Focuses on the influence of television, particularly commercial television, on Australian school children. (CM)

"Lift Off" is a new, innovative children's television series produced by the Australian Children's Television Foundation that has been well received by young children, parents, critics, and educators. One typical half-hour program is profiled. Questions the claims that "Lift Off" will enrich the lives of a whole age cohort,…

Designed for media specialists and educators, the four articles in this issue focus on television's effects on children. Following a brief editorial reviewing current directions of research in this area, the first article compares the American pre-school educational television program "Sesame Street" with its Australian counterpart.…

Australian studies show that television assists in the socialization of immigrants, changing and shaping their self-images and perceptions of reality and fostering their interpersonal communication skills. Studies conducted to evaluate the introduction of television have found that television helps in the vocabulary development of young children.…