Journal of Content, Community & Communication Amity School of Communication Vol. 10 Year 5, December- 2019 [ISSN: 2395-7514 (Print) ] Amity University, Madhya Pradesh [ISSN: 2456-9011 (Online)]

Workshops as a Methodological Intervention to Assess Media Literacy amongst Children with Special Reference to Learning through Cartoons in

Ms. Aahana Bhatnagar Chopra Ph.D Research Scholar, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, New Delhi, India

Dr. Kulveen Trehan Asst. Professor, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, New Delhi, India

ABSTRACT

The reach of global animation industry on television in India has given kids of different age groups a choice of 350 plus animation shows (FICCI-KPMG IMEI report 2018). In India, the burgeoning mobile internet and Smartphone penetration has given rise to an alternate screen for media consumption amongst children. Therefore, it is important for children to be able to comprehend the messages in the cartoon programs. Media Literacy in children is about helping them to develop an informed and critical understanding of the nature of different media (particularly television and digital platforms). Livingstone argued that media literacy in children is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate and create messages across a variety of contexts (Aufderheide, 1993; Livingstone, 2004c, p. 18). In a mediated society, the focus is to develop children‟s understanding of how media functions and how it produces meanings to analyse the impact it has on little minds. Media literacy leads to critical thinking and increase awareness in everyday life (Center for Media Literacy, 2008). Therefore, it is significant to understand critically the techniques, languages and conventions used in various cartoon programs that children watch. According to the study of current trends and approaches to media literacy in (2009), Media Literacy should empower children with the critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills to make them judicious consumers and producers of information. With an objective to assess the media literacy levels of cartoon programs amongst children, workshops were conducted with 500 children in the age group of 7-12 in Delhi-NCR, India. Workshops as a methodological tool for this study entails „action towards improvement‟ (Lomax, 1994: p.4). Amongst 500 children respondents, 24 focus groups were made having six children in each group. The four urban, senior secondary schools were selected from the four zones of Delhi region (North, East, West, South). The language preference of children were English and Hindi. The research paper underlines how workshops are used as an intervention to identify possible areas of improvement in terms of enhanced efficacy and/or efficiency amongst children. Keywords: Media Literacy, Cartoon Programs, Children, Workshops, Research Methods, Focus Group Discussions.

Introduction little ones how to talk to their parents and When you talk to young children about their elders, and they can reiterate the moral values favourite cartoon show, their excitement is and can become a lesson in clearly evident from their sparkling eyes. You ask distinguishing between right and wrong them to sing their most-liked cartoon jingle (UNESCO Teacher training manual 2008). and you would see them instantly jumping off Animated cartoon programs are looked upon their seat replicating the cartoon character. The as the most entertaining medium to teach animated moving cartoons were meant to be children a positive conduct of day-today life for entertainment purposes (Tom Sito 2013). (Robert Bonham, 1999: 50). Seeing the But off late cartoons have become a powerful uniqueness of cartoons in their audio-visual tool of instruction for children (Heather L. representation of stories, various surveys Kirkorian, Ellen A. Wartella, and Daniel R. prove that the impact of cartoons on children Anderson 2008). Cartoons have the potential is not short lived. (Livingstone, S. 2003; Kirsh, to teach children mannerisms and behaviour S.J. 2006; UNESCO-Teacher training 2008; to lead a good life. Besides improvement in EuroMediaLiteracy 2009; Brotherson, S. 2015.) communication skills, cartoons can teach the

DOI: 10.31620/JCCC.12.19/03 11

Depending on different socio-cultural spaces, fruitless to teach children tasks that are children tend to grab instantly the cartoons beyond their developmental stage. Until they see and hear on television, mobile children attain–through natural discovery–the phones, YouTube and other mediums. (Robert requisite developmental level, they are unable Bonham 1999: 50). The psychological aspect to understand concepts at that level (Piaget highlights that a child‟s brain is more 1952). As children mature, their ability to susceptible to learn through visuals and simultaneously process greater amounts of images (Saffran 2003; Tomasello, et al. 2005). information allows them to think more abstractly and more logically. Professor Sean Brotherson (2015) argues that till the age of 12 a child would have watched Adhikary (2015) in her study points out that about 18,000 Hours of Cartoon; validating that children like acts of helping, sharing, the cartoons as one of the main factors that donating, co-operating, and volunteering sculpture the human brain, resulting in a exhibited by their favourite cartoon character predetermined set of way of thinking and Doraemon. Doraemon stories hint deliberately behaviour. and purposefully on issues that have moral and ethical connotation. This is why even the How cartoons influence children elders in the house praise this show and A child is being influenced at various levels encourage children to prefer watching because of cartoon viewing. Media effects on Doraemon against many other shows, hence children as identified by researchers may enhancing its viewership in a big way. Her broadly be categorized into cognitive, study also explores that children‟s interest in emotional and behavioural outcomes. Doremon gadgets leads to scientific thinking, the process of acquiring knowledge by the use of reasoning, intuition, and perception. Cognitive Ajantha (2014), also talks about the positive influences of cartoons on children. The improvement of language, knowledge, cognitive skill, extra-curricular activities, talents etc. were seen among adolescents in Emotional Behavioural Kanyakumari (K.K.) district. Emotional Influence According to Crow & Crow (1913), an emotion Figure No. 1- Types of influences “is an affective experience that accompanies generalized inner adjustment and mental and Cognitive Influence psychological stirred up states in the Cognitive skills refers to long-term memory, individual, and that shows itself in his own sustained and selective attention, and logic behaviour.”(Aggarwal, 2005). The role of and reasoning, visual and auditory processing. emotions is very vital in the personal and According to Gavriel Salomon, different media social development of an individual. An forms recruit, and develop, different cognitive emotionally stable individual leads a happy, processes. (Interaction of Media, Cognition, healthy and peaceful life. He is at ease with and Learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, himself and his surroundings. On the other 1979). Salomon‟s research also provides hand an individual who is emotionally evidence that educational programs can disturbed becomes a problem for himself as enhance particular cognitive abilities in well as for others. Continuous emotional children. disturbance affects the individual‟s growth According to Piaget‟s Metatheory of Cognitive and development. Therefore the development Development (1952), cognitive development of emotions is extremely important for the was based on large-scale observational and harmonious development of the personality of experimental studies. He concluded that an individual. (Rajawat, 2017). Some of the greater reasoning ability and moral common emotions found in children are- development separated human beings from anger, fear, jealousy, curiosity, envy, joy, grief, other animals. For Piaget, what children learn affection, etc. (Hurlock, E.B. 1981). is tied to their developmental stage; it is

