New Media and an Ethics Analysis Model for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

We and our patients are immersed in a mediascape that is unparalleled in history. It is a force of monumental proportion that for many youth competes with and has replaced parental, social, and cultural influences on their development. The ethical questions regarding this dynamic are frequently answered by little else than the application of vague and dated moral dictums based on “old media.” To engender a comprehensive understanding of how “new media” interacts with our patients, we suggest a new perspective on the differentiation of old media from new media. Then, using our conceptual model of new media, we break down the ethical questions into the several overlapping ethical areas, these being media, professional, and bioethical. To aid in the application of the system of thought we provide a structured system of ethical analysis. Through these, we hope that this issue can be looked at with increased clarity and guidance within a framework for future thought.