Television and Academic Achievement: Evidence from the Digital Television Transition in the UK
中文摘要
本文利用英国超过32,000个地理单元在模拟电视信号向数字电视信号转换日期上的外生变异，考察电视对学业表现的因果影响及其潜在机制。利用涵盖英格兰公立教育全体学生的大型行政数据集，我发现这一转换提高了学生的考试成绩，且该效应由经济处境不利的学生所驱动。利用电视市场数据和一项儿童调查数据集，我进一步考察了可能的机制。结果表明，数字转换大幅增加了电视观看时间，并挤占了经济处境不利儿童参与的、与风险行为相关的社交活动形式。
Abstract
Abstract This paper exploits exogenous variation in the transition date from an analogue to digital television signal in the UK across more than 32,000 geographical units to examine the causal impact of television on academic performance and potential mechanisms. Using a large administrative dataset on the universe of students in public education in England, I show that the switchover increased pupil test scores and that the effect is driven by economically disadvantaged students. Using TV market data and a child survey dataset, I investigate possible mechanisms. I show that the digital transition considerably increased TV viewing time and displaced forms of socialisation associated with risky behaviour for disadvantaged children.