Television and Teenagers: An Emerging Agent of Socialization

The Television has revolutionized the whole system of the mass communication. It has taken the mass messages of the world right into the homes of the people. The family stands integrated with the world through the satellites and televised communication. The television with its channels has provided a lot of information and vast amount of knowledge to the masses. It, therefore, serves an important instrument of economic development and social change. It is a fact that even the politics and the business in a way look towards television both for survival and prosperity. The television seems to perform multiple functions and tends to shape the g global social structure and a corresponding global composite culture. Thus study focuses attention to empirically find out the type of impact the television has exerted on the teenagers comprised of the high school students. How has the television moulded the opinion, attitudes, Life Style and behavioural pattern of the Teenagers? How the television has become popular medium with the teenagers as compare to other mass media? How has the television effected the decision-making process within the family with regard to the type of contents and the selection of programmes from the different channels? Lastly, the book highlights the way the television is emerging as a parallel and competitive agent of socialization along with parents, teachers and the peer groups. The book, it is hoped, would serve as a useful guide and the data base to the researchers, academics, administrators, media persons and the social workers associated with the policy formulation with respect to the socialization and the all round development of the teenagers.