Cartoon Addiction and Executive Functioning in School Going Children

Abstract

With the advancement in technology, human beings have turned images into moving objects, making an imaginary world of fantasy in the minds of children. Watching excessive cartoons has made children addicted to these animate objects, affecting their behavior both physically and psychologically and urging them to mimic such characters in their everyday life. The present research investigated the relationship between cartoon addiction and executive functioning in school going children. It was hypothesized: cartoon addiction is likely to predict poor executive functioning in school going children. The data was taken from the sample of 100 mothers. For assessment, Cartoon Addiction Test by Young [1] and Parent-Teacher Executive Functioning Test by Gerard, Grioia [2] were used. Findings showed that; being in nuclear family, being a second born child, gender and cartoon addiction predict poor executive functioning in school going children. This research has important implications for parents to understand the addictive behavior of their children and to take remedial measures.