ROLE OF MASS MEDIA IN CHILDHOOD SOCIALIZATION
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ROLE OF MASS MEDIA IN CHILDHOOD SOCIALIZATION
Chapter one
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background for the Study
The media has transformed the world into a global village. It is a major instrument and the most effective technique of one-way communication. As a result, it is widely employed for any and all purposes.
It has played a key part in most social, political, and development sectors due to its ability to affect public attitudes and conduct, as well as its remarkable importance in designing national and international plans and policies (Okafor, 2002).
Media is used extensively in all aspects of social, political, and economic growth. Similarly, the media has an important role in promoting children’s growth. Children in Edo state, as well as every other metropolis in Nigeria, have become more sociable as a result of media exposure.
The phrase “mass media” refers to a type of communication that operates on a massive scale, reaching and involving almost everyone in a society to some extent.
Visual media, such as television, films, and new media, are widely regarded as highly effective due to their ability to capture audiences’ attention and preoccupy them, particularly among children, adolescents, and adults. Children are involved in basic socialisation, hence it is impossible to discuss socialisation without including them.
According to Schramm (2003), socialisation transforms a helpless child from “a biological being” to a regular human being capable of thinking, acting, and communicating.
Childhood is a time when children seek information and develop a clear understanding of the world. “For the twentieth-century youngster, the picture is likely to be broad and complicated.
The mass media, particularly the pictorial media, to which they have access easily exposes them to the world far and beyond the confines of his immediate area” (Strasburger, 2008).
However, unlike in our own society, the current practice is to screen primary and secondary school youngsters dressed in traditional dancing costumes. However, children are portrayed as entertainers to television audiences. ”
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), in today’s media-saturated world, the media has become a fundamental part of daily life, with youngsters spending 35-55 hours per week on various types of media.
However, given this constant exposure to media content, it is not unexpected that the most frequently asked question when a child behaves in a certain way is, “What role did the media play in childhood socialisation?” Thus the focus of this research.
The widespread coverage of childhood socialisation cannot be overlooked. Socialisation refers to the process of gaining interpersonal and interactional skills that are consistent with one’s society’s values (Nnonyelu, 2009).
Again, sociologists, social psychologists, anthropologists, political scientists, and educationalists use the term “socialisation” to refer to the lifelong process of inheriting and disseminating norms, customs, and ideologies, which provides an individual with the skills and habits required to participate in his or her society. Thus, socialisation is ‘the means by which social and cultural continuity are attained’.
Childhood socialisation can be divided into two categories: primary and secondary. Primary socialisation happens when a kid learns the attitudes, values, and behaviours that are appropriate for persons as members of a specific culture (Strasburger, 2008).
Primary socialisation for a child is critical because it lays the framework for all subsequent socialisation. Secondary socialisation is the process of learning what constitutes suitable behaviour as a member of a smaller group inside a larger society.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Mass media’s influence on youngsters can be subtle, leading to the formation of incorrect ideals and poor social behaviour. Mass media has had an impact on Nigerian children’s academic achievement. The media has greatly contributed to moral degradation in our society today.
This presents the problem that this study intends to investigate. The media has a significant impact on children’s social and psychological development.
As a result, specialists and physicians must consult with parents on their child’s media exposure and provide counsel on age-appropriate media use, including television, radio, music, video games, and the Internet.
Today, television, particularly films, has emerged as a prominent sex educator for Nigerian youngsters. This is a challenging problem to manage.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The purpose of this investigation is therefore stated as follows:
i. To investigate how mass media affects children’s social development.
ii. To investigate the benefits and effects of mass media on children’s socialisation.
iii. Investigate the detrimental effects of mass media on children.
iv. Do youngsters imitate movie characters, sing advertisements, or demonstrate other impressions of what they learn from media?
1.4 Research Questions.
In this study, an adequate attempt will be made to address the following questions.
1. Do the media have a direct impact on children’s social development?
2. What are the benefits of mass media on children’s socialisation?
3. Does mass media have a harmful impact on the lives of children?
4. Are youngsters with access to mass media better socialised?
1.5 Scope of the Study
The study is limited to children and the mass media, that is, monitoring the role of the mass media in childhood socialisation within the framework of Auchi Polytechnic Primary School.
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