MUMBAI: New media is increasingly gaining traction among Indian kids. The adoption of digital media among urban Indian kids is at an all time high with 73 per cent of them using mobile phone and 27 per cent internet, according to a survey by Cartoon Network.
The increasing usage of mobile phones and internet notwithstanding, television continues to be the preferred medium of kids followed by DVD/VCD. Newspaper and storybooks also form an important part of kids’ media consumption.
Cartoons rule in kids Television
Cartoons remain the preference of kids across age groups with 63 per cent boys and girls tuning in. However, cartoons had a bigger following among 7-10 age groups with 75 per cent of them preferring cartoon programmes as compared to 53 per cent in the 11-14 age groups. More kids in the 11-14 age group preferred comedy shows as opposed to those in the 7-10 category.
Family serials were the second most popular programming among girls followed by comedy and dance/music shows.
Cartoons were also the second most preferred programs for parents which could be attributed to co-viewing habits with almost 58 per cent parents saying that they always watch television together with their kids.
Co-viewing is a popular trend that has been growing over the years, the survey noted.
The Cartoon Network New Generations, commissioned to research agency Nielsen, surveyed around 7000 kids and parents in SEC A, B and C across 26 centers including New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Nasik, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Guwahati, and Hyderabad.
Kids love digital media
A whopping nine per cent own cell phones which are used for making calls and gaming. About 58 per cent of kids use a computer with only 19 per cent of them owning one, according to the survey.
Of the 27 per cent kids who use internet, 49 per cent do so from their home while the rest access it outside their homes from cyber café, school and friends/relatives place.
Playing games, surfing for information and social networking are some of the preferred activities on the internet. Incidentally, only 10 per cent of the kids use the internet every day.
“Kids of today are a digital audience. They are screenagers as we like to call them. They consume and interact with different screens more than any target group in the country,” says Turner Director Content Krishna Desai.
The survey also noted that while 26 per cent parents claim that their kids visit social networking sites, almost 56 per cent kids claim to visit social networking sites with Facebook being the favourite platform.
One of the most interesting facts about the internet is that although almost all parents at some point have monitored their kids’ usage of social networking sites, only half of them are accurate about their kids’ actual usage.
56 per cent kids receive an average pocket money of Rs 275 per month, but only 37 per cent save it. Further, 53 per cent kids receive gift money with the average annual gift money being Rs 799 in 2012.
Kids continue to influence household decisions of purchase when it comes to white goods with an average of 22 per cent parents definitely considering their kid’s opinions and an average of 44 per cent parents who may consider them.
Salman Khan is Bollywood Badshah, Sachin the top sporting icon
When it comes to Bollywood icons, Salman Khan emerges as the clear choice with a 34 per cent fan following. The top box office grosser over the last two years, Khan is twice as popular as Shah Rukh Khan.
Katrina Kaif toppled other Bollywood divas with a 31 per cent fan base.
Sachin Tendulkar continues to be the favourite sports icon over the years with a 39 per cent fan following. Sania Mirza was the third most favourite sports icon among girls after MS Dhoni.
Toon Stars
Amongst toon stars, Chhota Bheem (airs on Pogo) enjoys 35 per cent popularity followed by Doraemon (Disney Channel) with 21 per cent.
Learning and extra-curricular activities
Almost all kids today take tuitions. English (63 per cent) and mathematics (54 per cent) are the most taught subject in tuition classes.
Older kids participate more in extra-curricular activities than younger kids with painting and dancing top preferences across age groups.
Cricket and football are the two most favourite sports that boys like to play while girls prefer badminton followed by cricket. According to the study, cricket, India’s national obsession, was the favourite sports among kids (both Boys and Girls) when it comes to TV viewing.
As per the survey only 41 per cent parents encouraged their children to participate in sports. More than 90 per cent of parents believe that their kids are healthy which explains the phenomenon of not encouraging kids to play.
Kids in the age-group of 4-6 and 7-10 spent more time indoors while the ones in 11-14 category prefer outdoors.
