Television, International Viewing Patterns and

Patterns of television viewing can be defined by the frequency and duration of use, by the distribution of viewing episodes over the day, by the number and types of channels watched, by the genres and programs preferred, and by the social situation in front of the screen. From an international comparative perspective, these characteristics are variable because of differences between television systems and between cultural and social patterns of television viewing. Currently, we cannot rely on systematic and comprehensive comparative research on these differences, in particular for children and adolescents. Therefore, this entry examines evidence from studies covering different regions of the world and addresses some differences in viewing patterns.

The most obvious and prominent indicator of television viewing is related to the time devoted to this medium. The international data on viewing time per individual, as compiled in the annual publication, Television 2005: International Key Facts, are marked by some methodological differences in how viewing behavior is measured. Although most of the industrialized countries use people meter systems for audience research, there are subtle differences in the definition of viewing, the populations studied, whether watching videos or recorded TV programs is included, and so on. In general, however, the daily viewing time for adults in most industrialized countries is more than 3½ hours (210 minutes). The United States has a particularly high viewing time (almost 300 minutes in 2004, see Table 1); in Europe, Italy and some Central and Eastern European countries show the highest figures. Remarkable exceptions are the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden) as well as Austria and Switzerland; the average viewing time in these countries is below 3 hours per day.

Substantial differences can be observed regarding the viewing times of children. Here it is particularly important to note the different age groups defined as children. Within the selected group of industrialized countries shown in Table 1, the average viewing time of children varies between 221 minutes (Hungary) and 88 minutes per day (Sweden). A difference of more than 2 hours per day per child indicates a massive difference in the respective children's everyday lives and activities, [Page 809]and this must be considered whenever we deal with international comparisons of children's and adolescents' lives. Why children in some countries spend much more time with television than their peers elsewhere is hard to answer. Some have suggested that part of the explanation lies in the difference between the rather visually oriented Catholic cultures compared to the rather verbally oriented Protestant cultures. Others have pointed to the contrast between heavily commercialized television systems and systems with a strong position of public service broadcasters. However, these arguments do not explain all the differences to be observed.

Differences with regard to viewing patterns also occur when people watch television. In almost all countries, television reaches its maximum audience in the evening. However, there are differences regarding the exact time. Whereas Belorussian or Macedonian television viewing reaches its peak at 8 p.m., the respective times in other countries are later: 8:30 p.m. in the Czech Republic and Slovakia; 8:45 p.m. in Finland, Hungary, Lithuania, and Switzerland; 9 p.m. in Austria, Germany, and Denmark; 9:15 p.m. in France, Italy, and the United Kingdom; 9:30 p.m. in Flanders, Japan, and Portugal; 9:45 p.m. in Turkey and the United States; 10 p.m. in the Netherlands; and finally 10:30 p.m. in Greece and Spain. These observations refer to intercultural differences in the organization of the day, which also influences the everyday lives of children and when they watch television. Another difference between countries concerns whether watching television is mainly concentrated in the evening, as is the case, for example, in Nordic countries and Germany; or whether there is a second prime time around 1 p.m., as is the case in Italy and Spain; or whether there is yet another strong peak in the morning, for example, in Japan and Finland. Children's patterns of television viewing rely heavily on the institutional time schedules of their country, that is, when they return from school, when parents return from work, when families normally have their dinner, and so on.

...