretation

Recent research revealed momentary associations between exposure to alcohol advertising and positive beliefs about alcohol among adolescents (Martino et al., 2016). We reanalyzed those data to determine whether associations depend on adolescents' appraisal of ads.

Sep 28, 2017
Blog

How RAND Helped Cable TV Spread Far and Wide

In the late 1960s and early '70s, RAND released a series of reports about cable television — the technology, federal and state regulation, and its use in education. The researchers' interactive vision for cable TV was a lot like the internet.

Aug 25, 2017
Journal Article

Journal Article

Noncigarette Tobacco Advertising May Be Hazardous to a Teen's Health

Cigarette smoking contributes to nearly 1 in 5 deaths in the United States and myriad health problems.

Jun 14, 2017
Journal Article

Journal Article

Detecting Changes in Newspaper Reporting of Suicide After a Statewide Social Marketing Campaign

In conclusion and similar to many past evaluations, we find no evidence that the KTS campaign was effective in changing the way in which suicides are reported on in California had any effect.

Apr 4, 2017
Journal Article

Youth Exposure to Online Alcohol Ads

Exposure to online alcohol advertisements is linked to drinking behavior. What factors are associated with youth exposure to these online ads?

Nov 28, 2016
Journal Article

Southern California Middle School Students Exposed to More Than Three Alcohol Ads Each Day

African American and Hispanic youths are exposed to an average of 4.1 and 3.4 alcohol ads per day respectively, while white youths are exposed to an average of two ads per day. Greater restrictions on alcohol advertising outdoors and on television should be considered.

Jun 24, 2016
News Release

News Release

Southern California Middle School Students Exposed to More Than Three Alcohol Ads Each Day

African American and Hispanic youths are exposed to an average of 4.1 and 3.4 alcohol ads per day respectively, while white youths are exposed to an average of two ads per day. Greater restrictions on alcohol advertising outdoors and on television should be considered.

May 17, 2016
Journal Article

Journal Article

Ecological Momentary Assessment of the Association Between Exposure to Alcohol Advertising and Early Adolescents' Beliefs About Alcohol

This study evaluates the momentary association between exposure to alcohol advertising and middle-school students' beliefs about alcohol in real-world settings and to explore racial/ethnic differences in this association.

Nov 11, 2015
News Release

News Release

Prop. 63 Suicide Prevention Investment Will Save Lives and Dollars; California Suicide Prevention Programs Have Broad ...

A mass media campaign intended to help prevent suicides in California is reaching a majority of the state's adults and appears to be increasing their confidence about how to intervene with those at risk. In addition, an assessment of a companion suicide prevention program finds that the long-term impact could be the prevention of at least 140 deaths and 3,600 suicide attempts per year over the next three decades.

May 18, 2015
Report

California Suicide Prevention Programs Have Broad Reach and Impact

A mass media campaign intended to help prevent suicides in California is reaching a majority of the state's adults and appears to be increasing their confidence about how to intervene with those at risk. The campaign encourages the public to “Know the Signs” of suicide and directs people to a website to learn more.

May 18, 2015

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