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In contemporary society, childhood is characterized as mediatized and commercialized. Media consumption worlds (MCWs) are a phenomenon that mirrors both aspects. They are narratives that are presented through various media platforms, games, and merchandising products. In this paper, the concept of children's MCWs is developed theoretically and investigated empirically using the case of primary school children's appropriation of MCWs as well as parental mediation and attitude in Austria and Germany. A mixed-methods design was applied, starting with qualitative interviews with children and their parents and followed by an online survey for parents (N=327). The study revealed that children find individual ways to deal with MCWs, some of which foster creativity and self-expression but also consumerism. The parents' attitude is ambivalent. They view MCWs as beneficial in terms of creativity, positive values, and as peer group experience. However, parents observe critically that MCWs lure children to the media and to consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What happens when a crisis such as COVID-19 fully occupies the political and media agenda? Do previous political concerns, such as those on migration, remain salient? Here, I propose and validate a model of issue survival during times of crisis. I argue that issues remain salient when individuals are able to cognitively link "displaced" issues with the ongoing crisis. Such connections between displaced issues and the crisis can be influenced by the media, who, through a process of networked agenda setting, help establish connections between issues. I test this model on the salience of migration during the COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland and Germany. Leveraging panel surveys administered before and during lockdowns, I show that the issue of migration was displaced during the crisis. Nevertheless, as proposed by the model, this decline in issue salience did not occur for individuals connecting migration to the pandemic. Combining panels with individual-level media consumption data obtained through webtracking, I provide evidence that issue survival was significantly related to the consumption of news stories linking migration to the COVID-19 crisis. The study raises questions about the flow of public opinion during moments of mass uncertainty and highlights the key role media consumption can play in understanding previous issues in new a light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attitudes to climate-friendly policies often align with individual political leaning and associated media consumption patterns, but the mechanisms explaining this relationship are not well understood. This study presents an in-depth qualitative analysis of portrayals of political actors from 229 articles published in six German and US news outlets during May–July 2019. The results show that the outlets consumed by left- and right-leaning audiences emphasise oppositional identity portrayals, portraying features that are likely to trigger a negative response towards political identities typically opposed by their recipients. The outlets with a more balanced or centrist audience offer a wider array of identity portrayals and emphasise policy questions over fundamental beliefs. Observed patterns differ considerably between Germany and the US, reflecting political and media system differences. The results offer insight into how media reporting can contribute to political polarisation and consensus-building regarding climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding consumers’ perception of media brands in today’s digitalized world is of major importance to media brands and advertisers alike. Influencing the media consumption experience, trust is one of the key drivers of this perception. Based on the differing business models as compared to brands, a specific foundation for the research on media brands is essential. Based on qualitative and quantitative data from Germany, the US, and South Korea we are able to present 17 “media” categories, building the foundation for a user-centric definition of media brands. Further, we identify eleven dimensions constituting the multidimensional construct of media brand trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Discourse: Journal of Childhood & Adolescense Research / Diskurs Kindheits- und Jugendforschung is the property of Verlag Barbara Budrich GmbH and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The physical health of individuals is degenerating worldwide. The decrease in sporting activities among young people appears critical, as most life habits evolve during childhood. Among others, the rising share of media consumption among children is thought to be a primary determinant of the decline in demand for sports participation. Consequently, the mainstream of past studies on demand for media consumption and health argue with a "per se" negative link between TV consumption and physical activities. To shed new light on this, we investigate the impact of the Japanese animated cartoon (anime) "Attack No 1" on youth volleyball participation in Germany in the mid‐1990s. We base our estimations on official club membership data (1985–2007) and use a difference‐in‐differences (DID) approach to empirically estimate the anime's causal effect on youth volleyball participation. With an average annual growth rate of 22.75%, the results show a strong short‐term volleyball boom among young girls after the anime. Numbers also increased slightly among male adolescents. Correlations did not suggest solid long‐term effects. However, based on the available data, no causal statements regarding long‐term effects were possible either. Additionally, we found no evidence that suggests substitution effects. Instead, accumulated youth female enrollments rose by 2.1% during the broadcasting time. Spill‐over effects on non‐ball‐based sports have not been identified. We conclude that TV content portraying sports might work as a nudge to increase sports demand among young people. Thus, the production or streaming of sport‐related animated cartoons should be incentivized to a greater extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Zeitschrift für Psychosomatische Medizin und Psychotherapie is the property of Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Surveys continue to be a popular way of collecting data in the social sciences. But, despite their popularity they have a number of limitations including the possibility of changing the behaviour of respondents. Such mere-measure or question-behaviour effects can compromise the external validity of social data. In this article, we use digital trace data collected from PCs and mobile devices to investigate the effects of surveys on news and politics consumption. Using a non-probability panel of respondents in Germany we combine the digital trace data with that from three online surveys regarding the federal