Abstract
The study seeks to
establish the influence of Television viewing on young adult’s deviant
behaviour. The sociological approach was employed to examine the influence of
television viewing on young adult’s anti-social behaviour specifically in two
selected secondary schools in Lagos Mainland Local Government Area . Four research questions were raised and three
hypotheses tested for this study. The descriptive survey research design was
adopted for the study.Using the questionnaire for data collection.A total
number of 120 subjects used for the study were selected through the multi-stage
sampling method. The results of this study indicate positive relationship
between television viewing and young adult’s deviant behaviours and so, the
four null hypotheses formulated were not supported by this study. Findings of
this study reveal that there is a significant effect of television on young
adult’s anti-social behaviour, respect for culture, Also, finding further
indicates that watching television makes young adults to adopt foreign culture.
On a final note, it was noted that there is a significant effect of television
viewing on rising incidence of social vices among the young adults in Nigeria. From these findings, this study
recommends that a good blend of mass communication and interpersonal
communication strategies is necessary. They can be useful in directing audience
response to media message.More Nigerians televised sociocultural programmes
should be shown in order to teach Nigerian values. Entertainment should not be
at the expense of news and current affairs.
TABLE OF
CONTENT
TITLE PAGES
Certification ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgement iv
Abstract v
Table of
content vi
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background
to the Study 1
Statement
of the problem 6
Purpose
of the Study 7
Research
Questions 7
Hypotheses 8
Significance
of the Study 8
Scope
of the Study 9
Operational
Definition of Terms 9
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
Television
as a medium of communication 11
Sociological
determinants of audience exposure to the media 14
The social context of behaviour 22
The
concept of deviant behaviour 25
The
Influence of Television viewing on young adults deviant behaviour 28
Theories
explaining the Influence of Television viewing on young adults deviant 32
behaviour.
CHAPTER
THREE
INTRODUCTION
Research Design 34
Population 35
Sample and Sampling
techniques 35
Methods of data
collection (research Instrument) 35
Validation of Research
instrument 35
Data collection
(Administration of Research instrument) 36
Method of Data analysis 36
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULT AND DISCUSSION
Introduction
37
Descriptive
Data 37
Testing
of Hypotheses 45
Discussion
of Findings 48
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS,
SUGESTION FOR FURTHER STUDY
Introduction 53
Summary 53
Recommendations 54
Conclusion
54
References
56
Appendix 60
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background
to the Study
As a medium of communication, television
seems to transport millions of persons each day to far off places (Syed, 2010).
Television is relatively a new medium that has made its impression on every
aspect of modern life. It is bouncing its signal on space satellites and uses
oceanic cables to transmit live telecast to its beneficiaries. This electronic
medium ensures its visibility without any global discrimination.
According to Mattoo (2011), television
made its visibility more than Sixty years ago. People were not only skeptical
about it, but were also jealous, unkind and even hostile. It need be mentioned that television found its
space in all countries of the world and has transformed our planet into a
gigantic electronic village bringing various people and continent close
(Egenti, 2004). More so, television has become a central dimension of everyday
activity and in our country it has grown at a phenomenal pace. Television
therefore, is a powerful medium with extra-ordinary reach. No one can doubt the
potential of television as a catalyst of social change. Even the perforation of
cable and satellite television channels has penetrated in all corners of the
country cutting across demographic and geographic barriers. In Nigeria,
television was introduced in the Western region through the effort of (Late)
Chief Obafemi Awolowo to introduce public service broadcasting. The idea was
primarily education and access to rural population. Today, an average Nigerian
homes has access to Television and view information from Local, national and
global networks. The sheer number of channels gives the viewers options of
multiple natures. It is generally believed that television has become a very
powerful medium, and its contact no doubt can change the likes and dislikes,
learning and social habit of children and Young adults (Esan, 2001).