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Deutsch (1974) and Wilson & Cantor (1985) behaviour, therefore, has meaning (Barnardos indicate in their researches that pre-schoolers 2014). are able to identify and differentiate basic Any behaviour or action the child sees may emotions such as happiness, sadness, and fear affect his personality. Television is what experienced by television characters. The attracts the children most and shapes their experimental evidence by Weiss and Wilson behaviour (Kapelian 2009). Khaled Habib, (1996) research involving a randomly assigned Tarek Soliman (2015) concluded in their study control group- demonstrates that children can that a cartoon program has the major portion transfer to real life the emotional lessons they of the children attention and time more than learn from TV. Adhikary (2015), find out in her any activity the child performs. In modern life, study that while watching their favourite where the parents are busy with their work, cartoon show, children develop or experience much less time portion of their time is given to emotional empathy with the character they their children, so mostly this time is passed in like the most. Cartoon shows play a pivotal front of a cartoon TV series. Their study also role in today‟s children socialization. Children proves that cartoons do change the children at very young age identify and differentiate behaviour, it also changes their spoken basic emotions. School going children easily language, as they intend to intimate the identify emotions displayed by various cartoons character. characters on the show they watch that pursue them to love or hate these characters. Deepika Increasing Consumption of Cartoons by Rajawat (2017) determined the effects of Indian Children in the Digital Age cartoons on socio-emotional development of As stated by FICCI-KPMG Indian Media and pre-schoolers. She says that the emotional Entertainment Industry (IMEI) Report 2018, tenets seen in cartoon programmes are the use of special effects and numerous other aggression, anger, violence, envy, jealousy, contemporary techniques in animation is anxiety, grief, good wins over evil, joy and growing in India. From short animated fun. The social tenets seen are friendship, cartoon of 10-20 minutes duration to full cooperation, competition, sharing, sympathy, length feature films and web series, animated attachment, bravery, problem solving concept cartoons are dominating Indian Media and of rewards and punishment, parents as role Entertainment Industry. The digital media model, imitation and many unsocial patterns consumption and animation industry are too like selfishness, non-cooperation, not expected to grow at a compound annual sharing, rivalry etc. According to her both the growth rate (CAGR) of 25 percent and 21 aspects are there the good and the bad. percent till 2020 respectively. Behavioural Influence Technology augmentation has brought a Behaviours are our actions and responses to revolution in animation industry. Right from feelings, emotions and needs. All behaviour first CGI (computer generated imagery) to has meaning and is closely connected to how contemporary digital frames, animated we feel and what we think. If you are feeling cartoons have managed to bagged awards and happy, you may smile; if you are feeling appreciation worldwide. From VHS to DVD to hungry you may become irritable. Feelings -ray and from & TV sets to themselves are neither „right‟ nor „wrong‟, it is coloured HDTVs, animated cartoons have how we express these feelings that is come a long way. The demand for animation important. has given rise to the children‟s content tremendously on Indian television. Disney, When children are seen as having nice Viacom 18, Turner, Sun TV are the prime manners, are able to share with others and do broadcasters of children‟s TV channels in as they are told, we think of them as being India. These TV channels are catering to „well behaved‟. When children have temper children from nearly all age groups starting tantrums, shout and stamp their feet, hit out at with pre-schoolers to preteens. Every age others or throw things, we think of them as group has something or the other on television „bold‟ or „badly behaved‟. There is no such platter. (FICCI KPMG IMEI Report 2018). thing as a „bad‟ child but there are behaviours that are not good. As with adults, a child‟s Indian broadcasters are offering plenty to behaviour is an outward expression of the children below the age of 15. (FICCI KPMG emotion they are feeling at the time and their IMEI report 2017). Figure No. 2 demonstrates

