A study done by the Centre for Advocacy and Research in Delhi
Tv And My Child
MOTHERS REFLECT
This Delhi study released in the last
week of May shows that children in the city watch as much as 10 hours of
television a day, most of it with their mothers, but also a couple of hours
unsupervised. The stated reason is a veritable scarcity of other options for
children. TV watching is often the only form of recreation available to them
Objective
To
ascertain what mothers with children in the 8-14 age-group thought and felt
about television and their children’s relatioship with it.
Methodology
We
used the first-hand audience response and feedback method of investigation.
This participatory research and appraisal with media users was entirely
qualitative in nature and consisted in 11 Focus Group Discussions with diverse
respondent groups in Delhi.
Universe
& Sample of the study
As stated earlier, our respondents consisted entirely
of mothers of children aged 8-14 years. Amongst them, nearly 60 % were
homemakers and the remaining working women. Teachers abounded in the later
category. Also significant here was the presence of women caretakers of
children with disability. These children with disabilities of both mental and physical
nature did not necessarily belong to the stated age-group.
FGDs and interviews were conducted through the second
and the third weeks of May 2001 across localities in Delhi. Respondents were
from the high and middle-income localities of Saket, South Extension, Gole
Market, Ranjit Nagar, Rajouri Garden, and Preet Vihar, as well as from the low
income localities of Joshi Colony (Indra Camp), Seemapuri, and Dilshad Garden.
The study ensured a proportionate representation of respondents from the
mid-income segment belonging to diverse socio-educational backgrounds. Thus
respondents from the lower-, middle- and the high- middle income groups
participated in discussions in separate homogeneous groups.
What
the Study Indicates:
Viewing
Habits
Hours
of Daily Watching of mother with children 7-8 hrs (Holiday viewing)
Hours
of Daily Watching by children alone 2 hrs
Favourite
TV Slots of Mothers 12.30p.m. – 4.30p.m.& 8p.m. – 11p.m.
Favourite
TV Slots of Children 5.p.m. – 7.p.m & 8p.m. – 11.p.m.
Positive A