Abstract
The aim of this study is to analyse the changing role of the media in children's everyday lives with reference to children's fears and well‐being. The method was semistructured interviews with children aged 5 to 6 in Finland in 1993 (101 children) and 2003 (109 children). Nearly 80 per cent of children reported TV‐induced fears both in 1993 and in 2003. There was a significant increase over the 10 years in fears caused by children's programmes and fantasy characters and a significant decrease in fears caused by adults' programmes. TV‐induced fears correlated positively with fears of nightmares at both times; with fears of imaginary creatures and war, guns and violence in 2003; and with major accidents and death in 1993.
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