However, increased attention has been
focused in literature regarding the impact of television on human lives at any
stage of development. In literature, Harrighust, Erickson, Bandura and other
psychologists state that most human behavior is learned observational through
modeling. By observing others, one forms
an idea of how new behaviours are performed and later occasions, this coded
information serves as a guide for action. Television provides observational
learning in this regard. Young adults are easy to manipulate especially during
the early stage. They are very sensitive not only to their environment but also
to information outside their environment. They are gullible and it is very
difficult to change the attitude cultivated at this stage in one’s life
(Oladapo, 2001).
Similarly, Esan (2001) posits that young adult’s
stage of life can be quite confusing. The confusion is made worse when one is
exposed to conflicting views about what appropriate behaviour should be. The
level of confusion or confidence is often a function of the information network
to which an individual subscribes.
But the individual’s state of mind may not
always indicate how expedient the chosen course of action is. Whilst
individuals may be satisfied by their personal choices, their course of action
may be quite injurious to themselves and indeed the development of society as a
whole. What this implies is that deviancy or disorderly conduct is caused by
the psychological makeup of the deviants. Deficiencies in the developmental
stages or formation of the individual like when he fails to internalize the
expected behaviour of the society, leads to psychological problems of
adjustment which are shown by committing deviant acts. The implication here is
that the causes of deviancy or antisocial behaviour reside in the individual
and this is revealed through his reaction to problems. Although biological or physiological
factors have been identified in literature to cause deviant behaviour, this
study has singled out television viewing because both biological and
physiological variables seem not to explain what causes deviant behaviour (Free
Essays, 2012). According to this article, sociological perspective to the cause
of deviant behaviour has been the least questioned explanation of the three,
even though it does not give the exact justification for where deviant behaviour
comes from. It may be noted that sociologists learn from culture’s influences,
other than a biological or psychological bias. It is in the interest of this
present study to tilt towards the sociologists’ position in order to establish
the effect of television viewing on young adults’ antisocial behaviour.
Furthermore, for more than half a century
now, there has been growing concern about the social influence of television
viewing on young people. One of the reasons suggested why the public and social
critics are worried about the impact of television is the belief that mass
entertainment lowers aesthetic tastes and standards for popular culture in its
effects to attract and hold the largest possible audience (Okoye, 1993). According
to Okoye (1993), a “bad” media content especially television has adverse effect
on young adult’s social behaviour. Evidence abounds in literature on the
effects of various media contents, particularly sex, crime and violence on
young adults.
Undeniably, studies linking television
viewing and young people’s antisocial behaviour have focused on the United
States of America and Western Europe and were psychologically based, being
interested in the individual. There are few studies, if any (even replications
of the American Studies) that establish the relationship between television viewing
and young adults antisocial behaviour in developing countries such as Nigeria. This
study will therefore fill the literature gap.
Nigeria as exemplified by trends in Lagos
where young adults watch various dramatized sex, crime and violence in national
and international televisions raise Nigerians eyebrows to such “bad” media
content, particularly via television. This could adversely affect the social
behavior of young adults. An underlying factor to the production of American
entertainment soft ware is consumerism (Okoye, 1993 citing Schilier, 1969). All
these constantly exposed to the young adults will influence them to learn
American ways of life and their new products that go with them. The resultant
enhancement of tastes without a corresponding improvement of the means of
satisfying them would create a situation of rising expectation and rising
frustration. With the recent massive
devaluation of the Naira and the double digit inflation in Nigeria, it is
becoming increasing difficult to satisfy the taste for foreign goods. The
rising incidence of drug trafficking, armed robbery and “advance free frauds’’
or yahoo-yahoo may well be an indirect consequence of the television viewing
culture.
Clearly enough we see young people shown
on the Nigerian Television Authority channels 5 and 10, Channels television,
Muritala television (MITV) Lagos Television (LTV), African Independent
Television (AIT), Galaxy Television, Super Screen Television, Silver Bird Television
amongst others demonstrating the western way of life through music, dressing
and even language. This does not in any way represent the Nigerian culture. The
foregoing provides the basis for assessing the influence of television viewing
on young adults’ deviant behaviour in Lagos Mainland Local Government Area.
