Related Experiment Videos
Daytime television viewing by hospitalized children: the effect of alternative programming
Insights
A hospital television station reduced children's exposure to commercial television. This alternative programming successfully increased viewing of children's programs, alleviating boredom and anxiety for pediatric patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Media Studies
- Child Psychology
Background:
- Hospitalized children often watch excessive commercial television.
- This viewing may have detrimental effects on pediatric patients.
- There is a need for alternative programming to improve the hospital experience.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of a closed-circuit television station on children's viewing habits.
- To assess the effectiveness of commercial-free programming in a hospital setting.
- To determine if alternative programming can reduce negative effects of commercial television.
Main Methods:
- A closed-circuit television station offering commercial-free children's programming was established.
- Two surveys were conducted to assess daytime television viewing patterns.
- Data on the quantity and quality of television viewing were collected and analyzed.
Main Results:
- Overall television viewing increased, but exposure to commercial television decreased significantly.
- Children devoted nearly half their viewing time to the hospital station.
- Daily viewing of children's programs increased dramatically (43 to 147 minutes).
Conclusions:
- The hospital's closed-circuit television station successfully provided beneficial programming for pediatric patients.
- Alternative, commercial-free programming has significant potential to reduce boredom and anxiety in hospitalized children.
- Implementing tailored media solutions can enhance the well-being of pediatric patients during hospitalization.
Abstract:
In response to an earlier survey indicating that hospitalized children were indiscriminately watching excessive amounts of commercial television, a closed-circuit television station was instituted at the Children's Hospital of Winnipeg. The station offered patients commercial-free children's programming between 9 AM and 5 PM, including a daily one-hour live broadcast. In order to evaluate the effect of this station on children's television-viewing patterns, a second survey of the quantity and quality of daytime television viewing was carried out. This evaluative survey demonstrated an overall increase in television viewing, but a decrease in exposure to the potentially harmful effects of commercial television inasmuch as an average of nearly half of the children's viewing time was devoted to the hospital station. A dramatic increase in the viewing of children's programs (mean 43 v 147 minutes daily for the first and second surveys, respectively) along with additional viewing pattern data suggest that the closed-circuit station successfully filled a void for the patients. Overall the data indicated that alternative programming for pediatric patients has an enormous potential for alleviating the boredom and anxiety of hospitalized children.