DIGITAL MEDIA USAGE AMONG WOMEN OF KOTTAYAM TOWN

Neethi Thomas
B.Ed. Student (Physical Science)
Mount Carmel College of Teacher Education for Women, Kottayam.

Abstract
The present research work entitled “Digital Media Usage among Women of Kottayam
Town” was carried out with the objective to study women’s usage patterns of digital media in
terms of regularity and time spent and to find out which digital media influence more on today’s
women. A sample of 50 women from Kottayam town was selected for the study via sampling
technique. A test was prepared by the investigator to collect data regarding digital media usage.
This study helped to find out usage pattern of internet and other media of women in terms of
regularity and time spend. Through this study, it is clear that smart phones are the favourite
digital device and they spend a substantial amount for recharging it.
Key Term: Digital Media

Introduction
Emergence of digital media has altered the way people live. People exist in a phase
where the entire domain of earth is reachable. In a few clicks, individuals can contact anyone
at any given time. Digital media changed the way people communicate and interact with their
family and friends. The presence and intensity of media influences television, radio, music,
computers, films, videos, and the Internet are increasingly recognized as an important part of
the social ecology of children and youth, and these influences have become more visible and
volatile in recent decades. Research that explores the level and effects of media influences calls
for measurements of the quantity and character of exposure to a variety of potentially
overlapping media sources, an analysis of the content of the media output, and examination of
the social context and relationships that are associated with the media experience.
The number of hours young people spend interacting in some way with media, as well
as the range and capabilities of the many devices and activities that could be considered media
experiences, have increased to an extent far beyond the imagining of today’s grandparents
when they were young. Children today use electronic media from two to five hours daily, and
infants even in utero are regularly exposed to a variety of media stimuli. This pervasive
experience has raised many questions about how media exposure, content, and context
influence young people’s health, development, and behaviour. Researchers are increasingly
concerned not only with how much time children spend with the media in general, but also
with how they apportion their exposure over different sources and types of media. Furthermore,
interest is growing in examining how the experience with media exposure, content, and context
has changed over the decades in response to new media features and technologies as well as
reflecting other social and economic trends.
The increased use of digital media is changing people’s everyday lives and the way
they connect and collaborate in the broader societal context, at work and in civil society. Much
of the impact of this heightened use is beneficial to both individuals and society. It is enabling
unprecedented levels of communication, social interaction and community building across
boundaries of time, place and social context.
But not all the impacts of increased use of digital media are positive. Research indicates
that when humans excessively use digital media it can negatively influence their cognitive and
behavioural development and even their mental and physical health. Hyper connectivity, the
increasing digital interconnection of people and things, has the potential to change patterns of
social interaction, as face-to-face time may be substituted by online interaction. In addition,
greater technology enablement of work (and the resulting fragmentation of jobs) threatens the
security of jobs traditionally considered as skilled in the developed world.
Media has taken centre stage in influencing the behaviour of young people. Most
youngsters spend hours on the end watching television, playing video games and socializing
on the internet on social networking sites such as whatsapp, Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace.
Music is also a major contributor to the effects that media has on youth. This is because,
currently, it is very easy for youngsters to watch and download music videos as well as music
from the internet, which is affecting their behaviour negatively.
In search for a voice that reaches out to the world, then no doubt that the media is the
most preferable choice as close to all the nations of the would have established their own
networks to keep up with this faster moving transudation into the technological era.
It is very clear that whatever is presented in the media is highly influential in the life of
any normal youngster. This great pull of media is very worrying because it seems that even
with the continuing development of technology it is not bound to end soon. In any case, the
people regulating the use of media should come up with strict laws that are likely to regulate
the airing of some information on the media so that the problem that the teenagers have to go
through is done with finally. Teenagers did not bring up this menace on themselves and so,
even though it does not seem to end, in the near future strict, measures should be employed.
There is a need to have assemblance of control of the kind of information that is accessible to
teenagers. The types of media most used are the internet, television, smart phones or the music
media. The digital media has become pervasive in the lives of young people .This study intends
to examine the digital media usage among women of kottayam town.

Objectives of the study

 To assess women’s usage patterns of digital media in terms of (i) regularity and (ii) time
spent.
 To find out which digital media exerts greater influence on women of kottayam town.

