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Is TV marching them off to war? Adolescents, television, and the U.S. military
Abstract
A study of the possible influence of television on adolescents' views of military and military-related issues was conducted. It was hypothesized that heavy television viewers would have the most positive attitude toward the military and therefore be most willing to support America's current military posture. A written survey was administered to junior and senior high school students in North Adams, Massachusetts. It was discovered that heavy television exposure, with some variation among subgroups, was consistently associated with adolescents' views of the use of U.S. military to free American hostages, the role of the U.S. military as a defender Democracy, and the U.S.'s preparedness to defend Democracy anywhere in the world. It was concluded that television may be representing (or otherwise enforcing) "status quo" political images, particularly with reference to basic American ideals such as Democracy and individual freedom.
Subject Area
Mass communications|Political science|Demography
Recommended Citation
LeSage, Paul Edward, "Is TV marching them off to war? Adolescents, television, and the U.S. military" (1990). Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest. AAI9100521.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI9100521