Of 1,204, 82% of the respondents from Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Surat stated that newspaper is the main source for vulgar material for them.
Been blaming the internet or the idiot box for declining moral standards in kids? Think again. An Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIMA) study says that of the list of hazardous sources, the newspaper in your hand can do maximum damage to formative minds. The study by a professor of the premier management school reveals that majority of the respondents were unanimous that the biggest source of risqué material is newspapers.
The study, conducted on respondents between 15 years to 18 years in states like Madhya Pradesh and Delhi apart from Gujarat, attempted to connect exposure to risqué material and its impact on objectification of women and attitude towards rape among Indian youth.
Of 1,204 respondents, 82% from Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Surat stated that the newspaper is the main source for vulgar material for them. While 12% stated TV, only a meager 4% named the internet as source to vulgar content. The remaining respondents quoted all other sources like magazine etc for exposure to risqué materials.
Study also states that adolescent respondents indicated while they were aware of availability of risqué material via TV, internet, or magazines, stricter control on availability of these mediums limited their access to these.
Not satisfied with the outcome of the first study, faculty of marketing and organizational behavior area at IIMA, Prof Dheeraj Sharma, conducted another study on the same set of respondents based on pre-established psymetric scales to measure their exposure to such materials in newspaper and their attitude towards women and rape. The data collected suggested a strong correlation between the respondents’ exposure to risqué material in newspaper and their attitude towards women and rape.
