CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY 

Early childhood was also a time children become aware of television and movie characters. Throughout history, familiar characters have appealed to children from an early age. The expansion of children’s media in recent years through sources such as cable TV and video games has greatly increased the number and variety of such characters and their related toys. The mass mediaare designed to expand children’s knowledge of society and the larger world, develop creativity, encourage problem solving, roleplaying, socialization, and improve literacy and vocabulary.

 The entire study of mass communication was based on the assumption that the media have significant effects, yet there was little agreement on the nature and extent of these assumed effects, McQuail (2007:456). This uncertainty was more surprising since everyday experience provides countless  examples of influence. For example, we dress for the weather as forecast, buy something because of an advert, go to a film mentioned in a newspaper, react to media news, films, music etc. There are many cases of negative media publicity for instance food contamination leading to significant changes in food consumption behaviour, acts of violence or suicide appear to be copied or stimulated by media portrayals. McQuail further asserts that our minds are full of media derived 2

information and impressions as we live in a world saturated by media sounds and images.  Few people cannot think of some personal instance of gaining significant information or of forming an opinion because of the media.

 According to Wimmer and Dominick (2003:394) the

development of the social impact of the mass media was evident as far back as the 1920’s when many critics charged that motion pictures had a negative influence on children. In 1928 the Motion picture Research Council, with support from the Payne fund a private Philanthropic Organization sponsored a series of thirteen studies on the movies’ influence on children. After examination of film content, information gain, attitude change and influence on behaviour, it was concluded that the movies were potent sources of information, attitudes and behaviour for children.