The Unintended Effects of Parental Mediation of Television on Adolescents

Abstract A survey of both parents and students was conducted to explore the relationship between parental mediation of televised violence and sex and adolescents' attitudes toward their parents, perceptions of their parents' attitudes toward them, attitudes toward the mediated content, and amount of viewing of the mediated content with friends. The results indicated that restrictive mediation was related to less positive attitudes toward parents, more positive attitudes toward the content, and more viewing of the content with friends. Coviewing was related to both more positive attitudes toward and viewing of television violence and sex. The implications of these unintended effects of parental mediation are discussed.