Television as a Social or Solo Activity: Understanding Families' Everyday Television Viewing Patterns

Over four days, a researcher recorded the at-home activities of 30 families at 10-min intervals. Television viewing was the second most frequently observed activity for parents and the most frequently observed activity for children. Most television was watched in common areas of the home and in the presence of at least one other person, with the most common viewing configuration involving both parents and at least one child. When parents pursued another activity in conjunction with TV viewing, that activity was most likely to be in-person social interaction. In contrast, children were more likely to watch TV in bedroom spaces and were more likely to pair TV viewing with other leisure activities. In families with TVs in a child’s bedroom (about 1⁄2 of the families), children were especially likely to watch TV alone and in non-common areas of the home. The results indicate that parents tend to engage in television viewing as a social activity, but that children may be more likely to be solo viewers.