You are what you eat. So, nutritional experts have long agreed. In the same manner, it could be argued that one would always exhibit behaviours or actions they get regularly exposed to. It is on this basis that many have been crying out over the rate of violence children are exposed to via TV, and more especially why there have been increasing call for parental regulation. Abibat Aminu writes.
I love watching action films because they help me up my skills of self-defence and protection. I also love practising the fighting in some of such films to bully others and beat up anyone who trespasses me.”
Those were the words of Abdul-Yekeen Quoyum, when asked to explain why he likes replicating violent acts in films. He also said they help him fight boredom when he is at home.
Henry Olaonipekun, on his part, said he likes watching violent films because of the skills exhibited by the fighters. “Once I watch these films, I do practice the skills with my junior ones at home, and most times, they get injured,” Olaonipekun said.
Like the two teenagers above testified, studies have shown that violence on television does indeed have adverse effect on the way children think and act. However, this is not limited to children, as some recent studies have shown that watching violence on television can also impact adults.
Violence is an act of physical force that causes or is intended to cause harm. The damage inflicted by violence may be physical or psychological. Significantly, the television – be it terrestrial, digital or satellite, has been fingered as being majorly responsible for this unsavoury spread. For those who are unable to differentiate between what is real and what is make-belief, the consequences on society can be drastic.
More than anything, this has affected young children who have been exposed to such acts on television. Unfortunately this has also posed a difficulty to the government, as the law is unable to deal with underage teenage offenders, based on the consideration of ‘innocence’ ascribed to them.
In an interview with a medical expert, Dr. Olayinka Iyanda of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), there is a chemical change in the brain, similar to that which is seen in post traumatic stress disorder; “if enough violence is viewed, brain reacts as if the person doing the viewing has actually been abused.” This he said is especially true if the violence is one-sided, as in the case of sadistic violence.
“Children are psychologically affected by having less empathy, a characteristic we see in bullies. They tend to apply are more aggressive strategies to solving problems rather than explore peaceful methods of conflict resolution. They tend to be more reactive than proactive.”
According to Iyanda, neglect on the part of parents could also be responsible for this. “One of the problems that also affect these children is their parents. Some of the parents don’t have time for their children, meanwhile parents have power to moderate their children’s selections and choices and they can decide if a programme is appropriate or inappropriate, and they should just say “no” to offensive programmes.
Parents, Iyanda said, should know how their children feel because some of these children need their parents’ support. That is why parents should understand how their children act, and talk to them always when things go wrong. “Through this, the children will be able to freely talk to their parents.”
Not all negatives
While it has been established that watching films has negative influence on some young people, some people believe it impacts on them positively.
“I want to be an actress; that is why I love performing the act of fighting in other to be able to save lives. Through this, my parents will notice that this is what I want,” Adebayo Fareedah, said while expressing her feeling on why she loves watching action films that are replete with violence.
Igbuku Daniel, a JSS 3 student in Lagos expounds some of the reasons he likes watching violent acts in movies: “Watching of violence films either on TV or films even in the environment is a very dangerous thing, especially for young ones who still have developing brains and for those who doesn’t understand the reasons why such violence are exhibited in a film. I like watching action films that has violence in it because some of this films give advice, discourage bad acts and enlighten as well as give more explanation on why the viewer should avoid bad or dangerous acts. They also give tips on how to prevent or stay away from fighting; but some people, especially the children don’t have this understanding. Some of these violent films are not all about evil or bad things, but to help teach people the repercussion of violence, when we fail to exercise enough patience or have enough understanding of the matter at hand.
Impacts negatively on the academics
Alhaji Kazeem Bello, principal, The Ultimate Academic located in Papa Ajao area of Lagos is of the opinion that watching violence films on television tend to have negative impact on young ones, especially in their academics.
Kazeem revealed that children will always replicate the behaviour they are familiar with. “If they are familiar with books, they will remember what is taught in school or lesson; and if they are familiar with movies or games at home, that is what they will remember; and like I always say, there is no dull student. It is just that they put their concentration in many aspects.”
Kazeem therefore enjoined parent to monitor their children. He said they should know who their children choose as friends. That is why we say parents are the first teachers to their children. They play very important roles in the lives of their children. “Also, they should always attend Parents Teachers Association (PTA) meeting of their children’s schools, so they can be enlightened in the school on how to check and monitor their children after and before school hours,” he concluded.
