Abstract

    Is there any basis for the concern many parents have about their child's commitment to television? How does such commitment affect other behaviours, positive and negative, in the teen years? What characteristics of the home, parents, child and neighbourhood are strongly associated with high and low levels of commitment to television? How are girls affected differently than boys? These are some of the questions addressed in this study.

    Tables and charts are presented that reveal the degree of television commitment is positively (negatively) associated with a wide range of characteristics of the child, parents, family, neighbourhood and school, qualities that most would consider undesirable (desirable) for the child. The assumed association receives confirmation when one looks at the behaviours of the child eight years later.

    For example, teen girls and boys who had never had sexual intercourse, did not smoke marijuana or were non-drinkers in the past year tended to be characterised by little television viewing. The same was true for boys, but not girls, who had positive attitudes concerning their future, and who were happy with life.

    On the negative side, both teen girls and boys who see their romantic friend frequently, who smoke, who have used LSD or acid, who have sold drugs, are sexually active, and those who have damaged things not belonging to them, all these groups and several others watched television much more than the average in childhood.

    Analyses of teen behaviours show some enduring influences of the child's commitment to television, even after many other important childhood factors are controlled: the child's age, faith affiliation and number of biological parents; the main parent's age, sex, and educational attainment; and the family's region of residence

    The results for television viewing in general accord with our assumption concerning a negative influence. Among teen girls, for example, we find a higher likelihood of smoking, and LSD/ acid use. In addition, teen girls have more close friends who smoke marijuana, who have drunk alcohol, and who see their boyfriend more frequently,

    Among teen boys, for example, we find the likelihood is higher of drinking, of attempting suicide, of considering suicide, of getting upset easily, of being less positive about the future; and of having a weak relationship with their father.

    Among both teen girls and boys, we find the frequency of teen worship is lower, the greater the time spent watching television or videos eight years earlier.

    The introduction includes a postscript for Christians and inquirers intended to provide helpful resources for parents and prospective parents.