The Influence Of The Electronic Media On Children’s Socialization: A Study Of Enugu Metropolis

The Influence Of The Electronic Media On Children’s Socialization: A Study Of Enugu Metropolis
Abstract
This research work which examines the influence of the electronic media on children’s socialization using Primary School IN Enugu metropolis as a study was based on the research design called survey. Its sampling technique which happens to be the purposive sampling was used because of the specific population under research and who are children of schooling age. The questionnaire which served as a means of data collection was distributed amongst the children to elicit response. The findings show that the electronic media especially the television was a powerful device in the lives of children. It enlightens them on how to interact with people and also a means where they cultivate violent attitudes towards people. The findings conclusively proved that the electronic media content effect depends on the child being exposed as not all children are influenced by the electronic media in the same way.
Table of Content
- Title Page
- Certification
- Dedication
- Acknowledgement
- Table of Content
- List of Tables
- Abstract
Chapter One:
Introduction
- 1.1 Background of the Study
- 1.2 Statement of the Problem
- 1.3 Objective of the Study
- 1.4 Research Questions
- 1.5 Research Hypothesis
- 1.6 Significance of the Study
- 1.7 Scope of the Study
- 1.8 Limitation of the Study
- 1.9 Definition of Terms
- 1.10 Organisations of the Study
Chapter Two:
Review of Literature
- 2.1 Conceptual Framework
- 2.2 Theoretical Framework
- 2.3 Empirical Review
Chapter Three:
Research Methodology
- 3.1 Research Design
- 3.2 Population of the Study
- 3.3 Sample Size Determination
- 3.4 Sample Size Selection Technique and Procedure
- 3.5 Research Instrument and Administration
- 3.6 Method of Data Collection
- 3.7 Method of Data Analysis
- 3.8 Validity of the Study
- 3.9 Reliability of the Study
- 3.10 Ethical Consideration
Chapter Four:
Data Presentation and Analysis
- 4.1 Data Presentation
- 4.2 Analysis of Data
- 4.3 Answering Research Questions
- 4.4 Test of Hypotheses
Chapter Five:
Summary, Conclusion and Recommendation
- 5.1 Summary
- 5.2 Conclusion
- 5.3 Recommendation
- References
- APPENDIX
- QUESTIONNAIRE
Chapter One
Introduction
1.1 Background to the Study
Media has turned the world into a global village. It is prominent tool and a best means of one way communication. So, it’s being widely used for everything and for any purpose. It has been playing a significant role in most of all social, political and development sectors due to its power to influence on attitude and behaviour of general public and its outstanding role to design planned and policy on national and international level (Okafor, 2002). The uses of media are intense in every aspect of social, political and economic development. Similarly, media is also playing a major role in promotion of children development. The media have made children more sociable in Edo state and every other city in Nigeria in which children are exposed to the activities of the media (Ambrose, 2007). The term mass media is defined as a means of communication that operate on a large scale reaching and involving virtually everyone in a society to a great or lesser degree.
The mass media especially the visual media (television, films, and now the new media) are widely believed to be uniquely effective because of their visual advantage which enables the retention of attention among audiences, as well as “pre-occupying‟ especially for children and adolescents, even among some adults. One cannot talk of socialization without mentioning children because primary socialization occurs in children. Socialization is responsible for the transformation of a helpless infant, described as „a biological being‟ into a thinking, acting and talking normal human being, described as “a social being” , (Schramm, 2003).
Childhood on the other hand is a period of information seeking when the child‟s central concern lies in defining a coherent picture of the world. “For the 20th century child, the picture is apt to be broad and complex. The mass media especially the pictorial media to which they have access very easily expose them to the world far and beyond the limits of his immediate environment” (Strasburger, 2008). But unlike our own society where presently, the trend has been to screen primary and secondary school children in traditional dancing costumes. However, children are actually portrayed as entertainers to television viewers. “It is worrisome that if new strategies are not adopted whereby children would be exposed to a more expanded use of the media, they might grow into tradition directed, dance-oriented and violent adults”. According to Nnonyelu, (2009,p.21) Living in a media-saturated world, the media has become an integral part of everyday life and children are spending between 35-55 hours per week on the different forms of media. However, with this constant exposure to media contents, it is not surprising that the question most often asked when a child behaves in a particular manner is: “what role did the media play in childhood socialization?” thus the thrust of this study.
Mass coverage on childhood socialization cannot be over looked. The term socialization is the process of learning interpersonal and interactional skills that conform with the values of one’s society (Nnonyelu, 2009).
Again, Socialization is a term used by sociologists, social psychologists, anthropologists, political scientists and educationalists to refer to the lifelong process of inheriting and disseminating norms, customs and ideologies, providing an individual with the skills and habits necessary for participating within his or her own society. Socialization is thus ‘the means by which social and cultural continuity are attained’.
