An Assessment of Children’s Experiences and Exposure of Watching Television Programs: Empirical Evidences from Addis Ababa.
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Date
2021-10
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The impact of television consumption on child development has sparked a discussion among academics, parents, and politicians. Television, according to some experts, may have a favorable impact on youngsters. Television, for example, has exposed people to a wider diversity of cultures and communities, as well as raised young people's understanding of political and social issues, thereby boosting their influence on their own government. Others feel that children who watch more television as children would engage in less physical activity as adults. Children's social development is being hampered by a reduction in the number of chats they have with one another. As a result, the content of and duration of children's exposure to television (TV) shows is a contentious topic in child development and psychology. In this regard, the main objective general objective of the study is to assess children’s' experiences and preferences of watching Television Programs in Addis Ababa. A survey questionnaire was used to attain this goal and collect the data needed for this investigation. Then, the researcher employed descriptive analysis in her research. Different conclusions were drawn from the data analysis results. The study shows that the majority of the sample respondents (76.4 percent) have a diploma or above. An assessment of pertinent data found that the majority of the respondents (61.2 percent) are moms in terms of their relationships with their children. Furthermore, 56 percent of the parents polled had two children, implying that the parents polled have prior experience directing and raising children who watch television. The majority of the parents in the sample (71.6%) had children between the ages of 2 and 12. The results of this study revealed that chat shows (59 times) and soap opera/drama TV programs (58 times) are the two most popular TV programs among children, followed by cartoons (39 times) and sitcom TV programs (38 times) (35 times). However, it was observed that children's/TV children's shows are among the least watched by the target youngsters (19 times 8 local and 11 international 11). The study divulged that almost half of the respondents (49.3%) indicated that the major aim of viewing TV for children is both education and entertainment. Regarding the second research question, it was revealed that a substantial number of respondents, 44.7 percent, stated that their children watch TV virtually the entire day throughout the weakened. This study also found that a large percentage of the selected families (41.8 percent) claimed that their children watch TV at night. However, excessive watching time might lead to sleep and focus issues. The majority of respondents (76.7 percent) stated that their children watch television for 2-6 hours every day. For older children in their first two years of life, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends a daily limit of 1 to 2 hours of good TV programs and discourages television viewing. Despite these assertions, the study's target children watch far more television than is expected. Furthermore, the study discovered that almost half of the families polled (47.8%) said their children watch TV shows with their siblings. This may result in peer pressure and influence in their TV viewing habits. Moreover, it was discovered that the Hetro-Control method is the most commonly employed parental guiding strategy. Parents also employed co-viewing in conjunction with the hetro-control guidance strategy, according to the findings.
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Television Programs in Addis Ababa