Television Viewership Among Students Of Secondary School Students

The objective of this study is to examine how television has influenced the education, social and moral standard of secondary students. Television has gone a long way in improving and promoting education in Nigeria and throughout the world because of it unique advantage of transmitting in audiovisual. The study employed a descriptive survey method with questionnaires distributed among students of some selected secondary schools in the FCT. The study revealed that, Students tend to believe what they see than what they listen to on radio. Similarly there are lots of educative programs to inspire and motivate students such as "Who wants to be a Millionaire" "Brain Test" "T.V teacher" and many more. While student often imitate and inculcate what they watch on television screen especially in the area of exposing them to illicit sex, drug abuse through drug advertisement, it also exposes students to violence. The researcher therefore recommends that parents should activate parental control on television programs to be able to monitor programs viewed by the children. They should encourage children to view educative and not corruptive programs. Broadcasting regulatory bodies should ban programs that instill bad behaviour on people.

Introduction

1.1 Background of the Study

When television broadcasting was established in Nigeria in 1959, one of the paramount objectives was that the medium be utilized to propagate cultural learning of the ideologies and elements of the numerous ethnic tribes spread across the nation; in order to facilitate the transmission of her cultural heritage from one generation to the next, as well as promote her culture internationally. Preserving the cultural ethics and ethos of a country contributes a great deal to its growth and national development. Little wonder Cruz-Saco (2008) states that sustainable development cannot occur without the integration of the social, economic, political and cultural spheres of life. According to Macbride et al (1981) in Bo (2010 p.1), the media is a "cultural instruments which supply the cultural fare and shape the cultural experience of many people in the modern world". This reveals the inevitably-symbolic relationship which exists between the media and the cultural development of every given society. Following the deregulation of broadcasting in Nigeria in 1992 allowing for private ownership of both radio and television stations, the National Broadcasting Decree 38 was signed into law. This established and empowered a National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to regulate the broadcast industry; through issuance of broadcast licenses to qualified private broadcast media, regulating broadcast operations, and ensuring compliance to the stipulation of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.

One of the most important areas of the code for which broadcast organizations must comply is the area of what programming (broadcast contents) should be. The NBC Code clearly states that broadcasting in Nigeria should be a conscious effort towards the realization of the cultural objectives for which the industry was established to fulfill in Section 1.5.2 of its Code which reads thus:

Broadcasting shall, among others:

Seek, identify, preserve and promote Nigeria"s diverse cultures;

Select, critically, the positive aspects of foreign cultures for the purpose of enriching the Nigerian culture;

Develop and promote the application of indigenous aesthetic values;

Promote the development of a high level of intellectual and artistic creativity.

Foster generally acceptable moral, ennobling and spiritual values.

(Nigeria Broadcasting Code, 2002 p.14).

The essence for these cultural objectives was and still is to ensure that broadcasting in Nigeria is a conduit for cultural learning; through which the mass society are constantly reminded of their cultural heritage. In order to ensure the realization of these objectives, television and radio programs must be local content centered. Daily broadcast should constitute at least 70% local content which are programs produced by: a broadcast licensee or individual with the intention to promote the development and sustenance of the diverse cultures, moral and community life of the Nigerian people through broadcasting (Nigerian Broadcasting Code, 2002 p.53). The need for the media to contribute its quota to harness culture development through local content motivated the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO); one of the few organizations facilitating interaction between the media and the cultural sector in Nigeria to initiate Quarterly Media Workshops for Arts Writers and Editors in Nigeria. The idea resulted from the need of the country to address its political, social, and cultural issues through television contents (Ayakoroma, 2011).

With the shrinking of the world into a global village through the increasing sophistication of communication technologies, the local media in a nation is brought under fierce competition for local audience by the global media. What broadcasting does today is to facilitate the process of globalization - "a process that makes the world one massive whole that is naturally heterogeneous but with homogonous pretences brought about by the media, information and communication technologies, and mutually understanding people" (Nwabueze, 2005). When globalization narrows the space between people across the world, audiences in a nation are faced with the choice of exposing themselves to contents of local or international media. The local audiences especially in developing nations are transformed into a global audience who find it difficult to leave the production quality and variety of programme content presented by satellite television channels and watch local channels. According to Chinemere in 2014 Communication is the process of passing on information, ideas or messages with one or more individuals in a particular place at a particular time through a channel. Without communication, the world can hardly move forward. The Media is expected to play the watchdog role and be part of the system of checks and balances in the political system. This is as enunciated in the Constitution of the Federal Republic, Section 22 of 1999 which states:

