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