Parental Influence on Adolescent Preference for Television Public Affairs Content: A South Korean Panel Study

Abstract

In this study, I examined parental influence on the development of preference for television public affairs content as a component of political socialization that empowers adolescents to acquire information about politics and civic affairs. A pooled sample ( N = 795) constructed from multiple survey waves (2011-2014) from the annual Korean Media Panel Study was used for the data analysis. The findings showed that mothers—not fathers—had an influence on adolescent preference for public affairs content regardless of their children’s gender. The study thus unmasked a gendered mechanism of parental influence on adolescent television habits.