INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The year 1997 marked a phase in the Nigeria film industry. It was the year which witnessed the final independence feature film in an indigeneous Nigeria language (Igbo) the films, Amadi gently sponsored by a Bank and East Central State Government was directed by a Yoruba man Oha Behogun for Africult foundations limited. Since then nothing was heard of Nigeria home Video films.
When Nek video links came up with their first feature film in 1992 under the title “living in Bondage”. Since 1992 well, over a socre films on Nigeria home video films have been released and more are coming out monthly.
Every year, a lot of money and many hours are committed into film production. All these efforts are geared towards reaching the audience to inform, entertain, stimulate, influence it in some way and uplift its cultural heritage in home video films though a service of information and entertainment may also be seen as service of transmitting negative values. This is because producers of these video films do not bother to find out what the audience use the medium and its content for.
1.2 HISTORY OF QUEENS HIGH SCHOOL, ENUGU STATE
Queens High School Enugu was founded on Monday, 1st
of November 1993. It opened with one hundred and fifteen (115) students, sixteen (16) part-time teachers, two (2) non – academic staff, a clearner and typist and a co-ordinator Mr. Williams P. Akpochafo. He was the Acting Principal, who worked assidusely to ensure that the school took off smoothly.On the 19th
of November, 1993, the Vice Chancellor constituted a provisional board of Governors for the school with professor Ernest A. Arubayi as chairman.The schools specific objective are geared towards meeting the national goals on Educational bearing in mind the needs of the individual. Accordingly, emphasize is on academic excellence and goal citizenship.
1.3 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
This study is to find out the attitudes of Nigerian youths towards Nigerian home video films. It is difficult for a study of this nature to establish positive or negative effects on users. The nearest to this is to establish neither what the users do or hear from the contents. That is to say if the contents of home videos are on violence, rituals, prostitution and other videos. What exactly do the users do with contents is the focus of this study, using Queens high school Enugu students 1997 to 2000 as period of study, students between 12 – 18 years as the average age of sample.
1.4 objective of the study
It is the objective of the researcher to explore the circumstances prevailing among the youths which include negligency, moral degradation, academic indifference and other uses.
The focus of the researcher is not just a classical enumeration of these ills and failures. But to dig deep down into the matter and device a method of bringing to solution, the existing trend. Because the success of a nation depends on the hand work of the young men and its posterity, dependent on diligence. It is necessary to go closer to the youths, and find out their problem, it is in line with this desire that the role of home video on the recorded social light of youths was made manifest though most of the discussion was centered on ills and on the negative side, but it is worthy to mention that negativism is not the only contribution of these movies to the youths. There has been some useful contribution in the field of awareness and enlightenment, it has also been an audience development of skills and talent and has also encouraged literally works, poetry, novelists and writers of modern times. This in due course can hold ground with historical works of the past.
It has also made possible employment opportunities thereby discouraging joblessness of course, it is a popular, belief that an idle mind is the devils workshop. It is further, the objective of the research to achieve and advice the youths on things that are chasts and praiseworthy and to modify the way of life and ambition for better existence on future.
This include showing them the excelling value of learning and the discredit of mere pursuit of fantasy. The whole world is going into technological, the youths should better focus on such and similar form of mental development than trying their precious time to watch feebles and lamb tales from hungry and famaticaL producers.
With the compliance of youths and their conformity to the better side of life, they will grow to reasonable adult who will man the government of the country when the time comes.
It must be remembered that the youths is the main spring of every society, helping them means helping the society and ruining them will course a total disaster. May our young ones be helped, not mislead by home videos.
1.5 significance of the study
The effect of home video moves on the behavioural aspect of Nigerian youth, can be seen to convey both sweet and bitter messages, however sweet the message can be, not offer a go ahead to it because a wise saying of the scripture says that a little leaven ferments the whole hemps.
Whatever the eyes sees and remain at its sight influence the mind and thought, it could be harmful.
It could be beneficial, whatever determines any of these factors prevailingis the choice of the producers and the viewer. And it is an established fact that Nigerian movies in all analysis as a very (on level of moral chastity, we then sum it up as “moral infants and immoral infants” this assertion is not without basis.
Even you the reader can attest to it that only a handful of the movies features in our home video has anything good to offer the feature triumph of cultism, breakdown of order, family instability fetish beliefs, religion, satrizophrema and political ensurgiments.
Though, some corrective cited as the underlying motive. But the truth remains that the evil planted must germinate and so it does. And the net effect is the full reverberation of degrading moral on kinds and even the encouragement. Which in this regard is negative on the part of young girls even old, trying to imbibe like sophistication and glamorous lifestyle belonging to “women of substance” on the whole, this girls posssess a very distorted understanding of marital bound, thinking of fantases and imbibing the varieties of moves.
On the aspect of marriage, it is an established truth that magazines, literatures and movies presents and prints an ideal picture of invital like which when attempted by you couples in real life becomes elusive. Just like the “pimpe kernel” ( a rare plant speces) and the net result is marital breakdown.
Let us consider in general terms television viewing of which home video is one. Most Nigerian youths are addicted to television and movies including home videos, according to research conducted by National Institute of mental. Television viewing can lead to “lower saying on advertisement especially in reading” and according to the book “ the literacy Hoax Television effect on youths is to create an expectation that hearing should be easy. Passive and entertaining should be like television added many this find studying on ondeal, and the net effect poor academic performance.
Though the main aim of education is not impress all by exam marks but on the other hand it matters. The time made available television viewing if used for other academic pursuits can lead to fruitful result in academics. Apart from academics, the amount of time devoted to television viewing can be used to do other things that can prove to be beneficial, they could be used to develop skills and talents which improves with constant practice and concentration which concentrated on the television will deny the youth.
There is dullness of brain that can result in over indulgence in one form of entertainment such as television and it is entertainment of addict.
1.6 research questions
The researcher’s major assumption, the essence and direction of the study, this study seeks to answer the following research questions.
– Does Queen Secondary School like or dislike Home Video films?
– What are the specific lessons or moral values you learn from Home video films?
– What are the Nigerian cultural values you learn from Home video films?
– How does it affect your social life?
The questions are based on some home video available in 1997 to 2000. Glamour Girls, Blood of the Orphans, Dommyilla 1 & 11.
1.7 Research Hypothesis
– Queens high school students like home video films
Queen high school students dislike home video films
– They watch more of home video films
They watch little home video films
– They contain general interest issues
They do not contain general interest issues
– They learn positive Nigerian cultural values
They learn negative Nigerian cultural values
– They learn moral lessons about life
They do not learn moral lessons about life.
1.8 Definition of terms
As a result of the use of certain terms in this work, it becomes pertinent therefore, to define them as they will be operationally used here.
HOME VIDEO: This is inter changeable used with film both of them refers to film through television in the home
FILM: It is the same as above
BEHAVIOUR: This is manners either good or bad
YOUTH: They are students between the ages of 12 – 18 years
ATTITUDE: This refers to the audience or viewers opinions, thought or feelings about Nigerian Home Video films.
PRODUCERS: This is the senior executive incharge of film production and often the financial head of the project.
CULTURAL VALUES: This refers to ideas about correct and just behavior that comes from belief.
1.9 LIMITATION
The short period of time to complete this study coupled with the financial constraints the distance. We had to travel for the collection of datas, it will be imposible to carry out the study beyond certain level.
The fact that this project will be carried out using students of 12 – 18 years as sample, some may not understand the questions and will not be able to give right questions.