| Abstract [eng] |
The increased TV programs watching rates, the negative affect upon a child’s development produced by the television, negative aspects of the content of television programs for children have necessitated a closer look at the fact that responsibility of the family when securing the child against the negative affect of the public information is very high. That is why the survey was conducted in order to find out children’s habits of television watching and the rules set by the family as well as to compare children and parents’ point of views. The object of the survey covered the aspects of television watching habits and rules named both by parents and children: duration, watching distribution during the day, the day of the week, the discussion of the program, comments, television watching along with a peer, a sibling or a parent, watching commercials in between the programs, child’s age, program index, nature, ban from television watching as a punishment as well as allowing to watch television longer as a reward. 710 respondents were questioned: 386 third and seventh grade students and 324 parents. The results of the survey have shown the differences in children and parents’ subjective conceptions of television watching habits and rules in the family. Both third and seventh grade students spend more time watching television than it is recommended by medics and psychologists. It can be maintained that parents are aware of the duration of children’s television watching and accept that. One part of the third grade students always watch only programs for children, whereas more than a half of their parents expect that to be often. The survey has shown that more that a half of the children watch television programs without any selection made by their parents in advance; families have no rules of television watching, and in those families where the rules have been set, only a small part of parents control their abidance. According to the children, a great part of parents make no comments on particular fragments of programs while watching them together; they only sometimes discuss those ones being watched by the children on their own. Children are sometimes allowed to watch television longer as a reward for good behavior. Habits and rules of television watching in the family fail to meet the recommendations as defined by the scientists, and children may not be secured against the negative affect upon their physical, social, and emotional development. |
