MEDIA BEHAVIOUR OF PRESCHOOL CHILDREN: TV AND TV ADVERTISING VIEWING

Abstract: Th is study aims to analyse the TV and TV advertising viewing habits of preschool children. Th is study uses a qualitative approach based on media diaries, which were completed by the parents of fi fteen preschool children over one week. Th e fi ndings show that the preferable daypart for viewing TV by preschool children is the evening hours. Furthermore, the children mostly view children’s oriented TV programmes either alone or with their siblings. Th e results show that advertising infl uences children’s behaviour. In contrast with several previous studies, this paper does not support the claim that children begin to understand advertising messages from the age of eight as the study shows they understand it at an earlier age. Ultimately, this study confi rms that TV advertising is still a convenient tool for communication with preschool ch ildren. Th e fi ndings of this study contribute to the on-going debate about children’s TV viewing behaviour and children’s TV advertising.

 

Key words: advertisement for children, mass media communication, media consumption, TV commercials, TV watching