The Media Panel 1976-1996

Children and young people are a particularly important group in the context of mass media. It is assumed that the impressions children receive from media at an early age strongly influence how they perceive themselves, Swedish society, and the wider world. The research program Mediapanel examined these issues. It was based on a panel study, in which schoolchildren in Växjö as well as preschool children and schoolchildren in Malmö were interviewed on several occasions about their media habits. Data collection began in the mid-1970s and spans nearly 25 years. In total, the database contains information on more than 5,000 children and young people, including their family background, upbringing, activities, media use, and attitudes toward media. The design of the Mediapanel program combines longitudinal studies (following the same individuals over time) and cross-sectional studies (comparing different groups at a single point in time). This makes it possible to compare cohorts of children and young people of the same age from different time periods, for example the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. It also allows researchers to follow the same individuals from preschool and early school years, through adolescence, and into adulthood. The study covers a wide range of topics. It examines, for example, how children and young people identify with individuals on television, what content they consume, and how dependent they feel on media such as TV. It also looks at alternative activities, how much time they spend with family and friends, and their views on the world, Sweden, and their own future.