Peer Groups, Influences on Media Use of

Media Use over the Developmental Course

In about the seventh or eighth grade, when children enter their teens, their media habits change markedly. Television use drops substantially and is replaced with music listening, almost exclusively to popular music as opposed to classical. This trend continues until late adolescence, when music use equals TV exposure. At the same time, children undergo a transition in which the peer group grows in importance as a source of socialization, and the family diminishes. Several studies have documented that adolescents with stronger peer orientations tend to listen to more music, whereas more family-oriented adolescents watch more television. During summer holidays, when adolescents have fewer opportunities to interact with peers, television preferences tend to regress to content favored during childhood. Indeed, TV viewing is correlated with time spent with family; however, music listening is associated with time spent with peers and friends.

As children develop, the role of peers changes in media use decisions, as demonstrated in studies of motives for video game playing. For children in the eighth grade (13 to 14 years old) and, to a lesser extent, for college students, the opportunity to interact with friends predicts use of video games. However, social interaction does not predict video game use among children in fifth grade (10 to 11 years old). For fifth graders, competition and the desire to be strong are significant predictors of video game use.

The Social Context of Media Use

Opportunities for peer interaction, or the lack thereof, are associated with preferences for different media among adolescents. In one study, television use was higher for high school seniors (about 18 to 20 years old) who reported never going on dates or who reported rarely or never going out in the evening for fun compared to those who had more frequent social contact with peers. Another study found that loneliness and shyness predicted frequency of television use among adolescent boys (10 to 17 years old). The same researchers observed that the number of friends predicted time spent watching TV alone. Contact with same-sex peers is especially important, and youth who lack such interaction may use media to alleviate feelings of loneliness and isolation.

The nature of the peer group itself also influences media choices. Several longitudinal studies by Keith Roe have documented media preferences of different peer groups among European samples. In one study, he found that low school achievement at age 13 was related to stronger orientation toward peers. This orientation toward peers was related to preferences for rock and punk music 2 years later. However, as academic achievement increased, so did preference for classical music. These relationships emerged even after controlling for socioeconomic status. Similar findings surfaced in Roe's study of VCR use. Based on these results, Roe argued that educational institutions function to polarize students, leading to the formation of pro- or anti-school attitudes. These attitudes spawn different subcultures, which are the basis for many media preferences. Other longitudinal research by Roe found that a preference for socially disvalued media was related to membership in subcultures that were experiencing downward social mobility. Indeed, adolescents who prefer heavy metal music tend to have doubts about their abilities to succeed academically and to have problems with family, whereas teens who prefer light music tend to be overly responsible, rule conscious, and conforming. However, at least one study found that a preference for heavy metal music was not associated with delinquency among peers.

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