THE NECESSITY FOR PARENTS TO WATCH ANIMATED CARTOONS WITH CHILDREN AGED SEVEN TO ELEVEN YEARS

Dr Mary Claire Akinyi Kidenda

doi:10.47941/jep.261

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to establish the necessity for parents to watch televised animated cartoons with children aged seven to eleven years.Methodology: The study used a descriptive survey method to collect information through casual interviews and self-administered questionnaires.Results: The study found out that the amount of time children spend watching animated cartoons on television can make them retract from social interactions with visitors, parents or other siblings when the television is on. Animated cartoons have an impact on children in respect to acquired or "borrowed" language and dressing styles and attitudes towards role types. These relations may be imperceptible to the casual observer but data show that the best (Kim Possible, Ben 10 and American Dragon) cartoon characters are idols, image ideals and role models to children in Nairobi, yet both the two cartoon characters are not representative of children they interact with every day. This study found that it is prudent animated cartoons affect the perceptions and attitudes that are being reinforced in children and the implication of this on how they construct their worldview and self-worth.Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: Parents should be concerned and watch animated cartoons with children because animated cartoons have become an institution through which society is using to bring up children and use to teach values. Media practitioners should air animated cartoons that have no violence or bad morals but are still popular with children. The government should set policies governing the content in animated cartoons aired by the media houses

Highlights

1.1 Background of the StudyThe last part of the twentieth century was characterized by a process of commercialization, deregulation and privatization through a thoroughgoing restructuring of markets and marketplaces as a result of the ‘globalization' process (Kotz, 2015)
This study reveals otherwise with only 39.7% of the 426 respondents saying that they talk about cartoons with their parents
The study found out that the amount of time children spend watching animated cartoons on television can make them retract from social interactions with visitors, parents or other siblings when the television is on

Summary

Introduction

1.1 Background of the StudyThe last part of the twentieth century was characterized by a process of commercialization, deregulation and privatization through a thoroughgoing restructuring of markets and marketplaces as a result of the ‘globalization' process (Kotz, 2015). Globalisation has come to mean and imply a small shrunken world in which people gain access to cultures and knowledge that were once beyond their reach, a transcending of cultural boundaries that enables multitudes from all social www.carijournals.org strata to participate in the global arena. This has stoked fears that globalisation contains within it a homogenising effect where local cultures may soon find themselves subsumed by the more dominant cultural patterns (Raaij, Veldhoven & Wärneryd, 2013). This particular development in mass media portends influence on cultures of people worldwide, especially children who inform their perception of culture and trends through the electronic media (Cruz-Roa et at., 2013)

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