Viewing age: Lifespan identity and television viewing choices

Abstract

This paper introduces a theoretical perspective on media viewing choices that is grounded in social identity theory. The idea that viewing choices are driven by age identity motivations is tested via a content analysis and an experiment. The content analysis demonstrates that child, younger adult, and older adult television viewers demonstrate a preference for viewing characters of their own age. The experiment demonstrates that young adults’ preference for viewing young adult characters exists even when the content of the program is controlled. The findings are discussed in terms of the theoretical perspective, and implications for previous research on underrepresentation of particular groups on television are explored.