Heavy Media Use, Boys, and Behavior

[Dr. Soraya Giaccardi]: Now the broader literature has found that higher media use among boys and men is associated with a variety of things, including risk-taking behaviors. And “risk-taking” is a broad concept, right? So the literature has looked at that in various ways. We’ve examined, for example, the relationship between media use and risky driving behaviors, substance use and sexual risk-taking. Media use is also associated with emotional withdrawal or emotional restrictiveness. It’s also associated with a negative body image, although, as Jason mentioned earlier, this is an area of work that’s pretty understudied. It’s been getting more attention in recent years and hopefully we will continue to see a lot more nuance research on boys and body image. And media use is also associated with an endorsement of traditional gender roles and behaviors. And again, that could include a variety of things, things like career aspirations or expectations around sexual relationships, right? So endorsing the idea that girls should be the gatekeepers of sexual relationships. Boys should be the pursuers.