Lapsevanemate arvamused telemeedia negatiivsest mõjust väikelapsele
Date
2011
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Tartu Ülikool
Abstract
The main objectives of this Bachelor's Thesis were to investigate parents’ views on the
negative impact of televisual media on young children and to determine which are the
arguments parents use against this popular and inclusive form of media. The thesis
focuses on parents whose negative attitudes towards televisual media are based on
awareness and reasoning: their personal critical attitudes and specific objectives and
principles of child-rearing. Thus, the thesis provides a brief overview of parents’
negative attitudes towards televisual media and describes which alternative activities are
preferred to passive TV-viewing with regard to child development.
The study consists of four chapters; the first one deals the theoretical and empirical
material relating to the topic. The theoretical focus is on the negative aspects that may
affect the development of young children under the influence of televisual media. In
addition to various research results, excerpts from interviews with an educationist and a
practicing psychologist were also used in order to substantiate the theoretical bases. The
second part presents the research methodology and provides an overview of the research
sample while the third chapter outlines the main thesis results using quotations
presented in a descriptive manner according to each research question. The fourth
section of the thesis provides an overview of the findings, discusses the subject of
further investigation, and critically examines the used methodology.
This is a qualitative study with a small sample and empirical material that uses in-depth
interviews with eight respondents. The study revealed that the negative attitude of
parents towards televisual media is not a short-term trend but rather a broader and more
conscious attitude on child development. The common stand was critical, indicating that
passive television viewing does not support a child's development in any way, and the
younger the child the less he or she should watch TV. The content of televisual media
was regarded by parents both as empty and harmful, with an emphasis on the context of
a direct detrimental impact on children. The arguments of parents can be summed up by
the notion that the content of televisual media is too one-way, which, in the context of
children, contains manipulation of their immature personality, directing their will and
worldview towards mental apathy and entertainment and consumerist mentality.
An implementation of a TV ban did not lead to any significant doubts by the
respondents and the interviews did not reveal any dilemmas or arguments for the
media’s potential positive impact on child development. With the background of a
child’s growing process, parents value activities such as reading, drawing, writing,
playing and so on as alternatives to TV-viewing. Children’s time is treated freely and
naturally, it entails more elements than planned activities. Parents value both the time
spent together as well as direct learning activities. The key activities generally involve
those that encourage creative and abstract thinking and social skills.
This thesis reflects the critical attitudes of some parents towards televisual media based
on child development and the child-rearing process. The study also expands the concept
of parental mediation and creates a new specific form (exclusive mediation) under the
restrictive mediation strategy, which means that, based on child development and
methods of education, parents strive to prevent any exposure of their young children to
televisual media content in the home environment.
One can say that appreciating much more substantive activities as an alternative to
passive viewing and gradually spreading this mentality among the general public,
parents with critical and negative stands towards televisual media represent the
emergence of a new discourse in the media landscape which is definitely worthy of
further studies.