Digital Media Proliferation and Recreation Pattern of the Blue-Collars: A Study on the RMG Workers in Bangladesh

Abstract

This study explores the concept of recreation among workers in the readymade garment (RMG) industry in Bangladesh and documents how their patterns of recreational activities are determined by the extreme time poverty and lack of resources of RMG workers, both at their households and factory premises. This paper shows that digital media consumption has emerged as a significant leisure activity for RMG workers due to the Wi-Fi ‘revolution,’ rapid proliferation of social media, and widespread access to smartphone-based communication and entertainment applications. This paper explores the dynamics of recreation among RMG workers, focusing on their leisure activities during weekdays and weekends. The proliferation of digital media has introduced new dimensions to how these workers engage in leisure, reflecting diverse manifestations of recreational activities. The study employs a mixed-method research design to comprehensively understand these dynamics, integrating data collected through three distinct approaches: a small-scale cross-sectional survey, focused ethnography, and in-depth interviews. This paper argues that attitudes toward entertainment and media among RMG workers significantly depend upon gender, dwelling setup (whom they live with), and income level. The findings of this study depict that music, in both audio and video formats, is the most preferred content for entertainment among RMG workers because it is relaxing and affordable, while the theological content has a significant appeal to them both in digital and non-digital space. Understanding recreation and leisure experience patterns among RMG workers in Bangladeshi policymaking is essential because it sheds light on crucial components of their lives and worldviews.