Young people, soap operas and reality tv. Yearbook 2004

The transformation of the traditional soap opera into certain more extreme soaps, and the emergence of the recent ‘global’ reality TV formats have whipped up storms of controversy in a great number of countries. Such programmes have also generated worries among adults about how they are received by, and may influence, young viewers – because children from all over the world watch adult programming from an early age. Since research on young people and these fictional genres seriously lags behind, the primary aim of the Yearbook is to stimulate further research on the subject. In order to do so, the Clearinghouse invited scholars from all over the world to contribute their knowledge so far. Thus at the same time, the book gives answers to at least some of the questions on young people, soap operas and reality TV in the public debate.