Could exposure to TV and new media be harmful to your children? A report released Tuesday by the nonprofit group Common Sense Media suggests that it might. The report reviewed studies on media and health from the last 30 years and found that 80 percent of them showed that more time spent watching TV, playing video games, and surfing the Web led to negative health effects in children and adolescents.

The study, a meta-analysis conducted by researchers at the National Institutes of Health, Yale University, and California Pacific Medical Center looked at 173 studies published since 1980 that examined the relationship of media exposure with seven different health outcomes, including tobacco use, sexual behavior, obesity, academic performance, and drug/alcohol use. Many of the studies reviewed were largely focused on television but some examined the effects of video games, films, music, and computer and Internet use.

Three quarters of the studies found that increased media viewing was associated with negative health outcomes. The strongest relationship was found between media exposure and obesity: 86 percent of the studies suggested a strong relationship between increased screen time and obesity.

As a group, the studies also offered strong evidence that children who get more media exposure are more likely to start smoking, use drugs and alcohol, perform poorly in school, and begin sexual activity earlier than those who spend less time in front of a screen. The studies linking media exposure and Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) were less conclusive.

Due to the increasingly pervasive presence of media in modern society, parents and educators may want to carefully consider the effects of media on children in their care. The researchers recommend that parents place limits on the amount of media their kids consume, and urge them to make smart, age-appropriate choices. They also believe educators should implement media literacy programs in their schools and policymakers need to make media education programs a national priority.

For more information about children’s health, visit the Healia Health Community on Child Health. For information on childhood obesity, see the Healia Health Guide on Weight Management.

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