An Assessment Of Students Response To Television Reality Programmes

An Assessment Of Students Response To Television Reality Programmes

Chapiter 1

Introduction

Background of the Study, paragraph 1.1

The main purposes of the media have been characterized as being sources of information, education, and entertainment. The mass media, particularly television, has integrated itself into our daily lives. According to Folarin (2005, p. 74), citing Lasswell (1948), the media serve three purposes:

v Environmental surveillance (news function).

Correlation of the many environmental components (the editorial function).

v The function of cultural transmission, or passing down cultural heritage from one generation to the next.

There is no question that the influence of television programming on young people’s lives is broadly taken into account within the “media effects” debate, which is largely focused on the potential negative effects of television on young people’s lives, such as video violence, gambling, academic performance, television consumerism, etc. (Miles 2000, p. 87). According to Steele, J. R. & Brown, J. D. (2005, p. 87), there are three key justifications for why television influence needs more attention:

In comparison to their time in class or with their parents, young people spend more time with the media.

In the media, dangerous adult behaviors like binge drinking and sexual promiscuity are frequently glamorized.

When it comes to steering children away from harmful behaviors, parents and other socialization agents may have shied away from their duties, giving the media a more powerful impact.

Many commenters in this discussion believe that by the time a person reaches the age of 18, they will have spent more time watching television than doing anything else (Anderson, 2009, p. 76). However, according to Miles (2000, p. 73),

Although research shows that young people between the ages of 14 and 24 actually comprise one of the groups who now spend the least time watching television, it is often believed that young people are affected by the media more directly and negatively than any other age group. The literature has frequently overlooked this dilemma. Ironically, because media hype produces compelling “copy,” the mass media has a vested interest in misrepresenting the influence it has on young people’s lives.

There is no doubt that television broadcasting has played a significant part in shaping young people’s lives in some shape or form during a period of fast social change, regardless of the actual amount of time young people spend watching television and utilizing other media (Osgerby, 2008, p.12).

Young people now watch significantly more television than in previous years, giving them the opportunity to create their own “media menu” based on their own preferences and interests. Youth culture is changing quickly, and this is also true of how young people interact with the media. The rise of cable and satellite television in recent years has increased television viewing (Johnson, 2004). According to Osgerby (2008, p. 20), “the post-modern era brought with it the proliferation of media and information technologies that challenged traditional conceptions of time and space, most obviously symbolized by the global cultural flows and images evident in the programming of Music Television (MTV).” Reality TV shows and other entertainment programming are also broadcast on MTV, a popular entertainment television station.

Reimer (2005, p. 67) makes the claim that youth’s usage of mass media (and thus their connection to social change) ties them together more than any other social activity. The pursuit of pleasure through the mass media has the potential to connect young people. The media (or those in charge of it) are adept at predicting what will appeal to teenagers in general and use deft manipulation to spread messages. They buy into an idea or a product that communicates an idea, such as the status of owning the most recent iPod, iTouch, or mobile phone. The way in which television portrays elements of the outside world, according to Allahar (2006, p. 54), may be argued to deliberately inhibit young people from developing a critical consciousness that will enable them to prioritize more significant matters of personal and social responsibility.

It is hardly unexpected that the young are demoralized by the reality of their poor economic prospects given the constant barrage of alluring pictures of the “good life” that they are exposed to. The fact that television can sell young people a component of the identity they have been trained to seek, however, is what lies at the core of all this activity. Consumers in leisure-related businesses like music, fashion, and cosmetics are mainly uncritical and eagerly awaiting the next fad or trend. (2006) Allahar, p. 148.

The youth, especially those between the ages of 18 and 25, have recently shown a substantial preference for reality television shows (Chikafe 2012, p.76). One of these shows is Big Brother Nigeria, also known as “Big Brother Naija” and the subject of this study. Here in Nigeria, other popular ones include MTN Project Fame and Gul, among others. A reality TV program called “Big Brother Naija” is based on the Big Brother TV series. Twelve players reside in a remote house and try to stay alive long enough to win a $100,000 cash prize at the end of the program. From March 5 through June 4, 2006, the first season of the program premiered on DStv Channel 37. The Alexander-Forbes auditing firm verifies the voting results. According to Chikafa (2012, p. 54), the idea was taken from George Orwell’s 1984 book “fictional dystopia of Oceania,” in which he portrayed a society characterized by constant surveillance. Big Brother was the name of the oppressive ruler in the novel who kept watch over the people of Oceania, and his scary catchphrase was “Big Brother is watching you.” Contestants in the Big Brother reality television series compete to avoid eviction in order to win cash prizes. In 2016, the reality TV program made its debut on DSTV channel 37. Since since, thanks to the expansion of satellite television in

Africa, sparked interest among African viewers, and has continued to be an annual event (Mateveke 2012).