Parental Influence on Adolescent Preference for Television Public Affairs Content: A South Korean Panel Study

In this study, I examined parental influence on the development of preference for television public affairs content as a component of political socialization that empowers adolescents to acquire information about politics and civic affairs. A pooled sample (N = 795) constructed from multiple survey waves (2011-2014) from the annual Korean Media Panel Study was used for the data analysis. The findings showed that mothers-not fathers-had an influence on adolescent preference for public affairs content regardless of their children's gender. The study thus unmasked a gendered mechanism of parental influence on adolescent television habits.