THE EFFECTS OF NIGERIAN VIDEO FILMS ON OWERRI MUNICIPAL CHILDREN

1.1 Introduction

The mass media institution is known for the transmission of information to the members of the public.

The mass media have apparently gained an indisputable recognition by virtue of its authenticity in the process of information dissemination. The mass media also play a very important role in the transmission of attitudes, perceptions and beliefs.

The concept that the media have different effects on different type of people is relatively new. Early observers see that an absolute one on one relationship existed between what people read, heard and saw, and also what people did with that information. They also believed that the effect were the same for everyone.

Home video films which is one of the mass media and the subject of this study are the greatest potentials among other mass media is being faced with a lot of accusation of excreting an impact on the users through its productions. However, this study will dwell on the impact of Nigerian home video films on children. Nigerian video films constitute information and educative productions both for the matured minds and little children. On the Nigerian video films, we see a lot of x-rated films, pornographic and obscene matters are portrayed.

This should not be seen by children. The film commission should avert children from seeing such via censorship and the encouragement of age tagging of films.

Home video industry came into existence because of the tremendous growth of VCR (Video Recorder) sales in 1982. Like most other businesses, home video can be divided into three segments, production, distribution and retail. The production side of the industry consists of those companies that produce prerecorded cassettes. Since much of the home video market consists of movies mainly large motion picture studio also dominate the cassette businesses.

The popularity of Nigerian video production is the main theme. Nowhere else in Africa has a domestic market for audio-visual entertainment been captured so successfully. The videos are produced on several district bases and have a variety of form, styles and themes as language of expression.

The mass media message can reach the audience directly in which case; we say that there is direct exposure of mass communication one of the exposures is watching of home video films.

The Nigerian films (home video films) perform a member of function which benefits the individual as a member of a society. Basically, video production started in late 80's out of a desperate desire by producers to remain in the motion picture business and thus was on a shore string budget.

Initially, the target audience was to be found in one room screening centers and much room halls equipped with a television set and a VHS player. The question here is children really meant to watch all the Nigerian films? What actually are the impacts?

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1.2 Background of the Study

Times are indeed changing and the images of the Nigerian children are also changing with the new dispensation. Before, the advent of video films, most Nigerians usually visit the cinema as it was the only place they could get entertainment and ease off tension.

Before the advent of the home video films, the portrayal of African culture and tradition was limited due to the influence of foreign films imported into the country. According to Jonathan Hayes (1997), the imperative need to produce feature films gave rise to an intellectual movement initiated by a handful of writers and private film and performing a graduates not only in reaction to and rejection of alien cultural domination but also reform our own cultural heritage and re-orientate our own people suffering from colonial mortality. In effect, the era of television film led to the era of video film.

The first home video “The living in Bondage” was produced in 1992, though caste with the Igbo language was a best seller. Its success illumined the reality in home videos and make people to look forward to more series the home video production children are so affected by these portrayals so that they tend to practice what they view. These leads to the accommodation of deviant behaviors among children in the society children are affected tremendously by home video giving rise to the concern over the negative impact of home video films on children.

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1.3 Statement of the Problem

The television medium makes it possible for children to watch home video films. According to George in Okonkwo (1997), television is the sources of the most brad sheared images and messages in history. It is the main stream of the common symbolic environment into which our children are born and in which we live our lives.

Children are often affected by media messages as this message can be quite effective in changing attitudes in areas where peoples existing opinions are weak. contrarily, a home video film in the lives of children have been a bone of contention as far back as Igbo and has been blamed for it's impact in the lives of children even at tender age.

As a result of conflicting nature of the previous related researcher findings, the need to examine the impact of Nigeria video films on children arises. Alternatively, occasional orientation should be conducted on behalf of children with regards to those types of films so that they wouldn't be copying blindly from such.

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1.4 Objectives / Purpose of the Study

The purpose and aim of every study emanates from mans natural curiosity and knowledge of knowing people, seek answers to question on everyday happening around them in order to solve problems. (D.E.J. OKONKWO) 1997.

The objectives of this study are to examine the impact of Nigerian video film on children.

1. How Nigerian video films affect the lives of child.
2. How home video films interest children
3. To know the positive role that home video film play in general development of children.

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1.5 Significance of the Study

The significance of this study is to examine the impact of Nigerian films on children in Owerri Municipality. This work helps to access the impact of Nigerian films on children as pointing out it's negative and positive impacts.

Another significance is to know if he level of immoral standards defected the film industry, affects the growing children.

Finally, to know if the level of explosive can affect the children positively or negatively. This work brings to the knowledge of Nigerians the impact of Nigerian video films on children, and also to know whether the home videos are being used for entertainment and relaxation instead of the excretion of negative impact on children.

Statistics shows that the percentage of illiteracy in the society is high. This reflects in the perfection and in the thinking of the people in the society. After watching, they tend to practice blindly, series of corruption and indiscipline depicted in the films instead of acquiring the positive portrayals in the film.

It is a good thing that the home video film producers are acting as a sword of domical on the heads of the bad people in the society. Indirectly, they are acting as press by using these films to criticize objectively the activities of bad people in the society.

The intellectual community tends to have positive thinking after watching such films. They would sit down, analyze and criticize objectively theme of the film.

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1.6 Hypothesis

This work on the impact of Nigerian video films on children living in Owerri Municipality is based on the following hypothesis.

• H1: Nigerian video films cause premature exposure hence misconception of the world.
• H2: Nigerian video films do not cause premature exposure hence misconception of the world.
• H3: Nigerian children are influenced by models they see on home video films.
• H4: Nigerian children are not influenced by models they watch on home video films.

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1.7 Delimitation / Scope of the Study

The scope of the study refers to the impact of Nigerian video films on children living in Owerri Municipality. This research work will cover two primary areas which are as follows:

• The Nigerian video films
• The impact of Nigerian video films on children.

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1.8 Limitations of the Study

The difficulty faced in the gathering of materials needed for this work was very stressful.

The issue on the importance of this work was necessary since a majority of the people were reluctant to give authentic information due to limitation and financial constraints and for easy communication, the researcher will then limit his investigation on Owerri municipality.

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1.9 Definition of Terms

1). Mass Media:

The means of communicating with a large number of people, messages produced and selected, transmitted, received and responded to by individuals.

2). Television:

Communication medium that has the unique quality of combining both audio and visual components to put across information to the members of the public.

3). Pro-Social Programmers:

Educative and socially constructive.

4). Impacts:

Effects, strong impression

5). Video:

The process of recording reproducing or broadcast film on magnetic tape, using a special camera and a television set.

6). Films:

Recorded as a set of moving pictures to be shown on television.

7). Children:

A young person from birth to the age of full physical environment.

8). Producers:

The one who produces films or programmes for human consumption.

9). Society:

Persons living in the same circle, those who take the lead in social life

10). Intellectual Community:

Group of people who live in a particular community, who are learned and are under the same law.