This study investigates how television viewing is related to an individual’s habitus and how it shapes their socio-economic status and socio-economic mobility. It examines the amount of time people spend watching TV per week, from adolescence to adulthood. Using longitudinal data, the study explores the trajectories of television time that individuals experience and undergo from adolescence (ages 7–12) to adulthood (ages 33–43). It then examines how these trajectories vary based on socio-economic indicators of the parents (e.g., educational level), socio-economic indicators of the respondents (e.g., own education, income/poverty), and socio-economic mobility. This allows us to understand how television time functions as a form of class habitus in the US and how habitus can change.
The data used for this study and its analyses comes from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. This is a nationally representative sample that follows 20,000 adolescents during the ages of 7 to 12 years. Respondents were surveyed in five waves, starting in 1994-1995 and ending in 2016-2018. In the first wave, parents were also surveyed. The final analysis for this research is based on a sample of 4,884 respondents.
Key findings
- The study shows that television viewing behaviour, specifically the amount of time spent watching TV from adolescence to adulthood, is linked to various socio-economic factors, with habitus playing a determining role.
- First, the study categorises television viewing behaviour observed in respondents during the period from adolescence to adulthood. Using a latent class analysis, four groups are identified: Falling Watchers, Rising Watchers, Rise + Fall Watchers, and Steady Watchers. The vast majority of respondents fall into the Steady Watchers group, where TV time remains relatively low, stable, and nearly linear. This aligns with Bourdieu’s concept of habitus, suggesting that most respondents grow up learning certain TV-watching behaviours, which they continue and maintain into adulthood.
- Individuals with a low socio-economic status (SES) or those experiencing downward socio-economic mobility are more likely to change their TV viewing time throughout their lives. In short, people with a low SES are more likely to have a more diverse TV-watching pattern. Educational and cultural factors tend to lead to less TV viewing, whereas poverty-related factors contribute to more TV viewing. However, it is not so straightforward, as a combination of these mechanisms may also be at play. This complexity is seen in the Rise + Fall Watchers group.
- Among respondents with a low SES or those living in poverty, the likelihood of changing their TV viewing time is higher. At the same time, the study also shows that people who fall into poverty (downward mobility) tend to adjust their pattern by watching more TV. The study adds nuance by suggesting that while TV-watching is clearly linked to social class and habitus, it is also a part or form of habitus that is learned or adopted when someone falls into poverty and thus changes social class. Television time shifts depending on the context and an individual’s circumstances, and this is more pronounced for those with a low SES. Interestingly, those who experience upward mobility do not show significant changes in their television time.
- Another important factor associated with television time is depressive thoughts or symptoms, indicating a link with mental health. TV may serve as a tool for emotional regulation, and further research on this connection is needed.
- The results show that the gender assigned at birth significantly correlates with television time. Men are more likely to change their TV viewing time over their lifetime compared to women. This introduces an interesting intersection between gender and social class.
- The study also reveals a connection between ethnicity and television time. Black individuals are more likely to adjust their TV viewing time than white individuals. This suggests that television viewing is not only a part of one’s habitus tied to social class but also highly racialised. This may be due to the importance of content and the representation of Black people on television.
- These findings highlight the complex relationship between socio-economic status, class mobility, and media habits, particularly in the context of television consumption during the transition from adolescence to adulthood.