13 the major channels offering kids‟ content as choice, with rising popularity particularly per industry report. among the age group of 8-11 years. Within this, vloggers are an increasingly important source of content and creativity. Clearly, the trends in the IMEI report of 2018 justifies that there is higher content consumption on digital platforms by Indian children. Need for Cartoon Media Literacy Children need to understand media to make right choices. Media literacy is important for children for evaluating the techniques used by cartoon programs which attract their tender minds. Thinking and imagination are the factors that affect the functionality of the brain till the age of 12. As a result, children are quite vulnerable to consume media messages incorrectly. Here, media literacy can act as an intervention, which can help children Figure No. 2: TV Channels for Children determine their future actions. (UNESCO- Source: Disney annual report 2016, Network 18 annual Teacher Training Curricula for Media and report 2015-16, Time Warner annual report 2016, Sun Information Literacy 2008) Network website, FICCI-KPMG IMEI report 2017. According to European Commission Report In India, cartoon channels have adopted a on Media Literacy (2009), localised approach by developing domestic Media literacy should not be treated content. With foreign cartoons like Doraemon, as an isolated or independent skill. On Shin-Chan, Pokemon, Barbie, Ben10 etc., lots the contrary, it is a skill that involves of domestic programs are coming up with and encompasses other skills and shows like- Chota Bheem, , Shiva, forms of literacy: reading and writing PakdamPakdai, , Eena Meena Deeka, literacy, audio-visual literacy (often Roll No. 21, etc. referred to as image or visual literacy) The burgeoning mobile internet and and digital or information literacy. Smartphone penetration has given rise to an Thinking, conceptualising and creating media alternate screen for media consumption. FICCI messages requires some creative skills and KPMG IMEI report 2018 analysis also points literacy (Skills & Strategies for Media out towards the OTT Video on Demand (VoD) Education, Elizabeth Thoman 2009). The services in the last one year. The growth of creators of media messages must know their global OTT video leaders, such as „Netflix‟ and audiences to encode media-messages in „Amazon Prime‟ were seen in the last one year. correct manner to make them understandable Platforms like „Hotstar‟ and „Sony Liv‟ for the target group. Target group in this case launched premium services and dedicated are children. It is imperative for children to be channels for children. Digital platforms are media literate to comprehend the mass media flooded with children‟s content, where a good messages and to be able to decode them amount of consumption is seen on YouTube, properly. Media literacy leads to critical Facebook, Voot, HOOQ etc. In the year 2018, thinking and to increase awareness in Amazon Prime partnered with Turner India to everyday life. It helps children to recognize play cartoon network‟s kids shows on its how the media filter their perceptions and platform; Netflix partnered with beliefs, shape popular culture and influence Animation to launch its first kids‟ original personal choices. It empower them with the animated series in India called Mighty Little critical thinking and creative problem-solving Bheem. Alt Balaji also entered the kids‟ skills to make them judicious consumers of entertainment segment with original shows. information. The consumption pattern also highlights the increasing focus on the localised content. Media literacy thus includes media education, YouTube is becoming the viewing platform of participation and active citizenship and critical

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& creative abilities and skills. According to Rajashree S Adhikary (2015), studied the John Pungente, popular Japanese cartoon series Doraemon. She reveals the impact elements of Doremon Media Education “is concerned with from recorded statements of children. She helping students develop an informed could observe a change in their attitude and and critical understanding of the behaviour. There was an influence and nature of the mass media, the imitation of characters they love. She could techniques used by them, and the also see the influence on buying accessories impact of these techniques. More that carry an impression of animated specifically, it is education that aims characters. Cognition among children who to increase students' understanding have been watching Doremon is high. Their and enjoyment of how the media interest in Doremon gadgets leads to scientific work, how they produce meaning, thinking, the process of acquiring knowledge how they are organized, and how they by the use of reasoning, intuition, and construct reality. Media literacy also perception. Doraemon stories hint deliberately aims to provide students with the and purposefully on issues that have moral ability to create media products.” and ethical connotation. Media Literacy gives children the ability to Emily S. Davidson, Amy Yasuna, and Alan access, analyze, evaluate and create messages Tower (1979), have found that children do across a variety of contexts (Aufderheide 1993; notice, if any, the difference between the way Livingstone 2004c, p. 18). Livingstone argued female and male characters are presented in that media literacy is not only restricted to the cartoons, and that is shown in the way they traditional media but spawns new literacies, as relate to different job preferences for males diverse academic disciplines and equally and females. As the children can depict these diverse stakeholder interests converge on the differences, they can easily have their vision debate, seems infelicitous, clumsy – already about their future role in society distorted. we have computer literacy, cyber-literacy, This can have a great impact on the internet literacy, network literacy, digital socialization process for them as children, and literacy and information literacy, indicating later as adults. Moreover, this can also convergence of media in the contemporary interfere with their development of times. relationships and appropriate behavior or Media literacy is potentially instrumental in even their future decisions, as television can proving an insight of the children‟s content foster misconceptions of people, places or (especially cartoon programs) in becoming a things (Davidson, Yasuna, Tower 1979). powerful tool of instruction for children. With Stevie Hossler (1978) says while talking about media literacy as an intervention, the potential the mental and psychological effects of of cartoon programs to influence children at cartoons on children that „children begin to three levels- cognitive, emotional and watch and understand cartoons from the age behavioural, can be achieved. of six months and by the age two or three Review of Literature children become enthusiastic viewers‟. L.R, Huesmann (2006), while analysing the Studies show that the age group between 7 to short-term and long-term effects of violent 14 years is the most vulnerable lot to be media on aggression in children and adults attracted by cartoon programs on television. states that young girls who often watched According to FICCI-KPMG IMEI report 2018, shows featuring aggressive heroines in the television continued to top media 1970s, have grown up to be more aggressive consumption among kids of 7 to 14 age group adults involved in more confrontations, with a penetration of 97 percent. Therefore, shoving matches, choking and knife fights going by general observations and other than women who had watched few or none of surveys (FICCI-KPMG IMEI, OFCOM, these shows. Long-term content effects, in UNESCO, MILID), the target age group contrast, seem to be due to (a) more lasting selected for this study is between 7 to 12 years. observational learning of cognitions and OFCOM (2008) report examines children‟s behaviours and (b) activation and media literacy. It provides detailed evidence desensitization of emotional processes. on media use, attitudes and understanding

