Media illiteracy

As television, film and newspapers pervade the lives of individuals, the loss of critical perspective while viewing such mediums may increase. Often overexposure to the media's images and conventions leads to analytical desensitization, which may render the viewer unable to separate fact from fiction. Under these circumstances the viewer is more susceptible to manipulation by the media, which may place undue emphasis on the media's power of persuasion. Children are particularly vulnerable to such manipulation.

A 1990 study by a television rating organization showed that children in the USA watch an average of 4 hours of television per day.