Statement
of the Problem
The medium of television, although a daily
part of most modern lives, remain unbelievable in the manner it may influence
its audience. At the center of this unbelief lies the argument about content
and medium without regard to its content (Anderson and Hoston, 2001). A
situation where young adults watch all kinds of televised crime, sex and
violence are bound to have serious socio-cultural implications. Indeed,
television viewing is now the dominant pastime, relegating to the background
other activities such as playing and home studies. As a result, young adults no
longer devote enough time for their school work and vocational work. Worst
sill, it is conjectured that heavy television viewers will be further alienated
from the local surroundings, thereby making them strangers in their own
country. According to Okoye (1993), the television culture will create
Nigerians who will completely repudiate their cultural heritage, thereby
complicating further the problem of national development. In view of the
information provided, the study seeks to assess the social influence of
television viewing on young adult’s deviant behaviour.
Purpose
of the Study
The general objective of this study seeks
to establish the link between television viewing and young adult’s behaviour
However, this study will.
1.
Asses the social influence of the
television viewing on young adults disorderly behaviour.
2.
Determine
the effect of television viewing on young adult’s social life.
3.
Assess the effects of televised crime and
violence on young adult’s antisocial behaviour.
4.
Determine the effect of television culture
on crime and other social vices among the young adults.
Research
Questions
1. What
is the social influence of viewing television programmes on young adult’s
antisocial behaviour?
2. What
is the effect of television viewing programmes on young adult’s socio-cultural
development?
3. Will
young adult’s viewers internalize real life situation from televised crime and
violence programmes?
4. Does
television viewing contribute to the rising incidents of drugs, trafficking,
internet scam, violence and kidnapping in the country?
Hypotheses
The
study raises the following aspriori-expectations
1. There is no significant relationship between
television viewing programmes and antisocial behaviour.
2. There
is no significant relationship between television viewing and ones respect for
society’s norms and culture.
3. There
is no significant relationship between heavy viewers and adoption of foreign
cultures.
4. There
is no significant relationship between television culture and rising incidents
of social vices in the country.
Significance
of the Study
This study is relevant in the true sense
that it will promote good social behaviour among growing people in
Nigeria. The study has identified television viewing as
a predictor of antisocial and anticultural behaviour. The result of this
research study will help researchers, education social welfare workers, social
critics and the general public to understand the social influence of television
on young adult’s disorderly behavior.
The study will also help to promote the
absorption of the Nigerian/African cultures which until the present has been
characterized with good neighborliness, respect for elders, virtuousness,
community orientation and collectivism. The conduct of
this study will enable government to make
policy that will help media to arrange good programmes that will promote the
social life of audience. It will also help government and policy makers to put
adequate measures in place to check the movement of foreign films and
television programmes which has eroded the cultural value of Nigerian Society. Children
and Young adults will benefits. It will help build a good society.
Scope
of the Study
The focus of this study is on the
influence of television viewing on young adult’s anti-social behaviour, specifically
in Lagos Mainland Local Government Area. It covered 120 students selected from
two secondary schools in Lagos mainland Local Government Area because of time
and money. Also, obtaining material posed serious constraints for this study.
Operational
Definition of Terms
Television:
A
electronic gadget that appeals to sense of sigh and hearing. It needs
electricity to be able to perform the transmission.
Viewing:
Watching something with one’s eye.
Adolescence
or
Adolescent: A period during which
teenagers (children) feel the pressure of constructing an adult identity.
Young
Adults: Young men and women that are still growing.
Deviant:
A
behaviour that is deemed unacceptable or inappropriate. It implies child’s behaviour is consistently
offensive or intolerant, or the behaviour is extraordinarily different from
other children of his age and development range.
Behaviour:
The way one responds to a stimuli or object or things. It can be described as
conduct or attitude.
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