Medya okuryazarlığı genel olarak, medya mesajlarına erişme, bu mesajları analiz etme ve yeniden mesaj üretme süreci olarak tanımlanmaktadır. Bu çalışmanın temel amacı, ilköğretim öğrencilerinin televizyon izleme alışkanlıklarını cinsiyetler arası karşılaştırmalar yoluyla ortaya koymaktır. Çalışma doğrultusunda, 2012-2013 eğitim öğretim yılında 18 Nisan-21 Mayıs tarihleri arasında Elazığ il merkezinde bir alan araştırması gerçekleştirilmiştir. Araştırmanın örneklemini Elazığ’daki ilköğretim okullarında eğitim gören 6, 7 ve 8. sınıf öğrencileri oluşturmaktadır. Örneklemin belirlenmesinde kademeli rastlantı örneklem türlerinden oranlı olmayan kademeli örneklem alma tekniği esas alınmış; araştırma, 200 kadın 200 erkek olmak üzere 400 katılımcı ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. Araştırma sonucunda, medya okuryazarlığı dersini alan ilköğretim öğrencilerinin televizyon izleme alışkanlıklarında izledikleri program türleri dışında belirgin bir farklılığın olmadığı ortaya çıkmıştır.

The developments in the technology field, naturally, affected the discipline of communication which is interlocked with technology and completely changed the types and methods of traditional technology. This situation provided a new and different dimension to mass communication from qualitative and quantitative aspects. While people had difficulty in reaching even one of the mass communication tools, this situation turned to opposite depending nowadays on the developments in the communication technologies. Nowadays, everybody has different and various mass communication tools in their houses. Among the mass communication tools, especially television is described as the mass communication tool which is most commonly used from the points it is commonly used in every house and it doesn’t require physical skill or prior conditions. The common use of television has brought the formation of some positive and negative effects on individuals. Especially, it is seen that the children who don’t have much information on the real world are affected more than adults. Although television has some positive effects on children such as accessing information, entertaining, education and socialization; some of its physical and mental negative effects come into agenda. The increase of television’s negative effects on children forced related institutions to make some legal regulations. Besides restrictions provided by laws, families also made an attempt in order to keep their children away from television and brought some prohibition and restrictions. On these days which technology penetrates in every field of life, however, it was seen that the legal regulations lost its function after a while. On the other hand, the prohibitions of families to keep their children away from television wasn’t a remedy and it isn’t possible with the current situation either. Accordingly, the most effective solution is stated as education. In the 21.st century; there are citizens who are aware of their rights on the base of a democratic society, who question the events, critical, aware and conscious and these competencies can be carried out through media literacy. Thus, children will both approach the media messages more consciously and more aware and they will satisfy their various needs from media if they are given media literacy which is also defined as the competency for receiving the media messages, analyzing, assessing and creating new media messages. For that reason, children who are defined as passive watching groups will be actively take part related to media. The basic purpose of this study which deals with television watching habits of primary school students through comparison between gender groups is to reveal the necessity of media literacy. The study and its field research were conducted in Elazığ city center between April 18 and May 21 in 2012-2013 education year. The sampling of this study includes the students at 6, 7 and 8.th grades who study in primary schools of Elazığ. In the determination of sampling, improportionate gradual sampling method technique among the stratified random sampling. Different sampling fractions are used for improportional stratified random sampling; for example, it is described as improportionate sampling if hundred female and hundred male samples are taken. The study was conducted with 200 female and 200 male samples with a total of 400 participants. In order to collect the data of the study, a survey form which consists of 3 chapters related to the television watching habits of primary school students and media literacy. In the first chapter of the survey form, there are questions related to the socio- demographic characteristics of the participants. In the second chapter, television and television watching habits were emphasized; a 5-points Likert scale (1= I totally disagree, 5= I totally agree) consisting 31 questions. Here, the frequencies of using mass communication tools being affected from television, the program types which they densely watch and their reasons to watch television were intended to watch. In the final chapter, the questions related to measuring the opinions of the participants related to media literacy. According to the results of the study, the arithmetic average of the trust for television in social life was determined as 3.15; more than half of the participants stated that television was reliable a bit. According to gender, no differentiation was determined between females and males on the trust to television. The participants use television most among the mass communication tools. Internet, newspaper and radio follow television, respectively. There is a slight difference between male and female participants according to gender related to the frequency of using internet. Male participants use internet more frequently than female participants. The participants are affected from television most in recreating. Computer game, music, the choice of film DVD’s and choosing the brands that will be bought in shopping respectively, come after it. The activities which can be done though being affected from television less are listed as the choice of excursion resorts and touristic places, the choice of the books to read, the choice of food-drinks and determination of clothing style. According to the gender of the participants there is no significant differences from the point of being affected from television. The participants of the research are seen to watch television serials most among the programs broadcasted on television. The programs after serials are seen as quiz programs, music-entertainment programs, documentaries, sports programs, cinema films and news programs, respectively. The programs which the participants watch less frequently are cartoons and magazine shows. When the frequency of watching television programs is considered according to gender, there are significant differences. Serials, documentaries, sport programs, cinema films and news programs are watched by males more frequently while females generally prefer music and entertainment programs and magazine programs. Among the reasons of watching television for the primary school students, the desire to be informed about the events in the world and the country. This option is followed by entertainment/recreation and spending free time. the less frequents reasons why the participants watch television is accompanying them, being a model and strengthening the relationships with the environment. According to the gender of the participants, a differentiation was observed between male participants and female ones from the point of watching television only due to its power to strengthen the relationships with nearby environment. The arithmetic average of the importance given to media literacy by the participants is 3.82. almost half of the participants state that media literacy is important for them. The rate of those who are not aware about the importance of media literacy is 23.5%. According to gender and the significance given to media literacy, no significant difference has been observed between female participants and male participants. This study reveals that there is no significant difference related to television and habits of watching television except the program types they are watching when their gender considered. Generally, females and males are affected from television in similar ways and participants watch television with similar purposes. When the television programs types are considered, males are mostly seen to watch with the dominance of knowledge and information while female participants prefer programs with magazine content. No differentiation is observed when the importance given to media literacy and gender are considered.