International Encyclopedia of Communication Online

Extract

Co-viewing is the viewing of media content in groups. Typically, the co-viewing group is a dyad, but the term can also refer to groups of three or more. Most of the research has been conducted in regard to television viewing, but the concept has been a part of communication research since the investigation of silent motion pictures in the early 1900s (→  Exposure to Film ). Generally, studies of co-viewing fall into three areas : co-viewing configurations (who views with whom and with what frequency), co-viewing as a socialization aspect of the family decision-making process (who controls the TV and decides what to watch), and – making up the bulk of current research on co-viewing – parent–child co-viewing as a mediation process (→  Audience ). Research on co-viewing configurations began with studies of the motion picture. In the early days of motion pictures, theaters were often small and dimly lit, and were generally considered unhealthy places for children (→  Cinema ). Studies by Phelan (1919) , Dale (1935) , and others assessed the extent of the theater problem and documented the audiences for motion pictures and other social amusements, such as vaudeville and burlesque. These early studies found that children were most likely to view motion pictures with other children. Although some of the viewing was done with parents or siblings, the most common viewing situation was ... log in or subscribe to read full text