To prepare for this Discussion:

• Review Interactive Unit 2: Individuals in Society, paying particular attention to the sections on socialization.
• Reflect on the idea that the media’s functions are to entertain, socialize, and enforce social norms.
• Consider how a child’s age might affect his or her understanding of what is real on television.

With these thoughts in mind:

By Day 3

Post a description of potential implications for socialization that stem from discrepancies between television characters and reality. For example, you might want to conduct research to determine whether the ratio of male to female prime-time television characters is higher or lower than the actual ratio in the U.S. population, and then discuss why this might be important.

Be sure to support your ideas by connecting them to the week’s required readings.

Reading piece ( be sure to citation)

TVViewing Among Kids at an Eight-Year High

Media10-26-2009

Citation:Patricia McDonough, SVP Insights, Analysisand Policy, The Nielsen Company

American children aged2-11 are watching more and more television than they have in years. Newfindings from The Nielsen Company show kids aged 2-5 now spend more than 32hours a week on average in front of a TV screen. The older segment of thatgroup (ages 6-11) spend a little less time, about 28 hours per week watchingTV, due in part that they are more likely to be attending school for longerhours.

This trend of increasedviewing among children mirrors the overall increase in media consumption we’vebeen tracking over the last two years across TV, Internet, Games and Mobilephones. And much like their older family members, the majority of viewing forthese kids is still done watching live TV.

Very Early Adopters

While 97% of kids’viewing is through live TV, younger kids spend more time than the older groupviewing via DVR, DVD and, to a lesser extent, VCR. Four percent of kids aged2-5 watch via those devices on average across total day compared to 2.3% forthose aged 6-11. Their considerable use of these devices at a young age pointsto them being able to adopt new devices comfortably as they grow up. One morething younger kids do more than those age 6-11 is watch more commercials. Youngkids also watch commercials in playback mode more than older kids and adults,as well as watch their favorite shows over and over and over on DVD, VOD andDVR.

Older kids may not usethe DVR, DVD and VCR as much as the very young, but they spend twice as muchtime playing video games — 2 hours 23 minutes a week compared to 1 hour 12minutes for those 2-5. Internet usage among older kids is also significantly higheras nearly half of kids 6-11 spent time on the Internet in August versus 20% ofkids 2-5.