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Parental Mediation of Children's TV Viewing in China: An Urban-Rural Comparison

Sun, Tao. (2009). Parental Mediation of Children's TV Viewing in China: An Urban-Rural Comparison. Young Consumers: Insight and Ideas for Responsible Marketers, 10(3), 188-198.

Sun, Tao. (2009). Parental Mediation of Children's TV Viewing in China: An Urban-Rural Comparison. Young Consumers: Insight and Ideas for Responsible Marketers, 10(3), 188-198.

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Purpose – This paper aims to examine how parental mediation of children's television viewing varies among urban and rural children in China.

Design/methodology/approach – A survey of 1,056 children ages 6 to 14 in nine Chinese provinces was conducted. Independent sample t-tests were performed to make rural-urban comparisons. Correlation analyses were provided on the relationships between parental mediation styles and children's television usage, and between parental mediation styles and children's purchase request.

Findings – The paper finds that urban parents engage in more instructive mediation and restrictive mediation than rural parents. Urban parents use restrictive mediation the more often, while rural parents use co-viewing the more frequently. Only urban children's television viewing has a significantly positive relationship with co-viewing with their parents. In general, children's purchase request is positively related to parental mediation styles in rural and urban China (except for restrictive mediation in rural areas).

Research limitations/implications – The study is based on an analysis of secondary data. Future studies should adopt established scales of parental mediation styles for the Chinese context.

Practical implications – The findings should help public policy makers understand the dynamic parents-children interactions with television, and help marketers find effective and efficient ways to reach young Chinese consumers.

Originality/value – The study represents a preliminary effort to examine the antecedents of television parental mediation, its occurrence, and its potential effects in the Chinese context.




JOUR



Sun, Tao



2009


Young Consumers: Insight and Ideas for Responsible Marketers

10

3

188-198






1747-3616

10.1108/17473610910986008



1573