Supernatural Creatures, Accidents, and War : Young Children’s Television-related Fears and Coping Strategies

Abstract

This study explored preschool children’s television-related fears through a general study of children’s television-viewing habits. Based on semi-structured interviews with eighteen Estonian preschoolers, the results showed that young children’s fears were represented not only in adult programs but also in seemingly child-friendly cartoons through which children tended to see the fictional story as real. However, children were not passive victims: they took an active role in diminishing their television-related fears by using various coping strategies, including peer mediation. These results support the notion that children are second-level mediators who share with their peers both their own experiences and what their parents have taught them about television.