Children and Mass Media: the Role of Mass Media in Childhood Socialization
CHAPTER ONE
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.
- Do children imitate movie character, sing an advertising song, or show other impressions of what they learn from media.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
INTRODUCTION
In the convention on the rights of a child, the UN’s definition of a child is an individual who is not more than eighteen years of age. Every child needs to go through the socialization process in order to fit well into the society. Dominick (2002:483) sees socialization as a complex process extending over a number of years and involving various people and organizations who contribute in some degree to the socialization process. The socialization processes include all those means by which children learn behaviours and attitudes relevant to their future as consumers.
Eshleman (2000:387) asserts that infants may grow up to be criminals, teachers or athletic superstars but first they must learn to care for basic needs, learn to interact with other humans and learn what behaviour was expected and accepted. In fact, they learn to be human and the process of acquiring the physical and social skills needed to become a social being and a member of society was called socialization.
Elkin and Handel (1989:20) stated that there are two preconditions for adequate socialization:-
- Children must have the requisite biological inheritance.
- There must be an ongoing society.
The first precondition for socialization was a biological inheritance that permits learning processes to occur. Therefore a brain, digestive system and a beating heart are clearly prerequisites for socialization. Though temperaments and intelligence may be basically biological, the development or direction on that they take was influenced and modified by the society in which the child exists.
The second precondition for socialization is an existing society that has values, norms, statuses, roles, institutions and a wide variety of social structures that are highly regular and patterned but in constant change.
Mead (1950:115) postulates that in the process of socialization children go through a play stage in which they imitate people whom they observe.
ELECTRONIC MEDIA’S INITIATING ROLE
Pediatricians, educators, researchers and policymakers have raised concerns about electronic media use among very young children. The centre on media and child health (2005:1) agrees that children are the most vulnerable between birth and school age to certain negative effects of media use such as obesity, aggression, fear and sleep disorders.
Slater (2003:107) suggests that weak bonds between a child and his family increases the likelihood of bonding with peer group that have deviant norms.
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
This section contains a description of the methods used in collection and analysis of data. It discusses research design, population of study, sampling techniques/size, instruments for data collection, validation of research instruments, reliability of the instrument, method of analysis and data presentation.
RESEARCH DESIGN
The research design used for this study was the survey. The rationale for the use of survey method was to elicit responses from the sampled respondents. This design was considered appropriate for this study because of its reliability in analyzing relevant media effect studies as well as giving accurate and dependable results.
RESEARCH POPULATION
This refers to the unit or universe from which samples were selected for the study. The population for this study consists of children especially those in Auchi Polytechnic Primary School. This was because they easily understood questions when thrown to them. The idea of the population of study was to enable a researcher know the actual people or phenomenon to be studied and from where to gather the real data required for the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND INTERPRETATION OF FINDINGS
TOOL FOR DATA COLLECTION
A total number of three hundred copies of questionnaire were distributed to respondents, fifty copies out of the three hundred were wrongly filled and only two hundred and fifty were returned.
DATA PRESENTATION/INTERPRETATION
Part 1 analysis shows the responses of the respondents on their Bio-data while part 2 shows their responses on the subject matter. Simple percentages and tables were used in the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
SUMMARY/CONCLUSION
The fundamental aim of this research has been to investigate the influence of the electronic media on children’s socialization using Auchi Polytechnic Primary School 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.
RECOMMENDATIONS
- In order to curb the negative influence of the electronic media on children’s socialization in Auchi Polytechnic 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 Auchi Polytechnic Primary School.
- Health and church workers in Auchi Polytechnic 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.
References
- Bohn H.U.(1991). Mass Media VI: An Introduction to Modern Communication. New York: Longman.
- Comstock, G. and Paik, H. (1991). Television and the American Child. New York: Academic Press.
- Dominick, J. R. (2002). The Dynamics of Mass Communication Media in the Digital Age (7th ed). New York: McGraw Hill.
- Elkin, F. and Handel, G. (1989) The Child and Society: The Process of Socialization (5th ed). New York: Random House.
- Eshleman, J. (2000). The Family (9th ed). USA. Pearson Education Company.
- Folarin, B. (2002). Theories of Mass Communication. Abeokuta: Link Publication.
- Hayes, N. (1998). Foundations of Psychology. UK: Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd.
- LaRose, S. (2004). Media Now, (4th ed). USA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning Publishers.
- Mead, M. (1950). Sex and Temperament in three Primitive Societies. New York: Mentor.
