Television and Video Films and the Rhythm of Violence: Assessing the Negative Effect of Youths’ Exposure to Violent Television and Video Films Content

Abstract

The invaluable place of the youths in any given society cannot be overemphasised. As future generations of the society and leaders of tomorrow, what concerns the youths should be a matter of utmost concern to every well meaning citizen, and thus must be given adequate attention. This explains why many studies have tried to probe the negative effects of television and video films on viewers, especially the youths. In Nigeria, as in most developing and developed societies world over, apart from parental influence, television has become perhaps the most potent influence on the beliefs, values and behaviours of youths. In recent times, there are too many foreign and homemade violent programmes which are mixed bag of crime, sex, horror and violence. The video medium too is not excluded in this pervasion of vices and violence. The fact that the class of people mostly attracted to and influenced by these antisocial activities are the youths, calls for serious concern; more so, since violence has come to assume a serious global concern in today’s world. In the light of the above, the study adopts the qualitative research approach and the interplay of the Cultivation Analysis. and the Social Cognitive Theories to critically examine the negative effects of youths’ exposure to violent television and video film contents and their ramifying implications on our socio-cultural wellbeing as a people, as well as proffer valuable recommendations geared towards possible solution to this worrisome trend. Keywords: media, media effects, negative influence, Nollywood, violent films, youths DOI: 10.7176/NMMC/92-02 Publication date: August 31 st 2020