Childhood socialization can be categorized into Primary and secondary. Primary socialization occurs when a child learns the attitudes, values, and actions appropriate to individuals as members of a particular culture (Strasburger, 2008). Primary socialization for a child is very important because it sets the groundwork for all future socialization. Secondary socialization refers to the process of learning what is the appropriate behavior as a member of a smaller group within the larger society.
According to Wimmer and Dominick (2003:394) the development of the social impact of the mass media was evident as far back as the 1920’s when many critics charged that motion pictures had a negative influence on children. In 1928 the Motion picture Research Council, with support from the Payne fund a private Philanthropic Organization sponsored a series of thirteen studies on the movies’ influence on children. After examination of film content, information gain, attitude change and influence on behaviour, it was concluded that the movies were potent sources of information, attitudes and behaviour for children.
In the early 1950’s another medium, the comic book was chastised for it’s alleged harmful effects. John Klapper (1960) cited in Wimmer and Domnick (2003:394) summarized what was known about the social impact of mass communication. In contrast to many researchers, Klapper downplayed the potential harmful effects of the media. He concluded that the media most often reinforced an individual’s existing attitudes and predispositions.
In the late 1950’s and early 1960’s concern over the antisocial impact of the media shifted to television. Experiments on college campuses by Bandura and Berkowitz in Comstock and Paik (1991:97) showed that aggressive behaviour could be learned by viewing violent media content and that a stimulation effect was more probable than a cathartic effect. Subcommittees examined possible links between viewing violence on television and juvenile delinquency and in 1965 one subcommittee concluded that televised crime and violence were related to antisocial behaviours among juvenile viewers.
The early 1970’s saw extensive research on the social effects of the mass media. Three years after the publication of the Eisenhower Commission report came the release of a multi-volume report sponsored by the Surgeon General’s Scientific Advisory committee on television and social Behaviour. The committee summarized it’s research evidence:
There is a convergence of fairly substantial evidence on short run causation of aggression among children by viewing violence and the much less certain evidence from field studies that violence viewing precedes some long-run manifestation of aggressive behaviour. Wimmer and Dominick (2003:394)
The committee tempered this conclusion by noting that any sequence by which viewing television violence causes aggressive behaviour is most likely applicable only to some children who are predisposed in that direction.
Gamson and Modigliani (1989) cited in McQuail (2007:461) work on media texts, audiences and also media organizations in the late 1970’s brought about a new approach to media effect which can best be termed “social constructivist”. This involves a view of media as having their most significant effects by constructing meanings.
In today’s society, electronic media are thoroughly integrated into the fabric of life with television, movies, video, music, videogames central to both work and play. Recent studies indicate that young children in Nigeria and in Enugu which is the limited area of this work use a wide variety of screen media. The media are increasingly part of children’s environment as television programmes are being made for infants, toddlers and teenagers.
On the positive bide of the ledger, there is evidence that thoughtfully designed TV used at the appropriate developmental stage can be educational. At the same time, the electronic media can contribute to aggressive behaviour, anxiety and obesity in children.
The electronic media plays important role in socialization through learning which it does by providing important sources of information. It also plays an important role in the transmission of attitudes, perception and beliefs.
Dominick (2002:484) highlights specifically that television was an influential force when the following factors are operative:
- The same ideas, people or behaviours recur consistently from programme to programme and are presented in a stereotyped manner.
- A child was heavily exposed to TV content
- A child has limited interaction with parents and other socializing agents and lacks an alternative set of beliefs to serve as a standard against which to assess media portrayals.
The need to develop scientifically based practical answers to important questions about media effects on the physical, mental and social health of children was now greater than ever.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The influence of mass media on children may be insidious and have led children to building false ideals and negative social behaviour. Mass media have affected the academic performance of Nigeria children. Mass media have contributed immensely to moral decadence in our society today. This poses the problem which this study wishes to look at. The influence of the media on the social and psychosocial development of children is profound. Thus, it is important for experts and physicians to discuss with parents their child’s exposure to media and to provide guidance on age-appropriate use of all media, including television, radio, music, video games and the Internet. Today, television particularly movies has become a leading sex educator for children in Nigeria. This is a problem that is difficult to control.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The objective of this study is therefore stated as follows:
- To examine the impact of mass media on the social development of children.
- To explore the benefits and the impact of the mass media on children’s socialization.
- To examine the negative impact of mass media on children.
- To examine if children imitate movie character, sing an advertising song, or show other impressions of what they learn from media.
1.4 Research Questions
In this study, an attempt will be sufficiently made to answer the following questions.
- Do mass media have direct impact on the social development of children?
- What are the benefit of mass media on children socialization?
- Do mass media have negative effect on the life of children?
