Impact of Animation Movies on Children's Behavioral and Language Development

Abstract

The importance of the growing influence of media, especially television, on children's learning and behavior cannot be overemphasized. Being one of Africa's top countries with a free and thriving media space, Ghana has witnessed the proliferation of several television channels that continue to transmit a vast amount of cartoon content to children. While television viewing has been demonstrated to strongly influence the behavior of viewers of any age, children are fast becoming interested in cartoons which tend to influence their conduct and intellectual development in many ways. This study aimed to find out the influence that watching cartoons have on children's behavior and their language acquisition. A mixed method design was adopted using structured questionnaires, interviews, and observations to collect data from 100 sampled participants from Bolgatanga in Ghana. The study found that children spend an average of more than an hour daily watching cartoons and often without guidance or monitoring from parents or any adult persons. Overall, the study established that while cartoons may be a good medium to facilitate children's language development, they may also adversely influence their behavior.