Although previous research has attempted to encompass such overlapping concepts as needs, functions, motives, and gratifications obtained from mass media exposure, no serious attempt has been made to answer the question, "Why do so many people spend so much time watching television?" This project focused on obtaining motives and gratification information from young people in order to comprehend the evolution of adult gratification. During a specified time period, 726 children in a school district in London, England, were interviewed by means of a self-administered questionnaire. In the nine schools tested, equivalent numbers of classes of 9-, 12-, and 15-year-old children were systematically selected to yield a representative pooling of respondents. The analysis of the questionnaire revealed that the major reasons children watch television are: for arousal, for companionship, to relax, to forget, as a habit, to learn, and to pass time. A useful means of identifying a finite and similar set of motivations for going to television among a wide range of young people is presented. (EE)