election. In contrast to our expectation, the participation in the survey does not influence online news and politics media consumption. Furthermore, we find weak evidence that respondents with previous high media consumption are less likely to be influenced by doing the survey compared to those with low media consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With digitization and the spread of smartphones in many areas of life, mobile devices have also become increasingly relevant in education. While comprehensive research exists especially for smartphone use among teenagers and students, the findings for elementary school students are limited. Based on a survey, this case study provides exploratory insights into the smartphone usage behavior of elementary school students in a rural region in northern Germany. The responses of 33 students in grades 3 and 4 (ages 8 to 10) show that many students already own a smartphone at this age and use it daily, sometimes for several hours, especially for gaming and media consumption. The influence of owning an own smartphone on usage and leisure activities is reviewed. School use is of little relevance among the elementary school students surveyed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is inconclusive evidence for the effects of various leisure activities on attention performance in children. The literature reports inconsistent associations between activities such as physical activities or media use. To date, no study has thoroughly examined the various factors influencing attentional performance in a larger cohort of healthy children. This study aims to close this research gap., Methods: From 2018 to 2019, the Leipzig School Nutrition Study collected data from 1215 children and their families. The children report their dietary behavior (using CoCu- Questionnaire), especially their participation in school lunch and their breakfast habits, through a paper questionnaire. Furthermore, attention performance was assessed using a validated test (FAIR-2) at school. Data on physical activity, media consumption, family eating habits and socio-economic status (SES) were collected from parents using questionnaires. Associations between attention and influencing factors were estimated using hierarchical linear regression. Analyses were adjusted for age, SES, and school type., Results: Attending upper secondary schools (ß adj = 23.6, p < 0.001) and having a higher SES (ß= 1.28, p < 0.001) was associated with higher attention performance. Children doing leisure-time sports (ß adj = 4.18, p = 0.046) or reading books for at least one hour/weekday showed better attention performance (ß adj = 3.8, p = 0.040). Attention performance was also better in children having no electronic devices in the bedroom (ß adj = 13.0, p = 0.005) and in children whose parents limited their children's Internet access (ß adj = 5.2, p = 0.012). We did not find any association between nutritional habits and attention performance., Conclusions: We found that fostering modifiable habits such as reading and physical activity could enhance attention performance. These findings have substantial implications for the development of prevention and intervention programs that aim to improve attention in schoolchildren. It is important to note, however, that social status as a hardly modifiable factor also impacts attention performance. Therefore, interventions should address personal habits in a systemic approach considering the child's social status., Trial Registration: The study is retrospectively registered with the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS00017317, registration: 05-29-2019)., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The study investigates the influence of media stereotypes on the degree of presumed media influence on others and the resulting effects for people's own attitudes toward a minority. We examine how the presumption of negative effects of media stereotypes on others can lead to a correction of one's own attitude toward Muslims. In an online experiment, we test the relationship among media stereotyping, presumed media effects, and attitudinal and behavioral consequences. The results show that one's own attitude toward Muslims is corrected when people presume a negative influence of media stereotypes about Muslims on other people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In context of the current COVID-19 pandemic the consumption of pandemic-related media coverage may be an important factor that is associated with anxiety and psychological distress. Aim of the study was to examine those associations in the general population in Germany. 6233 participants took part in an online-survey (March 27th–April 6th, 2020), which included demographic information and media exploitation in terms of duration, frequency and types of media. Symptoms of depression, unspecific anxiety and COVID-19 related anxiety were ascertained with standardized questionnaires. Frequency, duration and diversity of media exposure were positively associated with more symptoms of depression and unspecific and COVID-19 specific anxiety. We obtained the critical threshold of seven times per day and 2.5 h of media exposure to mark the difference between mild and moderate symptoms of (un)specific anxiety and depression. Particularly the usage of social media was associated with more pronounced psychological strain. Participants with pre-existing fears seem to be particularly vulnerable for mental distress related to more immoderate media consumption. Our findings provide some evidence for problematical associations of COVID-19 related media exposure with psychological strain and could serve as an orientation for recommendations—especially with regard to the thresholds of critical media usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Myopia (near-sightedness) is increasing worldwide, especially in Asia. The aim of this study was to describe trends in the prevalence of myopia in Germany. Methods: We analyzed data from the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS; baseline survey 2003-2006, N = 17 640; wave 2, 2014-2017, N = 15 023). The presence of myopia was determined from a parent questionnaire and validated by the use of a visual aid. The population prevalence of myopia was calculated. Based on the KiGGS wave 2 data, potential risk factors for myopia were identified by means of logistic regression. Results: The prevalence of myopia at the age of 0-17 years in Germany was 11.6% (95% confidence interval [11.0; 12.2]) in the period 2003--2006 and 11.4% [10.7; 12.2] in 2014--2017. No age group of either sex exhibited a relevant, statistically significant change in the prevalence of myopia. In the adjusted model (adjusted for age, sex, family socioeconomic status, family history of migration), no association was found between myopia and use of digital media. More time spent reading books was associated with myopia: reading for more than 2 h/day showed an odds ratio of 1.69 [1.3; 2.2]. Conclusion: