Effect of Television Viewing on the Moral Behavior of Nigerian Children: (A Study of Gaius Benton Schools)
Chapter One
Objectives of Study
The major objective of this study is to determine the impact of television viewing on the moral behavior of Nigerian children.
- To examine the benefits derived by children from television viewing.
- To determine the negative as well as the positive effects of television on the lives of Nigerian children.
- To determine how the effects affect other members of the family and the Nigerian society at large.
- To encourage television stations to promote generally acceptable social values and norms, and foster the spirit of self-discipline and generally accepted moral standards through the programs watched by children.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
INTRODUCTION
The impact of television programmes on children may be neglected by many without knowing that they have great impact on the behaviour of children both mentally, morally, psychologically and even spiritually.
Children grow up to socialize with people around them and television is one of the agents of socialization as a result it is a means through which the attitudes, behaviour, dispositions, opinions of children are formed.
Children need to be acquainted with acceptable societal standards so as to prevent them from becoming social deviants and to inculcate moral ways of life in them so as to be able to distinguish between conducts that are morally right or wrong.
The media dish out variety of programmes and children expose themselves to such programmes. It is on this note that the researcher wishes to study the postulations of other researchers who have carried out studies relating to this topic so as to be able to make an objective analysis of the study.
This chapter will therefore look at the concept of television from the point of view of the scholars, a brief history of television is also an integral part of this research work. Furthermore, this chapter will concentrate on television as a medium for mass communication and television as an instrument of social change. A look into some of the theories that support the study is worth being accessed in this chapter.
Concept of Television
Television is an electronic medium used in disseminating information to a wide and diversified audience. Nwosu (2005, p.164) states that:
Television is the medium that possess credibility, audio visual qualities, and can be utilized in virtually development communication.
The above statement shows that television possesses the ability to bring changes, which could be either positive or negative.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
In social science research, different methods are applied depending on the nature of the study. As regards this particular study, this chapter will concentrate on the research design, population of study, sample, sampling techniques used, instrument of data collection, validity of instrument and method of data collection.
Research Design
This study will be conducted using survey method. This method usually examines a single, sample for the purpose of inferring conclusion about the population from which the sample is derived. Since the utility of survey research depends on sample representative, it usually applies the principles of probability sample (Smith, 1998) cited in Uwakwe, (2006, p.114).
Population of study
Gaius Benton schools is made up of
Nursery 1 – 3
Primary 1 – 6
J.S.S 1 – 3
S.S.S 1 – 3
The actual population of Gains Benton at present as at the time of this study is six hundred and six pupils and students (606). However, a subset which will stand as a sample of the population will be chosen for effectiveness. The Data is drawn from the class registers.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, the questionnaire items collected would be presented and analyzed using tables and percentages. A total of 182 questionnaires were distributed by the researcher at Gains Benton Schools with a strict supervision from the class teachers, to avoid losses of the questionnaires, all the 182 questionnaires were collected back for collation.
This chapter will also include discussing on the findings made by the researcher through the questionnaire.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
INTRODUCTION
Every society needs communication to function well. A society without communication is a closed society. There is therefore the need for the transfer of information, education, entertainment and other functions which the mass media serve in the society.
Television as a medium of mass media is a means through which information get to the masses. It is therefore based on this that the impact television creates in the moral lives of children becomes an issue that must not be neglected.
This study so far has been able to access the kind of effects that television programmes exact on the moral lives of Nigerian Children. The possibility of television to influence the minds of children can be a powerful tool for opinion moulding and attitude formation.
This chapter therefore mirrors a summary of the findings by the researcher so far in the study of the effects of television viewing on the moral behaviour of Nigerian children and Gains Benton schools which consist of children of all ages have been the case study. This chapter also includes the humbles submission of the researcher from her findings. Recommendation and the recommendation for further studies are also made integral part of this chapter.
Summary of Findings
A look they say is worth move than a thousand words this is why children reminisce on what the view on television.
Television has come to stay in the Nigerian society and even the less privileged in the Nigerian society possess at least a television set.
Television programmes today, stands as a very crucial means of learning for children, since most children watch television daily.
Those children derive at least a message from the programmes they watch which is a means of learning moral ways of life to many of them.
So many scholars have postulated that the television has great effects on children. From the findings, the researcher observed that television affect children positively as well as negatively. These effects are expressed in the relationship of the children with members of their immediate family as well as their peers, friends, age grade and the society at large. The impact of television programmes on children can either promote acceptable behaviour or stair up negative attitudes in them since they utilize lessons learnt from the programmes in their daily lives.
There may be several other ways through which children learn attitudes and behavioural patterns but the impact of television, reshapes their dispositions to life and that is why immoral programmes stair up immoral attitudes while moral programmes promote moral behaviour among children.
Conclusion
Television programmes are aired for a purpose which must create an effect in its audience. This is why children must have a message from screen. This study is bent on finding the impact which television programmes create in the moral behaviour of Nigerian children hence having found out that the impact could either be positive or negative, there should be adequate checks on the programmes watched by children.
Children may be naive on the effect of some programmes on them, there is therefore the need to guide them in their choice of programme viewing.
Good and morally acceptable behaviour can only be fostered by moral programmes and a society can never thrive in the face of immoralities.
Recommendation
The major aim of this research has been the effect of television viewing on the Moral Behaviour of Nigerian Children.
The researcher found out that television has both positive and negative effect on Nigerian Children based on the content of the programmes which children expose themselves to.
There is therefore a Clarion call for the media ie television stations to ensure that the programmes aired for children should conform with acceptable behavioural and attitudinal patterns of life programmes should be well checked so as serve as instruments of social change as well as a means of teaching and promoting good, upright and acceptable moral standards of life in the Nigerian society. The media should present more of educative and instructional programmes for children.
Also, parents and guardians should monitor the type of programmes their wards expose themselves to as some children may indulge in watching immoral programmes without the knowledge of their parents/guidance.
Again, parents and guardians should avoided storing or keeping immoral programmes in the form of video tapes or disk in the house, also immoral stations can be disconnected from their subscriptions of television stations.
Finally, children should be thought the implication of immoral life so as to disway their minds from such acts while good and moral actions should be exalted and promoted by parents and guidance.
Recommendation for further studies
This study was limited to Gains Benton Schools due some limitations pointed out earlier. Therefore, in further studies, the researcher recommends that more than one school drawn from each zone of the country should be studied. Furthermore, researchers should consider areas like “Effectiveness of television in enforcing and maintaining morally acceptable behaviour in Nigeria children.
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