CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.0 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Media technologies (TV, video, games, Internet, music, mobile phones) have brought about a substantial change in the experience of childhood in our society. These changes leave many parents unprepared for the challenge on how to regulate their child’s time with such technologies. There is now good evidence about the impact on children from media technologies, and that this constitutes a health issue. Children can use media to increase their understanding of the world around them as well as teach positive social behaviours. These benefits can last through to adolescence. Television viewing has been studied in children who are academically gifted, with results suggesting that selective viewing can promote academic abilities. Furthermore, parents of gifted children are more likely to see the potential benefits of educational TV programs and make more selective viewing choices.
Video games involving information, academic content and problem-solving have been shown to accelerate children’s learning. They can be particularly useful for children who have learning problems. Similarly, the breadth of information available on the Internet is clearly able to broaden children’s knowledge and Behavioural problems can occur in children of all ages. Very often they start in early life. Toddlers and young children may refuse to do as they are asked by adults, in spite of being asked many times. They can be rude, swear and have tantrums, or an outburst of aggressive or disruptive behaviour (Carr, 2000).
Some children may even have serious behavioural problems such as physical fights, drug abuse, arson etc. Rutter and Taylor (2002) admit that there are behavioural problems when the child continues to behave badly for several months or longer or if the behaviour is not of the ordinary and it seriously breaks the rules accepted in his family and community, these behavioural problems may be disruptive, delinquent and deviant. They opined that these sorts of behavioural problems can affect a child‟s development and also interfere with his ability to live a normal life. In reference to the aforementioned, Reza and Mercy (2001) report that violence by young persons is one of the most visible forms of behavioural problems in human society. According to them, world newspapers and broadcast media report daily on violence by gangs in schools or young people on the streets. In view of this, this project will look into the development of mass communication and media technology in Nigeria, and examine its positive effect on the effective upbringing of children in Iree Town in Osun State. However the negative effects of mass media on children are also highlighted and solutions to these problems are suggested.
1.1 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The problem that lead to the study of positive effects of mass communication and technology on upbringing children are numerous among which are of it is stated below.
(a) What impact does Mass communication have on development of children in Nigeria?
(b) How do children of Iree Township respond to adverts and information from Mass Media technologies.
(c) What effects does Radio and TV Programme have on Community development of Iree Township?
(d) To what extent do mass communication and technology affect the cultural values of Nigeria children?
(e) What are the implications of adoption of media technology by children?