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How you “act your age” when you watch TV

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Sociological Forum

Abstract

Americans watch a great deal of television. But the factors traditionally considered to determine or explain television usage—availability of free time, low income or class status, low education, emotional difficulties, and lack of structured social interactions—are not generalizable across the adult life span. The television viewing of people over the age of 30 has been understudied—a research bias that mirrors society's youth orientation and essentially excludes older adults from this model. The author analyzed data collected in the National Opinion Research Center's 1988 General Social Survey to assess the determinants of television viewing for adults of all ages. Results indicate that as persons perceive themselves to be in different stages of life and take on age-appropriate roles, tasks, and perspectives, they have distinctively different reasons for viewing. Second, the factors considered to determine TV viewing in the “traditional” model fit the pattern of younger adults' viewing best while predicting the behavior of the elderly least. The author proposes an interpretation of the findings, and discusses future research avenues including the development of age-sensitive models and theories.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, Rutgers University, 08903, New Brunswick, New Jersey

    Mary Chayko

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  1. Mary Chayko
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Chayko, M. How you “act your age” when you watch TV. Sociol Forum 8, 573–593 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01115212

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