Methodology
Survey method was adopted for the study to collect data regarding the use of digital
media among women. The sample consists of 50 women staying in and around Kottayam town.
A test was prepared by the investigator to collect data regarding digital media usage. The test
contained 23 items, each having 3or 4 options from which respondents have to select
appropriate to them.

Analysis and Interpretation of data

The data was subjected to percentage analysis. From this study it is evident that 100
percentage of women are using digital media. Among 50 women 54% choose Smartphones as
their favourite electronic device. 30% selected T.V as their favourite, 6% choose PC/Laptop,
other 6% choose tablet and 4% selected music player as their favourite electronic device and
nobody selected radio The diagrammatic representation of the favourite digital device of
women is shown in figure1

Electronic Device
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Electronic Device
 Figure 1: Favourite Electronic Device of women of Kottayam town
The study reveals the time spend per day by women in using digital media .88% spend
about 0-4 hours per day, 8% of them spend 4-8 hours per day, 4% of them spend 8-12 hours
per day. In a day up to 4 hours 76% of youngsters spend on surfing the internet,70% spend on
watching T.V, 96% were engaged the radio and 80% of youngsters are spend on social
networking sites for communication and posting data. In a day up to 8 hours, 20% of youngsters
surfing internet, 26% were watching T.V and 4% were listening to the radio and 20%
youngsters spend on the social networking sites and also a few youngsters using digital media
more than 8 hours. The time spend by women on various digital media is diagrammatically
represented in the figure 2

Time Spend
100

80

60

40 0-4 hours per day

20 4-8 hours per day

0 8-12 hours per day

surfing
watching
internet listening to
T.V social
the radio
networking
sites

Figure 2: Time spend on various digital media by women of Kottayam town

60% of youngsters are online mostly even when watching television or listening to the
music 50% women has their own PC/laptop. 90% of women said that digital media is necessary
for youth. 80% of women use Smartphone for internet access. 72% of women agree that digital
media has become a hobby to them.
78% choose digital media to connect others and 64% respondents said that social media
is helpful to create awareness among youth.80% of the women agree that digital media have
positive impact on youth.70% selected whatsapp as their favourite form of social media, 26%
selected facebook and 4% choose instagram. The diagrammatic representation of the favourite
social media of women of kottayam town is shown in the figure 3.
 Social media
70

60

50

40

30
social media
20

10

0
facebook
whatsapp
Twitter
instagram
skype

Figure 3: The favourite Social Media of Women of Kottayam town

60% of them agreed that internet is cheaper and quicker than news paper. Most of them
(80%) agreed that they will not meet friends of social media in real life. 40% of women said
that cyber bullying increased due to the internet usage.
68% of the respondents agreed that social media has negative impact on the education
of today’s youth. 52% agreed that digital media results in waste of time. 64% of youngsters
64% spend 100-250 rupees/month to recharge their smart phone and other gadgets, 16% spend
less than 100 rupees,12% of them spend 100-250 rupees, 8% were spend 250-500 rupees to
recharge. The diagrammatic representation on showing the amount spend by women of
kottayam town on recharging the smart phones is shown in figure 4.

Monthly Expense

80

60

40

20
monthly expense
0
less than 100-250 250-500 500-1000 Greater
100 R.S R.S R.S than 1000
Figure 4: The amount spends by women of Kottayam town on recharging their
Smartphones.
For 80% of women, Smartphone is very important, 10% of them said that it is important
and for 10% it is extremely important. Most of them (78%) said that they never visited an
illegal site but remaining use it to watch movie (22%), upload files and download music.

Findings and Conclusion

As technology is growing digital media has become a routine for each and every person.
Social media has various merits but it also has some demerits which affect people negatively.
Most of the youngsters who engage more time on these media are totally wasting their time,
money and their abilities.
This study helped to find out usage pattern of internet and other media of women in
terms of regularity and time spend. Through this study, it is clear that smart phones are the
favourite digital device and they spend a substantial amount for recharging it.
The use of digital media is beneficial but should be used in a limited in such a way
without getting addicted. Parents and teachers involvement in guiding the young generation
regarding the use of digital media is very important.

References
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