Posted: Friday, November 21, 2008     Source: LETICIA OWUSU (U.S.A)

TEENS AND TELEVISION PROGRAMS. HOW BAD CAN IT BE?

Since 1920s when television was invented, it has provided positive and better concept for the world that we live in.There is no doubt that TV play significant role in several homes in Ghana.However,everything that has a positive side, definitely have it negative side as well.

Teens devote much of thier free time in watching TV and are therefore becoming addicted to it. They tend to interpret programs on television and apply them in their everyday life.Some programs are educative,entertaining and informative,whiles others convey messages and context that are profane and blasphemous that is what teens enjoy watching.This in the long run causes an adverse effect on their actions,attitudes and developments.

In Albert Bandura's social learning theory,"Children could easily learn and model their behaviours to what they have observed in movies and Television.Teens have now developed keen interest in violent and sex filled movies.They emulate all sorts of attitude which are not found in our culture.It is obvious that the educative and informative programs are now watched by adults and few teenagers who are termed as "NERDS" or "COLO" by their own colleagues.In a scale of one to ten,only four teens will be able to remember what was taught in schools,the rest will rattle the recent movies shown on TV.Programs that are morally repulsive tends to influence,demoralise and corrupt teenagers way of thinking,reacting and speaking.No wonder teenage pregnancy and STDs' are sweeping into our communities.Politicians are not interested in curbing this problem but are always cogitating on how to spend state funds. Parents on the other hand demonstrate love and affection for their jobs and how to make much money,rather than paying attention to their teens and spending ample time with them.Teenagers are less rebuked when they go astray.But in the biblical aspect, it talks about how wrong it is to spur the rod and spoil the child.

How can parents enjoy watching movies rated PG. with their children? Are we really safe?One thing that beats my imagination is how children get the right to decide on which program to watch with parents.They even get to the extent of discussing or explaining programs that are full of sex dialogue and behaviour.

Meanwhile,these shows hardly highlight the negative aspects or the risk involve in order for children to learn something out of it. Television indeed contribute immensely to the higher rates of insurbodinate behaviour found in teens.

There are particular western programs shown on TV which characters display actions and attitudes that are now crawling imperceptibly into the hearts and minds of our teens.

Readers will bear with me that,teenagers way of dressing nowadays are procative,indecent and agitating.They seem to copy that from the Americans and Europeans which they themselves wear only for shows.A lot of artists are changing from been a gangstar to a gentleman.Therefore, what will be our reward after imitating them.The Americans do not condone certain kinds of languages and programs on thier national televisions.Talk about words like:(f**k,n**ga,b**ch and so on).If such things are not entertain by them,why are Ghanaians trying to accept and embrace them?Let them know which program is appropriate to watch and the repurcussions involved in watching the others.Some experts literally claims that,certain programs on TV ruins the creativity and imaginations in teens.The aggressiveness and ticking emotional time bomb in teenagers are difficult to deal with and therefore must not be taken for granted.We should "shine our eyes well well" before any culture takes dominion over ours.Our future leaders must be brought up well in order to help build the nation.