- Are the children that have access to mass media more socialized?
1.5 Hypothesis of the Study
The study formulated and tested the following hypothesis for the study;
- Ho: The electronic media has no significant effect on children’s socialization
- Hi: The electronic media have a significant effect on children’s socialization
1.6 Significance of the Study
The problem which the mass media poses affects virtually every child directly or indirectly, so the significance of this work cannot be ignored in that it will help the mass media practitioners know the extent of the effects of their programme content on the social development of a child.
This work was to advance the frontier of knowledge in the field of mass communication as well as serve as a repository of knowledge and also contribute to available literature in the field of mass communication. Issues pertaining to media effects on children have become a serious matter which demands attention by all and so this work serves as a reference material, to interpret and recommend appropriate actions.
1.7 Scope of the Study
The research is limited to children and the mass media that is, observing the role of the electronic media on childhood socialization within the context of Primary Schools in Enugu Metropolis.
1.8 Limitation of the Study
In the course of carrying out this study, the researcher experienced some constraints, which included time constraints, financial constraints, language barriers, and the attitude of the respondents. However, the researcher were able to manage these just to ensure the success of this study.
1.9 Definition of Terms
Under this subheading, a researcher operationalises the key concepts and variables in his research. He states clearly what they mean in the context of his study which may be different from what they mean in another context, Ohaja (2003:68).
Socialization:
This means how children relate with people in the society, the kind of attitudes and mannerisms they exhibit, in order words their behavioural pattern.
Electronic Media:
Media which is not the print and which utilizes electronic or electromechanical energy.
Children:
Children are individuals who are not more than 18 years of age. This was also in line with the UN’s definition adopted on 20th Nov 1989 in the convention on the rights of the child.
Influence:
This includes both the beneficial and harmful derivation from a thing.
Academic Performance:
This is used in the study to refers to students’ attitude to competition for excellent in their attitude toward participating in classroom activities and home work. It also used to students’ interest in learning.
1.10 Organization of the Study
This research work is organized in five chapters, for easy understanding, as follows.
- Chapter one is concern with the introduction, which consist of the (overview, of the study), historical background, statement of problem, objectives of the study, research hypotheses, significance of the study, scope and limitation of the study, definition of terms and historical background of the study.
- Chapter two highlights the theoretical framework on which the study is based, thus the review of related literature.
- Chapter three deals on the research design and methodology adopted in the study.
- Chapter four concentrate on the data collection and analysis and presentation of finding.
- Chapter five gives summary, conclusion, and recommendations made of the study.
Chapter Five
Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations:
5.1 Introduction
This chapter summarizes the findings on the influence of the electronic media on children’s socialization using primary schools in Enugu metropolis , Enugu State as case study. The chapter consists of summary of the study, conclusions, and recommendations.
5.2 Summary of the Study
In this study, our focus was on the influence of the electronic media on children’s socialization using primary schools in Enugu metropolis , Enugu State as case study. The study is was specifically focused on examining the impact of mass media on the social development of children; exploring the benefits and the impact of the mass media on children’s socialization; examining the negative impact of mass media on children and examine if children imitate movie character, sing an advertising song, or show other impressions of what they learn from media.
The study adopted the survey research design and randomly enrolled participants in the study. A total of 100 responses were validated from the enrolled participants where all respondent are staff and pupils of selected primary schools in Enugu metropolis, Enugu State.
5.3 Conclusion
The fundamental aim of this research has been to investigate the influence of the electronic media on children’s socialization using primary schools in Enugu metropolis , Enugu State as a study.
From the analysis of data collected and its interpretation, it can be deduced that the Electronic media serves as a powerful device in the lives of the children, even though its importance cannot be overemphasized.
It was found that children in the metropolis enjoy viewing violent programmes and puts it into practice as well, they even regard the characters they are exposed to as their role models and also affects the way they rapour with people though for majority, it does not affect the relationship they have with their parents.
However, there are certain things which they do not imitate from the screen like mode of dressing and some behavioural patterns of the characters involved.
Some of these findings conform with the studies cited in chapter two. Children learn easily from the electronic media than the print media as the later does not attract their attention.
5.4 Recommendations
- In order to curb the negative influence of the electronic media on children’s socialization in Primary School, media literacy programmes should be designed to enlighten the children about the implications of the negative media content.
- Parents should evaluate a means of regulating what their children/wards view on air or listen to.
- The media practitioners have the challenge of providing the children with healthier and educative programmes that will even enable them interact with fellow children in Primary School.
- Health and church workers in Primary School should also help and sensitize the general public especially the adults about the implications of exposing children to antisocial media content.
- Government’s help is also of necessity as they could sponsor some of the media literacy programmes.
Survey was used as the research design for this study, future research on similar work can also use content analysis.


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