Media Influence and Childhood Aggression: Insights from a Qualitative Study in the Hanthana Tea Estate Community

The research examines the impact of Tamil films on the aggressive behaviours of children aged 6-18 years residing in the Hanthana Tea Estate community in Kandy, Sri Lanka. This community and context have limited resources in terms of their socio-economic background, and minimal parental supervision in recreational environments for children in this community often takes place mediated through media as a source of both entertainment and social learning. A qualitative case study methodology was utilized to collect data through semi-structured interviews and classroom observations with a total of ten children with observable aggressive behaviours. Through a thematic analysis of the data, we encountered three prominent themes, (1) Behavioural Assimilation of the Heroes of Tamil Cinema, (2) Violent Behaviours as a Normalized Approach to Conflict Resolution, and (3) Media Consumption as a Coping Strategy for Emotion and Social Deprivation. The findings suggested that the repeated exposure to violent narratives in films support elements of imitation, and social learning by desensitizing and compensating for the emotional and social voids presented throughout their day to day lived context. The study emphasizes the connection between the exposure to the media, socio-cultural context and emotional development of children. The findings from the study suggest that while media consumption can be associated with aggressive behaviours, these behaviours are further exacerbated within the context of the structural vulnerabilities of plantation children. Following the findings and recommendations of the study, the suggestions are for integrated approaches including, media literacy, after-school activity expansions, parental mediation and school-based mental health support approaches, to limit the negative behavioural outcomes of children's media consumptions with violence.