Television and Young People's Reading Behaviour: A Review of Research

Abstract

On the basis of the available research evidence this article examines whether television induces young people to read less and to develop a preference for qualitatively inferior reading material. Several hypotheses proposing mechanisms by which television is supposed to stimulate or reduce reading are discussed. The findings are inconclusive but most studies suggest that television reduces the amount of reading. Young people's reading preferences are influenced by television, because books, the film versions of which have been broadcast, gain in popularity. Whether or not television influences the development of a preference for easy reading material, such as comics and picture-dominated books has not been investigated. Suggestions are made to improve the conclusiveness of future research.