15 among children and young people aged 5-15, learning and teaching in a Media Age. It as well as detailed information about the discusses the Adapting the Questions for media access and use of young children aged Different Ages and Abilities along with the 3-4. strategies to be adopted to train young children about media literacy in schools, UNESCO seminar in Seville in 2002, which will be very beneficial for this research. highlighted the need for action through active promotion policies in five areas: Research Question What is the contribution of cartoon programs 1. Investigation; in cognitive, emotional and behavioural 2. Training; development of children in India? 3. Cooperation between schools, the media, NGOs, private businesses and public Methodology institutions; Action Research was carried out to identify 4. Consolidation and promotion of the public areas of concern, develop and test alternatives, sphere of society and its relationship with and experiments with new approaches. Action the media. research demands participation of the people in the targeted community. Center for Media Literacy, Beyond Blame: Challenging Violence in the Media is a 10- For the purpose of the study, mixed methods lesson curriculum which brings together were adopted. Various researches in media literacy, critical thinking and conflict determining the impact of cartoon programs resolution skills to help middle school on young children used the triangulation students become aware of the influences of research methods. (Jaggi (2011, 2012, 2016); violent media, understand the way in which Wilson. T. Sebastian 2010; Vedabhyas Kundu violent entertainment is marketed and 2014; Lynettek O. Friedrich and Aletha Huston produced, and identify alternatives to violence Stein 1973; Kayla Bois & Brad Bushman 2015). in media and real life. In addition to engaging Workshops were conducted with 500 children students with media clips and examples that in the age group of 7-12 in Delhi-NCR, India. they will readily recognize Workshops as a methodological tool for this Renne Hobbs report on Digital and Media study entails „action towards improvement‟ Literacy (2010) offers a plan of action for how (Lomax, 1994: p.4). Amongst 500 children to bring digital and media literacy education respondents, 24 focus groups were made into formal and informal settings through a having six children in each group. The four community education movement. In this CBSE affiliated, urban, senior secondary report, digital and media literacy are defined schools were selected from the four zones of as a constellation of life skills that are Delhi region (North, East, West, South). The necessary for full participation in our media- language preference of children were English saturated, information-rich society. and Hindi. Content analysis of the selected cartoon programs was done. The selected Sonia Livingstone (2003, 2007, 2009) has content was screened and discussed as a part worked extensively on Media literacy and the of focus group discussions in the workshops. challenge of new information and To assess the media literacy levels of cartoon communication technologies. Livingstone's programmes amongst children (7-12 years), work on children media literacy covers all the focus group discussions were conducted. recent debates over media literacy, elaborating the terms 'literacy' and 'media literacy', growth Themes of media literacy from print to screen, This study is largely based on qualitative data changing literacies, Individual and analysis methods. Themes are the constructs institutional uses of literacy. on the basis of which the extensive workshop schedule was planned before the data Thoman, Center for Media Literacy (2008) collection. On the same themes, the data was largely talks about the new ways of learning eventually recorded and analysed. and literacy in 21st century, this talks about, why media literacy is important. The role and Gery W. Ryan & H. Russell Bernard (2003), challenges of media are elaborately discussed points out the six techniques helpful for which will give an edge to this research. It is a determining themes. These techniques are learning kit which provides a framework for based on: (1) an analysis of words (word

16 repetitions, key-indigenous terms, and key- For conducting workshops, certain themes words-in contexts); (2) a careful reading of were identified by reviewing the literature, larger blocks of texts (compare and contrast, already-agreed-upon professional definitions, social science queries, and searching for from local common-sense constructs, and from missing information); (3) an intentional researchers‟ values, theoretical orientation, analysis of linguistic features (metaphors, and personal experience with the subject transitions, connectors); and (4) the physical matter (Bulmer 1979; Strauss 1987; Maxwell manipulation of texts (unmarked texts, 1996). These themes (Table no. 1) were selected pawing, and cut and sort procedures). A in order to frame questions and plan activities similar model was adopted to conduct and for the focus group discussions to understand analyse the workshops. the cognitive, emotional and behavioural influence of cartoon programs on children. Table No. 1: Identified themes to conduct workshops Theme Theme Kind of Meaning/ Definition Source No. Influence 1. Presence or Cognitive To evaluate high/ OFCOM (2008) report absence of medium/ low media examines children‟s media media literacy levels in children. literacy. It provides detailed literacy evidence on media use, amongst attitudes and understanding children among children and young people aged 5-15, as well as detailed information about the media access and use of young children aged 3-4. 2. Recognition Cognitive After being exposed to Centre for Media Literacy of the source media, are children able (CML), 2005. of the to answer who created content this content? To question the two fundamental insights about all media – „constructedness‟ and „choice‟. Choices are made. If some words are spoken; others are edited out; if one picture is selected, dozens may have been rejected; if an ending to a story is written one way; other endings may not have been explored. However as the audience, we don‟t get to see or hear the words, pictures or endings that were rejected. We only see, hear or read what was accepted! Nor does anybody ever explain why certain choices were made. 3. Audio/ Cognitive What techniques did Centre for Media Literacy Visual cartoon programs used to (CML), 2005.

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formats used attract the child‟s to capture attention? Renne Hobbs report on children‟s This theme explores the Digital and Media Literacy attention „format‟ of a media (2010) offers a plan of action message and examines for how to bring digital and the way a message is media literacy education into constructed, the creative formal and informal settings components that are used through a community in putting it together – education movement. words, music, colour, movement, camera angle and many more. 4. Gender Emotional How different children Centre for Media Literacy differences in understand the content (CML), 2005. cartoon differently? Deconstructing Gender in consumption Parents and children do Cartoon Programming on not “see” the same TV Children's Television show! Each audience Channels in India–A Textual member brings to each Analysis by Dr. Ruchi Jaggi media encounter a unique (2011, 2012, 2016) set of life experiences (age, gender, education, cultural upbringing, etc.) which, when applied to the text – or combined with the media message– create unique interpretations. This theme explores how gendered choices are made in selecting and consuming a specific cartoon program. 5. Age Cognitive This theme comparatively How do cartoons teach differences in analyses how cartoon children? A comparative cartoon programs influence analysis on pre-schoolers consumption children of different ages and schoolchildren by Sonia in the bracket of 7-14 Schiau, 2013 years. 6. Values Behavioural/ All media carry subtle Centre for Media Literacy depicted in Emotional messages about who and (CML), 2005. cartoon what is important. It‟s not programs that ideas and values are embedded in media messages but that the values of mainstream media typically reinforce, and therefore, affirm, the existing social system. 7. Lifestyles Behavioural The decision about a Centre for Media Literacy depicted in character‟s age, gender or (CML), 2005. cartoon race mixed in with the programs lifestyles, attitudes and behaviours that are portrayed, the selection of

