CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

According to Flood (2009), youths are routinely exposed to pornography. They encounter sexually explicit images while on the Internet, some watch X-rated videos and, like adults, they live in a culture increasingly saturated in sexualised representations. This study explores the likely effects of youth’s exposure to sexually explicit media. It reveals that pornography exposure can lead to emotional disturbance, sexual knowledge and liberalised attitudes, shifts in sexual behaviour, and sexist and objectifying understandings. Particularly for boys and young men, the use of pornography may exacerbate violence-supportive social norms and encourage their participation in sexual abuse. This research study focuses on the effects of pornography on Ikot Ekpene youths.

Television has been found to greatly influence the attitudes, moral, values and behaviours of the youths. One common problem of our society is unwanted or teenage pregnancy. sexual activities among the young people have become sporadic. Adolescents are found to be more active sexually and this has been attributed to the negative influence of mass media; most especially the pornographic films which the young ones are exposed to (Flood 2009, p8)

Pornography can defined as sexually explicit media that are primarily intended to sexually arouse the audience (Flood 2009, p3). Sexually explicit’ materials show ‘genitals and sexual activities in unconcealed ways (Peter and Valkenburg, 2007).  The context for children’s and young people’s exposure to pornography includes a highly sexualised cultural environment. The frequency and explicitness of sexual content in mainstream media has increased steadily. More widely, there has been a ‘pornographication’ of popular culture. Information and communication technologies have allowed new forms of pornography production and exchange (Hearn 2006, p10). While different studies define and assess ‘pornography’ and exposure in varying ways, large numbers of young people, are growing up with the habit of watching pornographic movies also known as blue films.

Studies have indicated that most adolescents spend the largest part of their time watching video and films. They also spend quite long time in browsing, chatting and watching pornographic films on the Internet. In the same vein, the advent of movies, has internationalized the peculiar cultures of the various societies. With mass production of visual images, videos, television, etc now found in places, which were formerly not reached by these media, the world has eventually become a global village (Buerkel 2005, p11).

1.2 Statement of Problem

In the society today youths are routinely exposed to pornography. They encounter sexually explicit images while on the Internet, some watch X-rated videos and, like adults, they live in a culture increasingly saturated in sexualized representations. The consequence of this is increased transmission of sexual diseases such as HIV. In addition, the situation increases teenage pregnancy as they want to experiment what they have seen while watching pornographic movies and there is general immorality among youths on sexual issues. It is in view of these problems that this study is carried out to examine the effect of viewing pornographic films on students of Holy Child girls secondary school and Ritman college all in Ikot Ekpene local government area.

1.3 Objectives of the study

The following are the objectives of the study;

1.    To find out if viewing pornographic films have negative effect on youths of Holy Child and Ritman secondary schools in Ikot Ekpene.

2.    To find out if viewing pornographic films bring about increased sexual urge.

3.    To determine if parents educate their children on the effects of viewing pornographic films

4.    To find out if youths are influenced by viewing pornographic films

1.4 Research Questions

To achieve the objectives of the study, the following research questions were formulated;

1.    Does viewing pornographic films have negative effects on youths of Holy Child and Ritman secondary schools in Ikot Ekpene?

2.    Does viewing pornographic films bring about increased sexual urge?

3.    Do parents educate their children on the effect of viewing pornographic films?

4.    Are youths influenced by viewing pornographic films?

1.5 scope of the study

This study is limited to the youths of Ikot Ekpene local government area. It is focused on the effects of watching pornographic materials on Ikot Ekpene youths. It covers youths in Holy child girls secondary school and Ritman secondary school both in Ikot ekpene, Akwa Ibom state.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The following are the significance of the study. It will bring to light the effects of pornography on Ikot Ekpene youths. It will help identify the problems associated with pornographic materials. It will also provide information on possible ways of overcoming the problems associated with exposure of youths to pornographic materials. More importantly, the study will serve as reference material to students, scholars and organizations.

·         Limitations Of The Study

The major factors that stood as limitations to the research study are: most respondents were Reluctant to deliver quality information as regards to research while some times the effort of reaching back to the people is in vein. Financial position also stood as a basic challenge as the researcher could not afford the high cost of transportation to different libraries to source for information.

1.8 Definition of Terms

Mass media: all of the communications media that reach a large audience, especially television, radio, and newspapers

Movies: A series of real or fictional events recorded by a camera and projected onto a screen as a sequence of moving pictures, usually with an accompanying soundtrack

Pornographic materials: films, magazines, writings, photographs, or other materials that are sexually explicit and intended to cause sexual arousal.

Pornography: Sexually explicit and intended to cause sexual arousal

Television: An electronic device for receiving and reproducing the images and sounds of a combined audio and video signal

Youth: The period of human life between childhood and maturity