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Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/index.php/JSMaP
e-ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 01 Issue 03
April 2015
Available online: http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/ P a g e | 98
An Empirical Review of Television as Potentially Beneficial
Medium for Children; Exploring Some Realities.
1Tasawar Abbas Lali; 2Asghar Ali Gill; 3Najam Ul Hassan ; 4Muhammad Sher Juni
•
1M.Phil Scholar Department of Communication Studies B.Z University Lahore
Campus
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2-3Department of Communication Studies University of Sargodha Pakistan
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4Ph.D scholar Department of Communication School of Multimedia Technology and
Communication Universiti Utara Malaysia
•
Introduction
The purpose of this literature review is to identify and review research which supports the
view that children’s television is a potentially beneficial medium; that in certain
circumstances it can be a powerful educational tool; that it can inform and inspire; and that it
is culturally relevant to today’s children. Many discussions of television’s impact on children
focus only on its negative influence in relation to violence and advertising, for example, but
it is also important to recognise that television can also have a positive impact. As two noted
commentators point out:
Television can be of general benefit to children. It can bring them into contact with
aspects of life they would not otherwise become aware of. It can provide a valuable tool
in the home and at school not simply to keep children occupied but also, if used
appropriately, as a constructive way to use their time....Television is not a ‘one-eyed
monster’ lurking impishly in the corner of the living room, kitchen or bedroom waiting
to exert an evil influence over young members of the household. It is a channel through
which a range of entertainment, drama and learning can be obtained and experienced
and increasingly these days it is under the control of the viewer (Gunter and McAleer,
1997: xii-xiii).
However, before starting such a review it should be noted that children’s television
consumption now takes place in a much more complex media environment. When British
academic Maire Messenger Davies wrote her book Television is Good for Your Kids in 1989,
which challenged the view that television turned its young viewers into ‘layabouts’ and
Page 2 of 29
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/index.php/JSMaP
e-ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 01 Issue 03
April 2015
Available online: http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/ P a g e | 99
‘morons’, most British children only had access to the terrestrial offerings of the BBC, ITV
and Channel 4. This landscape has radically changed, and British children now inhabit a
‘media-rich’ environment (Livingstone 2002: 41) of multichannel television, mobile phones,
the internet and computer games. According to Ofcom’s latest media literacy audit, 72% of
children aged 8-15 now have access to digital TV, 64% have access to the internet at home,
half own game consoles, and 65% of 8-15s own mobile phones (including 49% of 8-11year
olds) (Ofcom 2006). However, although they use different media in their everyday life,
television is still the most popular medium, occupying a significant proportion of children’s
time, up to 13.9 hours a week, with higher viewing for those from ethnic minority (15.2
hours) and low income groups (15.5 hours) (Ofcom, 2006; see also Livingstone, 2002: 60;
Rideout, 2003: 12).
Television is still an important medium for children and they use television actively.
However, while children regard it primarily as a source of entertainment (see Buckingham,
1996: Livingstone 2002), many parents often see media, particularly for young children, as
an important educational tool that can assist children’s intellectual development (see Rideout
et al 2003: 12). In a recent American study, only 38% of parents believed that television
mostly helped children’s learning, but they were relieved to make use of media, because they
saw advances in the educational quality of media content (Kaiser Foundation: 2006: 32). In
focus groups almost all parents pointed to ‘learning’ as one of the biggest advantages of
television, and observed their children learning from television (ibid.). Buckingham and
Sefton-Green, writing about the Pokemon phenomenon, point to the potential pedagogic
value of non-educational programmes for children as well (i.e. those not particularly
produced for educational aims), that show children how to learn (2004). They argue that
education should be distinguished from learning (ibid.: 29). Children can learn skills from
popular culture (e.g. Pokemon) such as how to behave, what to want and to feel and how to
respond (p. 28). This type of learning is distinguished from ‘official’ educational knowledge.
Viewed from this perspective the ‘learning’ that takes place via television makes it one of the
major players in the socialization process alongside more traditional socializing agents such
as the family, school and peer groups (Signorielli & Morgan 2001: 333), reflecting society’s
values and culture (Takanishi 1982: 99).
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Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
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e-ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 01 Issue 03
April 2015
Available online: http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/ P a g e | 100
In this review, the educational impact of television is related to a certain official curriculum
while the learning impact of television has a broader meaning encompassing the socialisation
process and how children develop their understanding of television. In general most of the
studies that look at the educational impact of children’s programmes originate in the US.
They focus predominantly on educational programming (particularly Sesame Street) aimed at
children aged three to five and the extent to which these programmes promote school
readiness and academic skills. As a result, there is very little existing research concerning
the potential beneficial impact of children’s entertainment programming, and even less
research that relates to British experiences and British programmes, where the categories of
education and entertainment are often blurred (Close, 2004: 10). Finally, there is very little
research on the potential beneficial impact of television, either generally or educationally, on
older children.
Understanding how children
develop televisual literacy
Before discussing the impact of television
on areas such as language development,
for example, it is important to understand
how children acquire the skills that enable
them to understand television. Children
do not perceive television in the same way
that adults do, and develop televisual skills
step by step in line with their cognitive
development. Age and linguistic maturity
determine how a child will respond to and
engage with TV. According to Piaget
children experience four stages of
cognitive development, which can be
applied to television (Piaget, 1969; Lemish,
2007). Children under two experience a
‘sensory-motor’ stage, where their senses
and actions show them that objects on
television feel differently to those
experienced in real life (see Lemish, 2007:
39). During a ‘pre-operational’ stage
between 2 and 7 when they are acquiring
language, they develop representational
thinking skills, which allow them to talk
about their experience of television.
Between 7 and 12 (the concrete
operational stage), children begin to
engage in abstract thought which allows
them to understand the medium’s codes
and conventions sufficiently to follow
storylines. They develop levels of
perception (televisual literacy), which
allow them to understand the chunks and
segments that constitute a television
programme and how they are linked
(Signorielli, 1991: 28). From the age of 12
children are assumed to understand
television in a similar way to adults (See