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a setting (urban? rural? affluent? poor?), and the actions and re-actions in the plot are just some of the ways that values become “embedded” in a cartoon program. 8. Function/ Cognitive/ Why was this content Albert Bandura describes purpose of Behavioural/ created? social cognitive theory as the the cartoon Emotional reciprocal action between program environment, behavior, and cognition, so does media psychology evaluate the interactive process of the system. Cognitive development among children involves the progressive building of learning skills, such as attention, retention and processing of information. These crucial skills enable children to process the sensory information they experience and eventually learn to evaluate, analyze, remember, make comparisons and understand cause and effect. 9. Ability to Cognitive/ The theme is selected to Stevie Hossler (1978), while recognise the Emotional evaluate children‟s talking about the mental and affect based decision and capabilities to psychological effects of binaries identify the friendly and cartoons on children . violent images in cartoon programs they watch. 10. Cartoon Cognitive Thinking and imagination Media Literacy and New programs as are the factors that affect Humanism, UNESCO 2010. tool of media the functionality of the literacy brain till the age of 12. Sonia Livingstone (2003, Therefore, children are 2007, 2009) has worked quite vulnerable to extensively on Media literacy consume media messages and the challenge of new absurdly. Here, media information and literacy can act as an communication technologies. intervention, which can Livingstone's work on help children determine children media literacy their future actions. covers all the recent debates over media literacy, elaborating the terms 'literacy' and 'media literacy', growth of media literacy from print to screen, changing literacies, Individual and institutional uses of literacy.

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Conducting the Workshops practice of actual methods. (Centre for The workshops were divided in four sessions Community Health and Development at the (Table No. 2) - Focus Group Discussion, University of Kansas 2018) Recognition Based Activity, Learning by The focus group discussions were about Doing Activity and Recall Based Activity. general media consumption habits of children Keeping children in mind and how much from 7 to 12 years. Questions reflected on their attention they can give; each workshop was daily routine, their interests, their knowledge designed for 1 hour 15 minutes in duration. about media, their interests in cartoons, their Amongst 500 children respondents, 24 groups likes and dislikes about various cartoon shows were made having six children in each group. and characters, and so on. The four urban, senior secondary schools were selected from the four zones of Delhi region In the recognition based activity, visual clips (North, East, West, South). of some popular cartoon shows were played. This was intended towards interpretation of Summary of the Workshops moving images and to recognise „good‟ Workshops were selected as a methodological content (morally correct, ethical, valuable) and intervention to assess media literacy amongst Table No. 2: Workshop Design Activity Theme About the Activities Methodology Duration No. 1. Presence or absence of Interactive session on Media Habits Focus Group 30 media literacy amongst (About popular cartoons, use of Discussion Minutes children other media, likes and dislikes). Recognition of the source of the content Audio/ Visual formats used to capture children’s attention Gender differences in cartoon consumption Age differences in cartoon consumption 2. Ability to recognise the Playing of Visual clips: Recognition 20 affect based binaries Interpretation of Images (To learn Based Minutes through moving images) Activity • Good Clips • Bad Clips (Violent) 3. Values depicted in Children were provided posters/ Learning by 10 cartoon programs placards etc. of different cartoon Doing Minutes Lifestyles depicted in characters or a visual from a cartoon cartoon programs program and they used their Function/ purpose of the imagination to create a story around cartoon program that visual. 4. Cartoon programs as Creative Storytelling: Children Recall Based 15 tool of media literacy narrated stories they created with Activity minutes the help of visual cues. children with special reference to learning „bad‟ content (unethical, immoral, abusive, through cartoons in India. This is based on the violent). The screened clips were selected after theory that workshop provides a way to create one week‟s of semiotic analysis of some an intensive educational experience in a short popular cartoon programs having maximum amount of time, when the time for a more viewership. The clips were taken from: Chota comprehensive effort may not be available. A Bheem, Doraemon, Pokemon, Ben10, Barbie workshop introduce a new concept, spurring and Shin Chan. This session was studied with participants to investigate it further on their respect to the Saussure‟s concept of own, or can demonstrate and encourage the interpretation of signs and symbols; signifiers

20 and signified (characters, colours, settings, emotional and behavioural influences on shots, images, visuals, dialogues, stories etc.). young minds can be achieved. In learning by doing activity children were The interaction with children about general divided in groups, having six members in each media consumption habits of children group. They picked up any poster or of a discovered: cartoon character or a visual from a cartoon - Children (7 to 12 years) watch television program and were asked to use their for 1-3 hours every day. imagination to create a short story in 10 minutes (in any language of their choice). - Children were excited and full of enthusiasm to talk about cartoons. In recall based activity, the groups narrated stories they created with the help of visuals, - Many of them knew how to use mobile while the children in audience gave their phones and could access YouTube, feedback and comments. (Figure No. 3). Amazon Prime and other digital platforms

Figure No. 3: Narration of Stories by Children FINDINGS to watch cartoon programs. Media literacy is very instrumental in proving - Children remembered the visuals, as an insight of the children‟s content dialogues, one-liners and jingles from their (especially cartoon programs). It is a powerful most watched cartoon program. tool of instruction for children. With media literacy as an intervention, the potential of - Children remembered the theme songs of cartoon programs to identify the cognitive, cartoon shows and could sing these songs in chorus.

