Television in Young Children’s Social Relationships

Abstract

Our aim is to highlight the role played by television in pre-school-aged childrens social relationships. We moreover examine how social relationships are related to childrens capabilities to cope with their television fears. Children aged 5 to 6 (N=309) were interviewed in three Finnish university cities using previously developed interview methods. Parents (N=297) completed four questionnaires covering family background, TV viewing habits, psychiatric well-being and quality and quantity of the childs sleep. Television viewing by pre-school-aged children was quite social in nature, although our qualitative data suggested that television was sometimes also used in asocial ways. Co-viewing within the family was common, whereas peer groups signi? cance in the media reception process was evident after the viewing situation, in childrens games based on television programs. 62% of children reported at least one television fear. However, it seems that the presence of family members may help children to cope with television fears.