The prevalence of myopia in children and adolescents in Germany has remained virtually unchanged over a period of approximately 10 years. Changes in media consumption, such as the increased use of smartphones in this age group, have therefore had no detectable impact on the development of myopia, at least not so far. Future studies should investigate the influences of further increases in media use and examine the long-term effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of nutrition as a research topic is linked not only to healthy eating and different types of medical conditions, such as obesity, allergies, malnutrition, but also to the relationship between nutrition and physical activity, to state's and large food companies' commercial activities, as well as to the sustainability of food production. On that basis, numerous studies have analyzed media content related to food and nutrition, their basic assumption being that (new and old) media have the ability to change the audience's perceptions, behaviors and attitudes towards various values which are accepted in contemporary societies. This paper presents the results of a comparative study of the way in which Romanian and German media cover the topic of nutrition. The research method used was the content analysis, applied to a sample of articles published on online media from the two countries between 2014 and 2016. Having as research objective the identification of the most relevant aspects regarding the content and shape of nutrition's coverage in media, this article discusses the similarities and differences recorded in the online press of the two countries on the topic of interest. According to the findings, the similarities are mainly related to some topics and subjects addressed, as well as to the ways of covering them, in particular through analysis articles, while the differences could instead be ascertained regarding the content of the articles, including the ways in which the journalists assume social roles in approaching, informing, debating, and educating concerning issues of public interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Broadband internet reduces overall sex crime growth that is driven by child sex abuse. • The net internet effect is neither driven by reporting behavior, nor matching processes. • Consumption of extreme and violent media plays an important role. • Potential perpetrators with a relationship to the childs' family are most likely to respond to media exposure. This paper studies the effects of the introduction of a new mass medium on sex crime in Germany. I use unique data on criminal offenses and broadband internet measured at the municipal level to shed light on this issue. In order to address endogeneity in broadband internet availability, I exploit technical peculiarities at the regional level that determine the roll-out of high-speed internet. Results provide evidence of a substitution effect of internet exposure on sex crime. The substitution effect is neither driven by differences in reporting behavior, nor by matching processes at the victim and offender side. This suggests that the consumption of extreme media plays an important role in explaining the documented high-speed internet effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In our time span (from 1866 to 1918), the Germans become finally, and more so than ever before, a people of newspaper readers, writes historian Thomas Nipperdey, who continues: ‘Reading newspapers becomes a daily activity, it becomes important, yes, it becomes, to a certain extent, conscience and attitude-forming; the press becomes coherent, one system, it becomes a power'. Without wanting to discount already attained research achievements, it should be said that communication history has not sufficiently explored the dimensions of the process outlined by Nipperdey or its ramifications. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Studies report a strong impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and related stressors on the mental well-being of the general population. In this paper, we investigated whether COVID-19 related concerns and social adversity affected schizotypal traits, anxiety, and depression using structural equational modelling. In mediation analyses, we furthermore explored whether these associations were mediated by healthy (sleep and physical exercise) or unhealthy behaviours (drug and alcohol consumption, excessive media use)., Methods: We assessed schizotypy, depression, and anxiety as well as healthy and unhealthy behaviours and a wide range of sociodemographic scores using online surveys from residents of Germany and the United Kingdom over 1 year during the COVID-19 pandemic. Four independent samples were collected (April/May 2020: N=781, September/October 2020: N=498, January/February 2021: N=544, May 2021: N=486). The degree of schizotypy was measured using the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ), anxiety, and depression symptoms were surveyed with the Symptom Checklist (SCL-27), and healthy and unhealthy behaviours were assessed with the Coronavirus Health Impact Survey (CRISIS). Structural equation models were used to consider the influence of COVID-19 related concerns and social adversity on depressive and anxiety-related symptoms and schizotypal traits in relation to certain healthy (sleep and exercise) and unhealthy behaviours (alcohol and drug consumption, excessive media use)., Results: The results revealed that COVID-19 related life concerns were significantly associated with schizotypy in the September/October 2020 and May 2021 surveys, with anxiety in the September/October 2020, January/February 2021, and May 2021 surveys, and with depressive symptoms in all surveys. Social adversity significantly affected the expression of schizotypal traits and depressive and anxiety symptoms in all four surveys. Importantly, we found that excessive media consumption (>4 hr per day) fully mediated the relationship between COVID-19 related life concerns and schizotypal traits in the January/February 2021 survey. Furthermore, several of the surveys showed that excessive media consumption was associated with increased depressive and anxiety-related symptoms in people burdened by COVID-19 related life., Conclusions: The ongoing uncertainties of the pandemic and the restrictions on social life have a strong impact on mental well-being and especially the expression of schizotypal traits. The negative impact is further boosted by excessive media consumption, which is especially critical for people with high schizotypal traits., Funding: FK received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 (Grant number 754,462). SN received funding from the Cundill Centre for Child and Youth Depression at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada and the Wellcome Trust Institutional Strategic Support Fund from the University of Cambridge., Competing Interests: SD, LM, SN, GM, FK No competing interests declared, (© 2022, Daimer et al.)