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- Children jumped from their seats to at very young age were able to figure out answer about their favourite cartoon marked differences between violent and show/ character. friendly images. During the workshop, there were instances when children chose to become - Children wish to spend half of their time like Doraemon, Chota Bheem, Ben10, Mowgli in watching cartoons on television, etc. They find them heroic, helpful, caring, YouTube etc. lovable. They were also able to identify „bad‟ - Their body language, expressions, characters who were impolite with their gestures etc. stated their love and parents, were violent, lazy and harmful. An fascination for cartoons. interesting observation was pointed out in workshop no. 4, when a respondent felt that

Figure No. 4: Interaction with Children about Media Habits (Workshops 1-4) Cognitive Influence one of his classmate looks like „Gian‟, an ugly The study suggests that media literacy can looking character in the show „Doraemon‟, become an important building block to who always fights and is bossy. understand cartoon programs because it Excerpt: “He looks like Gian and acts like Gian, enhances children„s ability to identify, read he fights with me all the time and complain and interpret multiple media messages about me every time to teacher. I don‟t like simultaneously. him.” (A respondent from FGD 2, Workshop There is a presence of media literacy observed no. 4) in the respondents to some extent. It was When questioned about do they have any observed that children know what is right and knowledge of 'who created these cartoon what is wrong in the absence of moderators programs?‟, children had a little idea about and teachers. Their answers or behaviour media business, media producers, media might change in the presence of their parents, houses. Only thing they knew was or when at home, in their own comfort zones. programmes being accessed from different While the workshops concluded that children

22 platforms like YouTube Kids, VOOT Kids, Following the studies of Kayla Bois & Brad Amazon Prime and television channels. Some Bushman and Sharmin (2015), the respondents children believed that these cartoon characters were asked about their consumption habits. exists in real. One of the respondent (Age 7, Around 70 % of the respondents have an easy FGD 4, Workshop 1) said, „Once I saw Ben10, access to television, mobile phones, I-pads and he smiled at me, he was wearing an exciting tablets. Some children even own the personal , I asked my mom to gift me the same cap mobile phones or tablets. A child said „My on my birthday.‟ On asking whether Ben10 is parents gifted me my own mobile phone on real or fictional, he said, „He is of course real, my 12th birthday‟, on questioning about his he lives quite far and have friends everywhere choice of content he watches on mobile is the world.‟ So the idea behind „media phones, he says, „I use my mobile phone to constructs‟ are not known to children. play games, watch YouTube unboxing videos Children from higher classes (class 6-7-8), still and watch , Ben10, Doraemon know that these programs are created and the and others on Voot Kids app‟. (Age 12, FGD 9, characters are fictional and only exist in Workshop 2). dreams. One of the child from FGD 18, Children learn from cartoon programs. They Workshop 3 laughed when asked about the learn the basic soft skills, cultural and moral existence of these characters. He said, „It‟s ideas. Some Indian cartoon programs like fascinating to possess the Ben10 watch, the Motu-Patlu, Roll No. 21 and Chota Bheem Doraemon Memory Bread, Take-copter etc., reiterate the moral lessons. These programs but these don‟t exist. They are only to be seen also have special episodes on festivals like on television for our entertainment purposes.‟ Holi, Diwali, and Christmas etc. The purpose Children make their own choices of the of these special episodes is to instil the content they want to watch. They have so progressive building of learning skills and much being offered on various platforms. But processing of information they experience. of course as pointed out by Centre of Media (Social cognitive theory, Albert Bandura 1977). Literacy (2005), there is no explanation to why certain choices were made to watch a specific The voice characteristics of each personality cartoon program. are distinctly different individual trademarks, and children were able to tell about different Children also have no idea about creative characters merely by listening to components of the programmes- words, conversations. It was observed that children music, colour, movement, camera angle etc. Of were fluently singing Doraemon‟s popular course these have been used with an intention, song, “Main hoon Gian…Main bada surila hoon” there is semiotics involved in the construction (FGD 1-24, Workshop 1, 2, 3, 4). The song of the script and screenplay. There is no indeed is popular but children found to be cognition seen of the audio/ visual formats hating Gian‟s character. They see him as an and elements used which could capture aggressive, bully, greedy, loud and a „bad‟ children‟s attention. Here, there is a need of character. the intervention to develop media literacy in children of different age groups. Emotional Influence Cartoon Programmes influence children of Emotions form the basis for a child‟s different ages differently. The consumption connection to his/ her environment. Children patterns also differ with growing age. Kayla immerse themselves in the stories, feel with or Bois & Brad Bushman points out that 11 years for the characters, imagine themselves in old children watch cartoon 28 hrs. Weekly. scenes, and experience the atmosphere of the They stated that 53% of 7 - 12 years old has no situation intensively. In this aspect children parental monitoring for what being watched experience feelings, much more strongly than on TV. Another research performed by adults. researcher Sharmin, BRAC University (2015), The fantasies are created but children are concluded most parents prefer to leave their learning from these fantasies. It is to be noted children in front of TV in order to finish their that similar opinions have also been seen in Work or to have a rest. Putting a child in front other researches. “Children derive of the TV is the best way for a parent to make psychological benefits from cartoon programs their child eat their food. because the fantasy contained within them

