Television viewing as a dominant activity of childhood: A developmental theory of television effects
- 1 December 1985
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis in Critical Studies in Mass Communication
- Vol. 2 (4) , 323-337
- https://doi.org/10.1080/15295038509360095
Abstract
This essay provides a theoretical framework for thinking about the role of television for American children from a developmental perspective. It is proposed that television viewing be seen as any other activity of childhood: a constant series of interactions with social, cultural, and personal information that lead to the child becoming a functioning member of society. The “interactions” with television are examined as a dominant activity of American childhood and adolescence. A dominant activity, long a theme in Soviet cognitive psychology, is composed of a set of tasks common to most children in a particular culture. By viewing the television setting in this way, we can better understand its effects and suggest a more theoretically‐coherent research agenda.Keywords
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