PERCEPTION OF IGBENEDION UNIVERSITY STUDENTS ON REALITY TELEVISION SHOW IN NIGERIA
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 STUDY BACKGROUND
Reality shows are gradually taking over the world’s television programming. People who have been watching television for the past five years will readily agree that reality shows have dominated television programming in the twenty-first century (Nielsen, 2005). Reality television has dominated mainstream television programming for several years, providing relatively inexpensive entertainment (Gardyn, 2001).
Without a doubt, reality television has become a popular pastime that many television stations now rely on to attract a large audience and advertiser patronage. Delta State Government-sponsored Delta Talent Quest, Star Quest, Gulder’s Ultimate Search, MTN’s Project Fame, Glo’s Naija Sings, ABC’s The Bachelor, GTBank’s The Debator, NBC’s
The Apprentice, Maltina’s Family Dance All, FOX’s American Idol, and even cable shows like MTV’s The Real World have continued to dominate television stations’ timeslots on a regular basis. In the United States, FOX’s American Idol is the network’s most-watched non-sports show of all time, and it was the most-watched show overall during the 2004-2005 television season (Nielsen, 2005). The Big Brother Africa show, which airs on the DSTV satellite channel, is very popular among African viewers.
Because of the popularity of these shows, television stations and networks are scrambling to air more reality shows in order to meet audience demand.
The driving force behind reality programming is that it puts the audience member on the other side of the entertainment arena, giving all viewers the opportunity to become potential entertainers, as in the case of Big Brother Africa and Gulder Ultimate Search season 8, where audience members are given the opportunity to vote out contestants and vote in an evicted contestant who they would like to see back in the show.
In this manner, the audience effectively participates in determining who should entertain them. The growing popularity of the reality genre raises concerns about its utility and implications for audiences. Reality television shows are gradually becoming a dominant genre in Nigerian television programming, and the reason may not be far-fetched.
Many television programs now revolve around reality television, primarily because it provides audience members, advertisers, and producers with entertainment gratifications and benefits that scripted programs such as film and home videos may struggle to provide.
According to a Uses and Gratification study conducted by Nabi, Biely, Morgan, and Stitt (2003), one of the primary reasons for watching reality television is that it allows the audience to participate in the show vicariously through real contestants to whom they can relate.
This type of viewer participation exists almost entirely in the reality television genre, despite the fact that some networks have identified this trend and attempted to create scripted programming with the same effect. The appeal of reality television to advertisers is that it is a genre that allows for product placement without distracting viewers’ attention or lowering the quality of the show.
Gulder’s Ultimate Search, for example, has included competitions in which winners have received prizes ranging from free drinks to mobile phones. Employing this type of product placement within scripted programming would be much more difficult for producers to accomplish, as it is frequently perceived as “selling out” on the part of television stations (Marcel, 2003).
Reality television shows have been chastised for being overly provocative and portraying society in an unsettling manner. The South African version of Big Brother sparked outrage due to its explicit sexual content. However, according to Hyde-Clark, youth perceive reality shows to be a reflection of their culture.
“Youth may perceive reality television as a reflection of societal attitudes and behavior.” They may interpret the contestants’ comments as an accurate reflection of how they are perceived by society and adjust their perception of themselves accordingly.”
As a result, this study was necessary because it analyzed reality shows on television while also assessing youth perceptions of reality shows on television, particularly among Nigerian students.
1.2 THE PROBLEM’S STATEMENT
Reality television is gradually gaining popularity among television stations and advertisers worldwide. The low production costs and high audience viewing figures ensure a steady stream of new and repeated reality television formats on television screens in various homes today.
The interactive capacity of the shows emphasizes the’real’ drama of the shows, with the audience allegedly directly influencing events on the television screen. A reality television show, for example, is a show that ostensibly does not ‘act out’ unfolding events, with everything happening being “unplanned,” “real,” but documented for viewers to see on-going or live happenings with each passing moment.
There are no actors, only competitors (young men and women who most likely live in the same neighborhood) vying for the reality show’s star prize. The location changes depending on the theme of the reality show. As a result, problems abound, as some people regard reality television shows as “rewarding idleness.”
Some may also see reality television shows as a means of exploiting the minds of the shows’ young audiences without having a moral impact on their lives.
Another issue is the craze for instant fame, because many young people are suddenly discovering their supposedly hidden talents, and reality television shows provide them with a platform to stardom with little or no hard work. The purpose of this study was to assess university students’ attitudes toward reality television shows. In other words, what is the nature of reality television shows, and how do university students perceive them?
1.3 THE STUDY’S OBJECTIVES
The study sought to assess university students’ attitudes toward reality television shows. The study specifically sought to;
i. learn about university students’ perspectives on reality television shows.
ii. ascertain the effects of reality television programs on university students and society.
iii. determine whether the gender of university students influences their perception of reality television shows.
iv. investigate the influence of reality television stars on university students.
1.4 QUESTIONS FOR RESEARCH
i. What is the attitude of university students toward reality television shows?
ii. What impact do reality television shows have on university students and society?
iii. How does the gender of university students influence their perception of reality television shows?
iv. What impact do reality television stars have on university students?
1.5 HYPOTHESES FOR RESEARCH
Issuance I
H0: Reality television shows have no significant impact on university students or society.
Hi: Reality television shows have a significant impact on university students and society.
Hypothesis No. 2
H0: The gender of university students has no effect on their perception of reality television shows.
Hi: The gender of university students influences their perception of reality television shows.
1.6 Importance of the Research
This study will be extremely useful to other researchers who want to learn more about it, and it can also be used by non-researchers to supplement their own research. This study adds to knowledge and may serve as a model for future research.
1.7 Study Scope and Limitations
This study looks at how university students perceive reality television shows. The research will be carried out among students at Igbinedion University in Okada, Ovia North-East Local Government Area, Edo state.
Study limitations
Financial constraint: Inadequate funding tends to impede the researcher’s efficiency in locating relevant materials, literature, or information, as well as in the data collection process (internet, questionnaire and interview).
Time constraint: The researcher will conduct this study alongside other academic work. As a result, the amount of time spent on research will be reduced.
1.8 Terms and Definitions
Reality television is a type of television programming that documents ostensibly unscripted real-life situations, frequently starring unknown people rather than professional actors.
Student: A student is primarily a person enrolled in a school or other educational institution who attends classes in a course to achieve the appropriate level of mastery of a subject under the supervision of an instructor and who devotes time outside of class to do whatever activities the instructor assigns that are required either for class preparation or to submit evidence of progress towards that mastery.
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PERCEPTION OF IGBENEDION UNIVERSITY STUDENTS ON REALITY TELEVISION SHOW IN NIGERIA
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