Children and Television

Does violence on TV lead to violent behaviour? How does screen time impact child development? What is the effect of advertising on a child’s behaviour? Twenty years after the publication of the first edition of Children and Television, these issues remain as pertinent as ever. In the new Classic Edition of this core textbook, Gunter and Gunter present research evidence into the effects of television on children and their responses to it. This comprehensive work examines a wide range of issues, including children’s knowledge of television and how it impacts social roles, aggressive behaviour, advertising, health orientation and both good and bad behaviour, and concludes that children are sophisticated viewers and control television far more than it controls them. The Classic Edition includes a new preface to the current context of the book, exploring the emergence of new TV channels, enhanced home recording capacity, archiving and streaming services replacing traditional forms of viewing with non-linear viewing and their impact on children. This book is essential reading for postgraduate and undergraduate students taking courses on child development and family studies.

About the Author

Barrie Gunter is a psychologist by training who worked in the broadcasting industry before moving to the academic world. He has specialised in the study of the psychological impacts of television and the Internet. He has produced 70 books and more than five hundred other publications on media, marketing and business topics. He is Emeritus Professor in Media at the University of Leicester.

Jill Gunter (formerly McAleer) has degrees in education, statistics and film and television and has worked in market research, teaching and educational research and management. She has written/co-written a number of books and research papers about children and television.