The Influence of New Media Platforms on Cartoon Viewing Behaviour in India: A Comparative Study of Television and Digital Media

In the fast-evolving digital-media era, the viewing habits of kids in India have undergone significant transformation, especially in their use of cartoons, making it essential to adapt to this new landscape and ensure that our understanding of how audiences now consume entertainment content remains relevant. The present study is designed using quantitative, descriptive and comparative research methods in which five dimensions of media engagement, namely convenience, availability of media content, personalisation, interactions and audience engagement are examined. A structured questionnaire was used to gather data from 312 parents/guardians of children who view cartoons on TV and/or digital media from all over India through an online survey. The results showed that digital platforms were overwhelmingly preferred over traditional TV channels (77.6% to 22.4%) with YouTube being the most popular platform, especially among younger children, while older children had higher engagement with subscription-based OTT platforms. There was a statistically significant relationship between the age group of the children and the preferred platform. Finally, the multiple regression analysis showed that recommendation influence and ease of use of the platform were the most influential predictors of cartoon viewing, while parental mediation was also a significant predictor, highlighting its protective role in curbing children’s digital media consumption. The results indicate that both platform-level affordances and the household parental practices shape the current transition from television to digital media. The study adds to the understanding of the changing landscape of cartoon viewing in India and has practical implications for broadcasters, OTT platform developers, parents and policymakers to encourage safe, balanced and developmentally appropriate viewing by children in a progressively digital entertainment environment.