Impact of Electronic Media on Physical Development in Preschoolers in Sri Lanka: Parents' Perception in Kalutara District

Abstract

The impacts of electronic media on child development are mixed and beget benefits and vice versa. Home is the children’s immediate environment; hence, parents’ beliefs directly or indirectly impact the children’s exposure to electronic media. The literature on parents' perception of electronic media by preschoolers and associated consequences is scantily in Sri Lanka. Thus, a study assessed the parents' views on preschoolers' electronic media use and its potential impacts. A piloted and validated questionnaire was administered online to a parent sample of 377 in the Kalutara district, and the data were subjected to frequency distribution and χ² analyses. The majority of respondents were (76.7%) from the rural sector, qualified with G C E (A/L) (45.6%), and 25.7% were unemployed. Sedentary behaviour, vision problems, and consumption of unhealthy foods resulting from electronic media use were rated negatively, reflecting the parents' awareness of the impacts except for feeding children while watching TV. Parents' neutrality in rating implies the unawareness of the impacts of electronic media on child development. Despite the weak associations among the parent's ratings with demographics, parents were well aware of the impacts of electronic media on the physical development of children. There is a need to implement strategies to build awareness among parents on the impacts of electronic media on child development. Further studies are required to establish the real impact of electronic media on child development and correlate parental perceptions.