Mediation of Children’s Television Viewing: Working Toward Conceptual Clarity and Common Understanding

Despite decades of research on parents’ or other adults’ mediation of children’s television viewing, we still have a rather limited understanding of its potential to promote positive effects and prevent negative outcomes. One reason for this is that a consensus regarding the proper conceptualization of mediation has not yet been reached. As a result, the term has been used inconsistently and produced a body of literature that is difficult to synthesize. The purpose of this paper is to review how mediation has been regarded in past work and to develop a clear conceptualization of this construct. In addition, previous research on the effects of mediation is synthesized to provide a summary of its potential to affect children’s reactions to television. Common themes, especially those relevant to explaining how mediation influences children, are identified and discussed.