23 gratifies certain inherent needs peculiar to reinforce, and therefore, affirm, the existing childhood. This is because it is during social system (Centre for Media Literacy, childhood that the energy and impulsiveness 2005). In an A/V clip, screened during the which form the basis of the child‟s personality workshop, Chota Bheem is seen fighting with are socialized to conform to the ideals of Daku Mangal Singh and save villagers from all society.” (Rajashree S Adhikary 2015). atrocities. Children pointed out Mangal Singh Children‟s fascination with „Dokodemo Door‟, as evil, villainous, destructive, harmful and which can take them to their dream ugly. At the same time they see Chota Bheem destination and „Memory Bread‟, which help as friendly, helpful, benevolent, kind and them to memorise data from school books, heroic. Some of the other stories they clearly indicated their love for fantasy. They developed as a part of workshops are given dream of owning a „house‟ like Barbie and a below. The stories are taken from the copy of „watch‟ like Ben10. (Workshops 1-4, FGD 1-24). hand written stories written by children as a part of the workshop. (Figure No. 5) Girl respondents were mostly interested to watch Barbie, while Ben10 and Pokémon were “It was a beautiful and fresh morning. more liked by the boys. On asking one of the Barbie and her brother were helping girl respondent (FGD 12, workshop 2), why their parents to clean the house. They she do not like watching Ben10, she replied have a big family which lives together „The characters there fight a lot‟. A boy from happily. They do not fight with each the same workshop replied, „there is no other. They have unity. They help each excitement in the shows like Barbie, they are other in their sorrow moments. They boring to watch‟. have love and affection for each other.” Dafna Lemish (2010) argues findings from “आज भीम के घर मेहमान आये हℂ I भीम ने numerous studies on portrayal of gender on दरवाज़ा खोला और नमकार ककया I आदर various media including films, television and सहहत अꅍदर घर मᴂ लाया I उसके घर पर उसके video games. She succinctly sums up that माता-हपता नहĂ थे I भीम ने अपने चाचा-चाची „boys are identified with „doing‟ in the „public को पानी हपलाया और पूछा कक आप कैसे हℂ ? sphere‟, while girls are associated with „being‟ और उनसे हसी खुशी बातᴂ करने लगा I कुछ देर in the „private sphere‟. This argument is multi- बाद उसके माता-हपता घर आये तोह उꅍहᴂ बड़ी layered. It highlights that the discourse on प्रसन्न्ता ई कक भीम अकेला होते ए भी मेहमानⴂ gender portrayals is such that one finds masculine representations to have higher के चेहरे पर मुकान लाता है I” social status in comparison with feminine “Once upon a time there was a representations in the media. Goffman (1976) beautiful forest. In the forest, there was and MacDonald (1995) argue that the a river. In the river, Mowgli was constructions of femininity and masculinity relaxing with his animal friends- Balu, are part of a dominant ideology that prescribes Bagheera and Monkey. They all were proper behaviour for men and women. With enjoying very much. Then suddenly, reference to this, the study also highlights the monkey fell into the river and asked for gender differences in cartoon consumption. help. Then Mowgli saved his life.” Girls were largely observed owning Barbie houses, Kitchen sets, musical instruments, “One evening, Nobita was all alone at colour boxes and other stationery items of home. As there was no light, it was Alice, Cinderella, Barbie, Shizuka (Doraemon) dark and the sun was setting and many etc. Boys found to be possessing guns, uncertain noises were around him. watches, cars, motor bikes, cricket kits, Nobita got scared as there was no one footballs and stationery items of Ben10, Chota in the house. Suddenly a blue raccoon Bheem, Nobita, Doraemon, Gwen Tennyson came out of this dark and Nobita felt etc. like he would faint. The blue raccoon said, „Don‟t get scared of me‟. Nobita The content of cartoon programs do carry asked him, „what is your name?‟ The subtle messages about who and what is blue raccoon said, „I am Doreamon! I important. It‟s not that ideas and values are am your friend, I am from 22nd century embedded in media messages but that the to help you. I am there to solve your values of mainstream media typically

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problems.‟ There were tears in Nobita‟s Girls were not liking Ben10 sequences where eye and he hugged Doreamon.” fighting scenes were shown. Boys were not interested to watch what „chutki‟ or „Barbie‟ “On 24th December, Nobita‟s friends & are doing. However, both girls and boys are family had a get-together. Nobita said seen appreciating moral values depicted that we want to meet Santa. But his through these characters. This is also apparent parents told him that there is no Santa from the stories they have created using their in real life. Nobita & his friends became imagination. A focus group, having both boys sad. In midnight, Doraemon became and girls created a story from a visual shown Santa and gifted all the children some to them- gifts and left a note, „This gift is for you, using the bamboo-copter, come “One day Nobita wanted to watch a movie up in the clouds.‟ When kids got up in with his parents. But his dad came late and the clouds they saw that Doraemon is they could go out for movie. They decided to having a Christmas Party. All children watch the movie on television at home. Then enjoyed the party and thanked they had dinner together. Nobita realised that Doraemon.” his family was very lovely.”

Figure No. 5: Learning by Doing Activity Behavioural Influence Thus, cartoon programs could act as a home They have developed their respective school, to teach a kid the life experience that is associations with characters, gadgets, colours, not gained from parents or from school due to settings, dialogues, music, costumes and so on. facilities that is lacked in the normal academic The likings and choices of boys are remarkably way or in parents‟ orders. (Habib & Soliman different from that of girls. Doraemon, Ben 10 2015). are largely liked by boys, while girls are Children are also taught about various devotedly watching Barbie, Chota Bheem etc. lifestyles depicted in cartoon programs. The