Background: The well-being of persons with overweight and obesity, in particular of children and adolescents, may be impaired. The present study investigates the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of girls and boys with overweight and obesity living in Germany as compared to those of normal-weight, while taking a selection of relevant determinants of HRQoL into account., Methods: The sample comprises 1771 children and adolescents aged 11 to 17 years that took part in the cross-sectional German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KIGGS Wave 2, 2014-2017). Sex-and age-specific BMI (kg/m 2 ) percentiles were utilized to classify overweight and obesity. HRQoL was measured with the KIDSCREEN-27 questionnaire, which gathers detailed information about the five dimensions physical and psychological well-being, well-being regarding peers (i.e., social acceptance), parents (i.e., autonomy) and within the school environment. Multiple regression analyses were performed with HRQoL dimensions as outcomes to test for differences between children and adolescents with normal-weight vs. those with overweight and vs. those with obesity, separately for girls and boys. In a next step, age, physical activity, media consumption, social support and self-efficacy were considered as potential confounders in the analyses., Results: 18.7% of the children and adolescents under study were affected by overweight and among them 8.0% by obesity. After adjusting for potential confounders, overweight and obesity were associated with lower physical well-being as compared to normal weight in both sexes (boys with overweight: standardized beta [β] = -.14, standard error [SE] = .03, p < .001, and obesity: β = -.16, SE = .03, p < .001; girls with overweight: β = -.09, SE = .04, p = .011, and obesity: β = -.11, SE = .03, p = .003). Results moreover suggest lower levels of psychological (β = -.10, SE = .04, p = .002) and parent-related well-being (β = -.08, SE = .04, p = .036) of boys with obesity as compared to normal-weight peers., Conclusion: HRQoL of German children and adolescents with overweight and obesity is impaired according to physical well-being in general, while psychological and parent-related well-being is particularly affected in boys. Public health approaches should therefore promote children and adolescents with overweight and obesity by improving diverse facets of HRQoL as well as relevant associated factors (i.e., media consumption, self-efficacy) in general and in boys in particular.

Background: Previous studies have already reported associations of media consumption and/or physical activity with school achievement. However, longitudinal studies investigating independent effects of physical activity and media consumption on school performance are sparse. The present study fills this research gap and, furthermore, assesses relationships of the type of secondary school with media consumption and physical activity., Methods: The consumption of screen-based media (TV/video, game console, PC/internet, and mobile phone) and leisure physical activity (organized and non-organized) of 10 - to 17-year old adolescents participating in the LIFE Child study in Germany were related to their school grades in two major school subjects (Mathematics and German) and in Physical Education. In addition to a cross-sectional analysis at baseline (N = 850), a longitudinal analysis (N = 512) investigated the independent effects of these activities on the school grades achieved 12 months later. All associations were adjusted for age, gender, socio-economic status, year of data assessment, body-mass-index, and school grades at baseline. A further analysis investigated differences in the consumption of screen-based media and physical activity as a function of the type of secondary school (highest vs. lower secondary school)., Results: Adolescents of lower secondary schools reported a significantly higher consumption of TV/video and game consoles than adolescents attending the highest secondary school. Independently of the type of school, a better school performance in Mathematics was predicted by a lower consumption of computers/internet, and a better performance in Physical Education was predicted by a lower consumption of TV/video and a higher frequency of non-organized physical activity. However, the association between non-organized physical activity and subsequent grades in Physical Education was significant in girls only., Conclusion: The present results suggest that media consumption has a negative effect on school achievement, whereas physical activity has a positive effect, which, however, is restricted to the subject Physical Education. Future studies might explore the relationship between media consumption and school career, for example, the choice or change of the secondary school type, in more detail., Trial Registration: LIFE Child study: ClinicalTrials.gov, clinical trial number NCT02550236.