From Risk to Advantage: The Role of Active Mediation in the Viewing of Big Brother by Children and Pre-adolescents

The content to which children are exposed by reality television shows is of great concern for parents and educators, especially because of excessive amounts of relational aggression. Parental mediation is suggested as an effective approach for reducing the risk of this exposure and to derive learning value. In two studies, we used qualitative and quantitative methods to examine the effects of different types of mediation and children’s preferences with regard to who they liked to watch TV with on children’s attitudes and perceptions about characters that appear in reality shows and of their acts. Findings from both studies revealed that more active parental mediation leads to fewer adverse reactions and more desirable attitudes towards the characters. The current study suggests that active parental mediation during reality television viewing may transform the risks stemming from watching reality shows into important advantages for children's social development.