ABSTRACT
Television is an inescapable part of family life-and this means of children’s lives, too. We have presented a broad overview of what is known about children’s use of television, their understanding of what it broadcasts, and of the impact that it has (or is often assumed to have) on their lives. The television environment has undergone a period of rapid and unprecedented change in the last ten years. The potential range of influences that television might have upon young viewers has expanded as the medium itself has evolved. As the television market has become a more competitive place, with more channels competing for viewers, the notion of centralised regulation of broadcast output has become increasingly problematic. Technological advances in communications and the marriage of television to the computer, in particular, means that more and more control over reception is passing to the consumer.
