Television (TV) is probably the first mass media experience for children born in the era of electronic media. Moreover, TV may play a
substantial role in their adult lives. This study investigated the familial factors that influence 18-month-old children’s television viewing time. Data for the analysis were sourced from the Taiwan Birth Cohort Study dataset of 20,157 nationally representative 18-month-old children born in 2005. The results indicate that on average, an 18-month-old child’s TV viewing
time was 105 minutes per day, and that maternal education, nationality, family income, caregiver, and parents’ TV viewing time were significant
predictors for children’s TV viewing time. Future research can explore the influence of parents’ attitudes toward TV on their children’s TV viewing behavior.