CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.0     BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Of all the media communication, the motion picture is perhaps universal as medium combines pictures and sound to create a lasting impression. A film can rise above the power of its visual images. The use of music and sound effects can succeed  in conveying much to viewers of heterogeneous backgrounds.

Large scale research on the effect of mass communication began with the payne fund studies. These efforts of the late 1920’s, and early 1980’s concluded that motion pictures had many influences and effects on children and teenagers. Experts discredited the early research, but in confirmed the public’s belief that movies were powerful and had potential dangerous influence on children.

A large government sponsored project (the report to the surgeon general) focused on television violence and its influence on children and adolescent. I content analyses, experiments and surveys, all indicators pointed to the conclusion that, under specific kinds of circumstances, repeated exposure to violence on television raise the probability of some teenagers and children to be more aggressive. In a review of some 2,500 research studies of the  effects of television (the second report to the surgeon general), the link between exposures to violence portrayed on television and aggressive behaviour (among children and teenagers) was seen as somewhat stronger.

This project is aimed at taking critical  look at “The effects of foreign films on teenagers in Nigeria.” A study of Ibarapa East Local Government Area of Oyo State, the analysis will be in the area of crimes, sex violence and drugs and in what ways does these films affects their cognition,  psychological, sociological or philosophical disposition of these teenagers?

This work seek to analyse and assess the content of foreign films and enumerates solution to the problem faced by this study.

To help in understanding the concept and scope of this research work, the following elements, concepts or operational definitions are teenagers, effect, foreign film, behaviour demonstration and impact. These will prepare our minds to understand subsequent areas as we proceed in this work.

1.1     PURPOSE OF THE RESEARCH

The purpose of this research work is to know the effects that foreign films have on teenagers. Also, it meant to find out the negative effects that are acquired by these teenagers through foreign films broadcast by television stations or through the purchase of video tapes or VCD.