The portrayal of reading, writing, and other selected behaviors on prime-time network television was examined in this two-part study. First, an interest inventory was administered to a sample of 301 elementary students (i.e., grades 1-5) in South Carolina, Virginia, and Pennsylvania to determine their favorite television shows, books, and school…

Research on children and media has generally focused on the negative impact of media on developing minds. However, a theoretical framework is proposed for thinking about the role of television for American children from a developmental perspective. Instead of focusing on television's effects, television viewing can be examined as is any other…

A study was conducted to determine the influence on parents of televised warnings about content unsuitable for children and to determine parents' attitudes toward such warnings. Researchers conducted interviews in 422 homes and distributed questionnaires with Likert-type and frequency scale items. While parents recognized and observed the…

Summarizes research findings on the structures, codes, and conventions of television as a communicative symbol, and on the effects of television on cognitive and social development. Suggests that television viewing can induce active cognitive processing, and that television can be a potent tool for teaching and communicating with young children.…

In 1972, a study was undertaken to test the reactions of media-inexperienced children in the Jamaican highlands to their first exposure to video-cassette-delivered episodes of "Sesame Street." Children were randomly selected from three different age groups: three to five-year-olds, six to eight-year-olds, and nine to eleven-year-olds.…

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) made a study of British children and the mass media. Statistics were gathered by the BBC Audience Research Department from January to March of 1973. The aim of the study was to examine the influence of television and radio in the lives of children under the age of 15, to describe the aims and range of…

In view of the significant impact of television on children, the national leadership must work for increased production of high quality children's programs. Public and private actions are needed to generate both financial and nonfinancial incentives to encourage creativity in the television industry. (Author/MJL)

The 1998 Roper Youth Report is based on a nationwide cross-section of 1,189 children aged 6 to 17 years. Face-to-face interviews were conducted in the children's homes during April and May, 1998. Children who watch Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) are more likely to read, be active participants and share in family activities than non-viewers. PBS…