"The press, radio, television and other agencies of the mass media shall at all times be free to uphold the fundamental objectives contained in this Chapter and uphold the responsibilities and accountability of the government to the people." The media is a powerful "director and molder" of public opinion and a powerful means of creating general attitudes of thought and feeling. It is gigantic force in any community capable of doing almost anything such as elevating societal tastes and standards; its wants and desires. But, if they become deliberate tools for manipulating the public in the interest of certain groups or classed, the Media can become agents of defilement and even retrogression. No other human institution has such potentialities for good and or for evil. For instance, Media reportage on situations or events in the country today arising from the health of President Umaru Yar"Adua is an example of how the Media can manipulate. The Media is expected to play the watchdog role and be part of the system of checks and balances in a political system.

The Media is the main source of information in today"s world and citizens base their actions on this information. In the process of informing and educating, the Media provides inputs for the formation of ideas, hence they constitute veritable instruments for mobilization. Today, everyone has come to be entirely dependent on the Media in the quest for knowledge on a wide range of interesting events. As the organization of society became more complex and far-reaching, the importance of the Media in the acquisition and dissemination of knowledge had inevitably increased. Often times the Media revels uncontrollably in its importance and arrogates to itself the status of kingmakers in the body-polity of the nation, and even tending to believe that being Kingmakers, they could also un-make Kings.

Lawal (2008), opines that the mass media fulfills five major functions which are "to inform, educate, instruct, merchandise and to entertain". Every branch of the mass media has an attribute that makes it distinct and different from every other one. For example the electronic media deals with sound and visuals, the print media deals with the crafting of headlines and new stories that give you details and information about an event or incident while the new media works with sound, visuals and crafting of words together. It is sometimes considered as the triple threat. Television is one of the major and significant ways of passing on information to the people because it is considered o be the greatest communication mechanism ever designed and operated by man after the internet.

TV influences our perception of politics, religion, movies, governance, fashion and culture. TV is a compact structure that creates an intimate medium because it brings the world into our homes and it is not a mere transmission device, but it is a medium that brings its audience into a direct relationship with particular values and attitudes. Rodman in Chinemere (2014), states that "TV remains the most time consuming activity, and it remains the main source of news and information. It is the medium through which politics is conducted and it is humanity"s main form of entertainment, it is also the world"s most powerful sales tool." TV is a very powerful tool because it has the ability to break or make any society due to the fact that its medium has the ability to make the viewers replicate actions they get exposed to; either in part or whole. That is why TV has become a very strong medium for advertising and other persuasive communications. In Nigeria, television as a product of globalization is an important source of educational enlightenment and language acquisition (Naigles & Mayeaux, 2001). Television provides better, sophisticated and diverse information and education. Since students are likely to revert to their mother tongues after school noted that the television might help to reinforce language skills learnt at school. Thus, its effect on the Nigerian secondary school student, therefore, may depend on the extent to which it is utilized. General audience programs are not deliberately designed for instruction but for entertainment. They include soaps, movies, news, documentaries, musicals, sports (football matches), reality television shows, talk shows comedies, cartoons etc. Similarly, television has been accused of displacing reading time and thereby impending intellectual abilities. The implication is that when television and reading compete for more time and attention, television often gains mastery as the more attractive. In other times, this may be true. But in Nigeria, the inadequacy and instability in electricity supply limit the time when television is available and accessible. Thus, one would expect that reading which is less dependent on electricity would maintain primacy in spite of television. But this is not so, because there are other programs at viewing centres that could distract student from reading their books, such as playing games (play station), watching European premier league, champions league, Spanish laliga most especially on weekends when students are meant to revise and read their books and solve their take- home assignment. In analyzing the effect of television viewing on children"

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The advent of globalization as a result of urbanization and civilization such as access to internet, GSM, Television and Cable Network programs have relegated most students to a mere showbiz and often distracted by series of cartoons and movie activities. Since the advent of Television in the 1950s, it is assumed in some quarters that the academic performance of students is facing a lot of neglect and challenges. There is a deviation, distraction and divided attention television time and their academic work. It is observed that students devote more attention to television programs than they do to their studies. Secondary school students particularly in Ogun State are becoming very busy watching television programs, resulting in students, wasting time away from their books. It is speculated that an average Nigerian youth spends about six to seven hours watching television daily, some even watch movies all night. When do they have the time to read/study their books or undertake research?

