Characteristics of Television-Viewing among Preschool Children in Greece

Psychological research has found that television (TV) has numerous effects on the behavior of children of different ages. The purpose of this study is to investigate the viewing patterns that have been established by preschool children in Greece and how the characteristics of their TV watching are related to demographic data. The data for the research was obtained from parents through a questionnaire of 23 closed-ended questions. The 355 questionnaires were collected from different parts of Northern Greece and Thessalia. According to the results 71,8% of children are affected by TV watching, especially boys, in the statistical difference p<0,01. Parents provided mediation was related to residence location (p<0,05), socioeconomic status (p<0,01) and mother's educational level (p<0,01). Preschoolers in Greece watch programs (up to 2 hours a day) that are especially intended for children, but parents in the rural areas, with a lower socioeconomic status and education, tend to let their children view them alone and they spend less time discussing TV material and doing follow up activities that elaborate on what has been learned from the program

Keywords: Television-viewing patterns, preschool children in Greece