An Investigation into Television Viewing Habits of Children and the Television’s Influence on Their Behaviour: A Study of Children in Upper Middle Class Families in Nairobi

Abstract

With the rapid adoption of television sets, children in Nairobi are fast becoming ‘TV children’ where their culture is being influenced to a large extent by what they watch on the television especially with regard to their language, dressing, and general behaviour (Okoko, 2000). This is particularly the case for children from the upper middle class families in Nairobi who tend to have a greater exposure to the TV and other multi media gadgets. The study sought to investigate the television viewing habits of children and the television’s influence on their behaviour. The study mainly focused on children between the ages of 7 and 14 years attending three private primary schools in Nairobi within the larger Kilimani area, namely Loreto Convent Msongari Primary School, Riara Road Primary School and St Mary’s School. In order to compare, enhance and supplement the children’s findings some parents of children attending the selected schools were also sampled. The study adopted the descriptive research design, and data was collected using the quantitative approach. This approach employed the use of self administered questionnaires. Non probability sampling method was adopted. Of the key findings, it was revealed that the children from upper middle class families could not be categorised as being heavily exposed to television because most of them watched less than two hours of television per day, except during weekends. The American Association of Paediatrics (AAP) categorises heavy exposure as watching TV for over two hours per day. The study recommended that parents should facilitate participation in the hobbies and sports their children have indicated an interest in. Furthermore, parents need to avail themselves to help their children understand television content by watching and discussing programmes with them. Finally media literacy needs to be incorporated in schools through the Parents Teachers Associations (PTA’s) in order to help parents understand the media.