AN EXAMINATION OF THE EFFECTS OF TELEVISION VIOLENCE ON THE BEHAVIOUR OF TEENAGERS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1  BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Television (TV) is derived from the Greek (tele), which means "far away," and the Latin visio, which means "vision." It's a form of communication that's mostly used to send moving (color) pictures to viewers. Television has been a popular household item, despite the fact that the invention has been commercially available since the late 1920s (in very small quantities and at a very high price). It's also used in corporations and organizations for advertisement, entertainment, and news broadcasting, among other things. Because of its pervasiveness in culture, television has gradually been the dominant vehicle for influencing popular opinion in the Western world since the 1950s (De Rooji & Hoover, 2015).

According to Browne and Hamilton-Giachritsis (2005), a public-health approach to media violence may be described as taking into account the impact of violent content on children in the light of child welfare, families, and societies. As a result, in addition to the habits and behavior of the infant or teenage audience, parents' actions in monitoring the use of televisions and devices, and consciously or unknowingly encouraging access to violent imagery, should be taken into account. In addition, the involvement of cultures and societies in supplying families with values, guidance, and instruction should be evaluated. The focus should then shift to public-health initiatives aimed at reducing the scope and impact of media violence for the general public (universal interventions) and high-risk persons (targeted interventions). “The use of physical force to kill or harm persons or property; otherwise, to conduct or manipulate persons or property in a manner that induces bodily injury and/or physically interferes with personal freedom,” according to the most applicable concept of violence for visual media” (Browne and Hamilton-Giachritsis, 2005).

Television has become a powerful and appealing medium for advertisers due to its wide reach. In order to finance their programs, television networks rent blocks of air time to advertisers. Television commercials have proven to be an important, convincing, and common means of selling consumer products as well as disseminating ideological and political ideas. In the 20th and 21st centuries, television has come to play a pivotal role in the socialization of people, especially children. Although some aspects of television include negative aspects as the effect of media violence on children and young people, current research is still discussing if there is a direct effect between viewing material and acts committed by people. “Others have suggested that individuals suffering from social isolation employ television to create what is termed a parasocial or faux relationship with characters from their favorite television shows and movies as a way of deflecting feelings of loneliness and social deprivation. Some other studies have suggested there is a link between infancy exposure to television and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder” (De Rooji & Hoover, 2015).

1.2  STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEM

The media as of late has been depicting violence through the television. It is worthy of note to understand that the media set the agenda for the recipient audience, thus, the media has the imbued prowess to inculcate behavioural changes in the normal patterns of individuals in the society. "In both immediate and long-term contexts, research on violent television and films, video-games, and music provides unequivocal evidence that cultural violence raises the risk of offensive and violent behavior. The results tend to be greater for milder forms of aggression than for more extreme forms of aggression, but they are still significant as opposed to the effects of other conflict risk factors or medical effects considered important by the medical community" (Anderson, Berkowitz, Donnerstein, Huesmann, Johnson, Linz, Malamuth, & Wartella, 2003).

Portrayal of television violence by the media, has a huge impact on the behaviours of teenagers, causing them to act in certain ways. This study seeks to examine the effects of such television violence on teenagers.

1.3  OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

1.      To determine whether television violence actually has an effect on teenagers.

2.      To examine the effects of television violence on teenagers.

3.      To determine the relationship between television violence and teenager behaviour.

1.4  RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1.      Does television violence actually have an effect on teenagers?

2.      What are the effects of television violence on teenagers?

3.      Is there a relationship between television violence and teenager behaviour?

1.5  SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will be helpful to teenagers and their wards or parents in order for them to be careful in viewing such portrayals from the media and it will also recommend possible solutions to use selective reception when viewing these portrayals of violence on television. It will also be helpful to other scholars or researchers who are seeking to delve deeper and take this study through another perspective.

1.6  SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study will be limited only to the effects of television violence on the behaviour of teenagers.

1.7  LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

The researcher was limited by time and funds to delve deeper into this study.

1.8  OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS

1.      TELEVISION: A medium through which audio visual content is passed across.

2.      TELEVISION VIOLENCE: The portrayal of violent content through the television.

3.      BEHAVIOUR: The particular an individual act or reacts to certain occurrences.

TEENAGER: An individual who is in their teen years, between 13 and 19 years.