1.3 Objective of the Study

This study was conducted with the following objectives:

To examine the influence of television viewership performance among secondary school students the FCT.

To find out the amount of time students invest into television viewership.

To ascertain how television viewership is affecting the study habits of students.

To identify the benefits obtained from viewing television programs among secondary school students.

1.4 Research Hypotheses

Hypotheses One

Ho: There is no relationship between television viewership and academic performance

Hi: There is a relationship between television viewership and academic performance

Hypotheses Two

Ho: Television viewership has negative effect on student"s habit

Hi: Television viewership has positive effect on student"s habit

1.5 Significance of the Study

It is hoped that the finding of this project work will not only add to the vast knowledge about the impact of television viewership on secondary school students of the FCT. It"s also designed to highlight the function of the media and more importantly how television viewership has impacted the generality of students not only in the school but Nigeria at large. It will also be useful to policy makers, educators, parents and even the students in monitoring the rate of television viewership by secondary school students in Nigeria and taking necessary measures to curtail wrong usage.

1.6 Scope and Limitation of the Study

This study is primary concerned with the viewership of television among secondary school students of some selected secondary schools in the FCT. The researcher encountered some constraints, which limited the scope of the study.

These constraints include but are not limited to the following.

a) Availability of Research Material:

The research material available to the researcher is insufficient, thereby limiting the study

b) Time:

The time frame allocated to the study does not enhance wider coverage as the researcher has to combine other academic activities and examinations with the study.

1.7 Definition of Terms

Mass Media:

The means through which large amounts of information and entertainment is been disseminated. That is television, radio, newspaper, magazine and internet.

Television Broadcasting:

The use of television to disseminate information. It also means sharing of information through television.

1.8 Organization of the Study

This research work is organized in five chapters, for easy understanding, as follows

Chapter one is concerned 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 .

Summary, Conclusion and Recommendation

5.1 Introduction

It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to have a critical analysis of Television Viewership among students in secondary schools.

In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations are made, which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefit in addressing the challenges of Television viewership among students.

5.2 Summary

This study aimed at having a critical analysis of Television viewership among students in secondary schools. Four objectives were raised to guide this study. These objectives include: To examine the influence of television viewership performance among secondary school students the FCT, To find out the amount of time students invest into television viewership, to ascertain how television viewership is affecting the study habits of students, to identify the benefits obtained from viewing television programs among secondary school students.

5.3 Conclusion

Based on the above findings pertaining to the objectives of the study the following conclusions are drawn.
The society seems to be quite ignorant about the harm that can be caused by electronic media to the students. Also, available data analysed from the study indicated that different television programmes are viewed by the students‟ base on their favourite programmes which ranked films/movies as their mostly viewed programmes and frequent viewership of foreign television 79 channels. Some of the programme contents seemed to influence the habit formation of the students the students negatively. This is why some negative behaviors have persisted in students especially vices such as violence, aggression, nudity, poor academic performance, bad sexual behaviour and drug abuse. Hence, the implications of this study establish that there is a correlation between television viewing and negative habit formation among secondary school students. As such the findings of this study support the views of scholars who agitates that television is harmful to the cognitive development of young persons

5.4 Recommendation

From the study it was observed that television viewing influences the habit formation of secondary school students as a result of their access and exposure to television and its various channels and programmes. Hence, the following recommendations have been formulated:

Parents and guardians should endeavour to control or minimize the access to television set and frequency of television viewing by their children. This will enable them to be mindful of the level of attention their children give to the television set.

Parents and adults should be active in monitoring and scrutinizing the type of channels and programmes viewed by children, especially foreign television channels and programmes.

National film and Video Censor‟s Board (NFVCB) should ensure strict rules and regulations on the films and television programmes that contain violence, nudity, illicit acts and drug abuse. Hence, Bans and penalties should be strictly levied on any television stations and channels that deviates from the set down rules and regulations

• Television Viewership Habits
• Survey Of The Viewership Of Television Programmes
• Viewership Of Television Programmers

• Mass Communication Project Topics and Materials