ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS RESPONSE TO TELEVISION REALITY PROGRAMMES
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ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS RESPONSE TO TELEVISION REALITY PROGRAMMES
Section I
OVERVIEW
1.1 Overview of the Study’s History
The mainstream media, particularly television, has ingrained itself into our daily lives and has been defined as a source of information, entertainment, and education. Folarin (2005, p. 74), citing Lasswell (1948), gives the media three roles:
v Environment Surveillance (the news function).
v The relationship between the many elements of the environment (the editorial role).
v The function of cultural transmission: passing down cultural heritage from one generation to the next (page 74).
There is no question that the “media effects” debate, which primarily focuses on the potentially detrimental effects of television on young people’s lives—video violence, gambling, academic performance, television consumerism, etc.—considers the impact of television broadcasting on young people’s lives in a broad sense (Miles 2000, p.87). Three key justifications are provided by Steele, J. R. & Brown, J. D. (2005, p. 87) for why television influence merits further investigation:
Compared to their time in school or with their parents, youths spend more time interacting with the media.
The media frequently presents dangerous adult behaviours like binge drinking and sexual promiscuity in a glamorised manner.
v It might be argued that parents and other socialisation facilitators have abdicated their duties to steer young people away from dangerous behaviours, giving the media a greater overall effect.
Regarding this discussion, numerous analysts believe that by the time a person turns 18 years old, they will have watched more television than any other activity save sleeping (Anderson, 2009, p.76). Nonetheless, Miles (2000, p.73) believes that:
While it is commonly believed that youth are more directly and negatively impacted by the media than any other age group, research shows that youths between the ages of 14 and 24 are among the least likely to watch television at the moment.
The literature has frequently overlooked this dilemma. Paradoxically, because media-hype sells, the mainstream media itself has a stake in inflating the influence it has on the lives of young people.
Television broadcasting undoubtedly had a significant impact on how young people’s lives were structured during a time of fast social change, regardless of how much time they actually spent watching television and utilising other media (Osgerby, 2008, p. 12).
The quantity of television shows that young people watch has increased significantly in recent years, giving them the freedom to create their own “media menu” based on their own tastes and interests. Both the youth population and how they utilise the media are going through a time of rapid change.
Recent years have seen an increase in television viewership due to the introduction of cable and satellite television (Johnson, 2004). Osgerby (2008, p. 20) goes on to say that “the multiplication of media and information technologies that accompanied the post-modern era challenged conventional notions of time and space
symbolised most obviously by the global cultural flows and images evident in Music Television (MTV) programming.” MTV is a well-known entertainment channel that televises reality TV series, other entertainment programmes, and music videos.
According to Reimer (2005, p. 67), young people are more bonded by their usage of the mass media than by any other social activity, which also explains their relationship to social change. One could argue that the quest of pleasure through mainstream media unites young people.
The media (or those in charge of it) is adept at identifying what would appeal to the majority of teenagers and using deft manipulation to spread ideas and buy into products that do the same, such as the status of owning the newest iPhone, iPod Touch, or cell phone.
But according to Allahar (2006, p. 54), the way in which television depicts the outside world may be considered an intentional attempt to keep young people from growing a critical consciousness that would enable them to give priority to more significant matters of social and personal responsibility.
It is understandable that young people feel demoralised by the reality of their dismal economic prospects given the alluring ideals of the “good life” that they are constantly exposed to.
The fundamental idea behind all of this, though, is that television has the power to market to young people certain aspects of an identity that they have been indoctrinated to desire.
A largely uncritical army of customers follows leisure industries like music, fashion, and cosmetics, eager to jump on the latest fad or craze. (P. 148 in Allahar, 2006).
Reality television has become increasingly popular among young people in recent years, especially those between the ages of 18 and 25 (Chikafe 2012, p.76). Among these is Big Brother Nigeria, which is the subject of this research and will henceforth be referred to as “Big Brother Naija.”
Other popular ones in Nigeria are Gul, MTN Project Fame, and so on. Based on the popular Big Brother TV series, “Big Brother Naija” is a reality TV programme in which 12 competitors live in a remote home and strive for a substantial financial reward of $100,000 at the conclusion of the show by avoiding being kicked out by viewers.
From March 5 to June 4, 2006, DStv Channel 37 broadcast the inaugural season of the programme. The Alexander-Forbes auditing firm verifies the voting results. According to Chikafa (2012, p. 54), George Orwell’s 1984 book “Fictitious Dystopia of Oceania,” which imagined a society under constant monitoring, is where the idea originated.
The terrible catchphrase of the tyrant in the book, Big Brother, who kept watch over the people of Oceania, was “Big Brother is watching you.” Contestants imprisoned in the house on the television programme Big Brother battle to avoid eviction in order to win cash prizes.
Since its 2016 premiere on DSTV channel 37, the reality TV programme has helped to expand satellite television’s reach.
Africa piqued the interest of the African audience and has continued to be an annual event to this day (Mateveke 2012).
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