Alternatives to Family Television Viewing: A Multilevel Study on the Associations With Closeness Within and Between Generations in the Family

• In Event: ICA Interactive paper/Poster Session I
  In Interactive Paper Session: Mass Communication Interactive Poster Session

Abstract

Audience research on family television viewing flourished in the 1980s and 1990s. These studies highlighted watching television together as a valuable family routine, structuring the rhythm of daily life and familial sociality. Still, ever since, we have witnessed changes in both family structures and the ways television is consumed within the household. This begs the question whether earlier findings considering family closeness still hold up.

Drawing upon insights from literature on family rituals and media generations, this survey study indicates that despite a robust prevalence of family viewing, alternative social patterns emerge, which coincide with the appropriation of screen technologies beyond the living room television. Further analyses reveals that deviations from family viewing are associated with lower cohesion between generations. However, younger generations watching together do report higher levels of cohesion with their generational counterparts.

Authors

• Cedric Courtois, KU Leuven

• Sara Nelissen, U of Leuven - School for Mass Communication Research