25 selection of a setting (urban? Rural? Affluent? competing with peers etc. When asked about Poor?), attitudes and behaviours that are what they want from their favourite cartoon portrayed. Shows like Motu Patlu, Chota program, children responded differently- Bheem, and The Jungle Book have references „I really want to have my own space, where I to occupations of farmer, carpenter, cobbler, can jump freely and eat anything.‟ cook etc. Doraemon, Ben10, Pokémon etc. have references of , professor, actor, , „I want to have friends like Nobita and doctor, computer professional etc. Children Doraemon, who can help me with my because of their fascinations to certain homework and can also play with.‟ characters decide what they want to become in „I want to cook myself in the kitchen.‟ future. Children also dream of having a house like Barbie and gadgets like Doreamon and „I want to use my mobile phone anytime I Ben10. They know the difference between a want to.‟ rural and an urban set up. They were clear „My friends tease me that I am fat, I want about what it means to be an affluent and Ben10 to help me fighting with them.‟ poor. A girl respondent from FGD 13, workshop 2 said, „I have seen a village and it‟s „I asked my father to get me a Ben10 watch, a exactly how I saw in The Jungle Book and bag and a pencil box, after my class V result‟. Chota Bheem.‟ Another boy from FGD 15, workshop 3 said, „I have never seen a „well‟ in Conclusion the , it‟s only in cartoon shows, I don‟t The impact of cartoon viewing is powerful, to think so they even exist today‟. the extent that these children want to meet the characters so that they can interact. Therefore, Excessive cartoon consumption also leads to having built this knowledge base, it is the behavioural influences like having mood important that parents and teachers must be swings, be demanding with parents, cautious in exposing their children to only the

Table No. 3: Semiotic analysis of the A/V Clips shown to children: Denotation & Connotation

S.No. A/V Clip Verbal/ Visual Denotation of the Verbal/ Visual Connotations by AV/ clip Children  Bheem is a friendly character who help the people in need. In this episode, Chota Bheem is seen Chota  Bheem protects his friends and fighting with Daku Mangal Singh 1. Bheem villagers and save villagers from all atrocities. (POGO)  We should help each other and

protect our friends from difficulties. In this episode, Doraemon teaches  We should obey our parents Nobita a lesson. Nobita is told to not Doraemon  We should not be greedy 2. find shortcuts in life and he must (Disney)  We should not find shortcuts to work hard and do his homework our work every day. In this episode, Ash, Pikachu & May  Ash, Pikachu & May are helpful Pokemon help Prof. Aiden to prevent his and friendly. 3. (Hungama jewels and precious stones from  We should fight for all challenges TV) Team Rocket. Team Rocket tries to in life attack them but fail in their attempt. Shin Chan and Himawari (his sister) are playing. Shin Chan lies to his  We should not trouble our mother mother that aliens took away like Shin Chan and Himawari Shin Chan Himawari. Mother got really scared  We should respect our elders 4. (Hungama and later found that Himawari was  We must behave courteously with TV) hiding upstairs in the house. She elders scol/ded Shin Chan and told him to  We should not lie not repeat such thing again.

26 non-destructive and only the morally right humour and loud fun, cartoons become the content. Their change in emotions, behaviour, best teachers and instructors for children perception and attitude under the influence of (Rajashree S Adhikary 2015). these programmes must be closely monitored Therefore, media literacy to understand and rectified whenever and however required. cartoon programs in children is very Parents being the first teachers of children, important for their cognitive, emotional and must assume liability prioritize and behavioural development. The media literacy appropriately regulate them and to train them workshops organised in schools suggests that to watch quality programmes. such activities can be integrated in school Cognitive development is essential. Children‟s curriculum which might helpful for children cognitive skills can be improved, if they are in understanding the visual content. guided to watch the right content. Children References should also be taught to identify the „good‟ and „bad‟ content under teacher‟s or parent‟s Allison, A. (2002). The cultural politics of supervision. Cartoon programs thus will be an Pokemon capitalism. Media in Transition: appropriate media literacy tool to learn from Globalization and Convergence, 178-200. the content which they like the most. A Aggarwal, J.C. (2005). Child Development and cartoon program can teach a child how to Processing of Learning. Delhi: Shipra control his temper, obey his parents, speak in a Publications. polite way, help the poor, aid the old, and lend hand to the young and to work in group Brotherson, S. (2015) Understanding brain without feeling jealous from others. Therefore, development in young children. Family Science the content matters. Schmidt and Vandewater Specialist, NDSU Extension Service. (2008) points out that high-quality educational Bandura, A., Ross, D. and Ross, S.A. (1963). television programs seem to have positive Vicarious reinforcement and imitative effects for children‟s learning, academic skills, learning. Journal of Abnormal and Social and academic engagement. Psychology, 67, 601-607. Retrieved from Bandura describes social cognitive theory as http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/h0045550 the reciprocal action between environment, Bryant, Jennings, Oliver. (2009). Media Effects: behaviour, and cognition, so does media Advances in Theory and Research. Routledge. psychology evaluate the interactive process of the system. Cognitive development among Centre for Media Literacy. (2009). Centre for children involves the progressive building of Media Literacy. Retrieved from learning skills, such as attention, retention and http://www.medialit.org processing of information. These crucial skills Craig A. Anderson, et al. (December 2003). enable children to process the sensory The influence of violent media on youth, information they experience and eventually psychological science in the public interest. learn to evaluate, analyse, remember, make vol. 4, pps. 81-110. comparisons and understand cause and effect. Trend, D. (2007). The myth of media violence: Media literacy workshops indicated that all a critical introduction. Oxford, UK: Blackwell elements depicted in every story of the cartoon Publishing. show, such as history, contemporary happenings, knowledge and moral lessons, Davidson, Emily S., Amy Yasuna, and Alan grab the child‟s focus and his assimilation with Tower. (1979). The effects of television incredulous ease, to possibly make a profound cartoons on sex-role stereotyping in young long-term impact on the child‟s personality- girls. Child Development, Vol. 50, No. 2: 597-600. emotionally and behaviourally. Friedrich, Lynette Kohn, Aletha Huston Stein. Apart from moral values, these cartoon shows (1973). Aggressive and prosocial television have plenty to offer. They touch upon every programs and the natural behavior of possible subject that could interest children. preschool children. Monographs of the Society These include environmental issues, parental for Research in Child Development, Vol. 38, Issue care, history, archeology, geology, genetics, 4: 1-64. moral science, biology, etc. Since these vital subjects are showcased, coated with comic

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