Media and Preschool Children: The Role of Parents as Role Models and Educators

Abstract

The authors conducted a survey with a nationally representative sample of Slovene parents of 1- to 6-year-old children, collecting parental opinions about their and their children’s media habits. The survey also collected the data about parents’ behaviour in terms of educating their children about the media as well as the data regarding parents’ opinions about positive and negative effects of the media on their children. The authors established that role modelling is crucial in developing children’s media habits. Statistically, parents’ own media habits significantly affect media exposure of their children and their opinion about what an appropriate daily screen limit for their children is. The extent to which parents are exposed to the media as well as the level of their formal education have a statistically significant impact on parents’ behaviour in terms of educating their children about the media and on their opinion about the influence of the media on their children.