THE IMPACT OF TELEVISION IN THE SOCIAL CONTEXT

Studies which purport to demonstrate the adverse effects of television on the behaviour and moral standards of young people are consistent in that they refer to the media in isolation. It is frequently forgotten that television is merely one of many cues available to the child. Parents, peers and the demand characteristics of situations are more important as determiners of our social behaviour. Experimental studies have demonstrated, however, that some children are more prone to be influenced by television than others, variables such as intelligence and the lack of a specific competence being of importance. Experiments are discussed which demonstrate that the extent of a child's pre-experience affects the amount he is influenced by filmed models, and also that working-class children are more influenced than their middle-class counterparts because of their more limited experiences. It is suggested that a child's experiences "innoculate" him against the influence of television. Studies which show that children from relatively deprived home backgrounds are less able to fantasise and therefore are more vulnerable to the impact of television support the idea that the more deprived the child's own environment the greater the impact of television.