ABSTRACT
This study examines student’s readership of newspaper. The work specifically seeks to determine whether pornographic films on the internet influence secondary school students. The study aim to find out how students of Amazing Grace secondary school access pornography on the internet, to ascertain the frequency at which students of Amazing Grace secondary school visit pornographic sites on the internet, to ascertain how pornographic site on the internet influence the sexual behaviours of Amazing Grace secondary school students. The survey research method was employed in the study. The survey research method is useful in the measurement of public opinions, attitudes among a very large population. The population of this study were students in Amazing Grace Secondary School, Abraka. A sample of fifty-six (56) were selected from the population, using the simple random sampling techniques. The research instrument used in the study was the questionnaire. However, 52 copies were successfully retrieved from the 56 copies administered. The data obtained were analysed using the simple percentage method. The results showed that these secondary students were being influenced by internet pornography and at the risk of social modesty is detrimental to a morally upright life. Factors responsible for students access to internet pornography have been traced towards the influence of friends, boredom and a bid to engage in adventure. In other words, students love what they see and enjoy engaging in internet pornography since they derive their utmost satisfaction from it. The study therefore suggest that there is need for parent, teachers and school to constantly censor what the children do with their phone especially internet enable ones, that government should interfere through concerned regulatory bodies and service providers of these platforms in a bid to stop the menace. Finally, it was suggested that pornography can be reduced in secondary schools through orientation programmes.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
The word pornography is derived from the Greek word “porno” which is a term that refers prostitute; hence, it may be said that pornography is as old as the “world’s oldest profession” Lane, (2000). Sexually explicit images were widespread in Classical Greek and Roman art (Kendall, 2007).
From his own understanding Hornby described pornography as “books, videos, that depict, show or portray, naked people and several acts in order to make people feel sexually excited especially in a way that many other find offensive (Hornby, 2000). It is a material that contradicts socially acceptable values which seem to be moral by a vast number of the people. They contain lewd, offensive, obscene and sexually arousing and explicit contents. However, the social stigma placed on sexually explicit materials associated with the rise of Christianity in the first millennium A.D led to prohibitively high increases in the non-pecuniary price of pornography for most individuals. Since then, improvements in communication and transportation technology over time have slowly lowered pecuniary prices, while changes in social mores have generally trended towards lower non-pecuniary prices (Kendall, 2007).
The arrival of the internet offered a rapid, quantum leap in pornography distribution. The invention of the World Wide Web in 1993 and the first graphical browser, Mosaic, in 1995, allowed large numbers of technologically unsophisticated users to quickly download, view, and discreetly store pornographic photos and moving images on their home computers (Sherman, 2003). Moreover, electronic distribution involves significantly lower marginal costs of production in comparison to paper or videotape copies, leading to a substantial increase in supply.
Due to its decentralized nature, definitive statistics on internet content are necessarily error-prone. However, there is little doubt that the rise of the internet has led to significant increases in the consumption of pornography in the U.S. By October, 2003, Nielsen Net Ratings surveys indicated that one in four internet users admitted to accessing an adult web site within the month, spending an average of 74 minutes on such sites, and these figures do not include do not only include adults but also adolescent who are secondary school students (Kendall, 2007).
The proliferation of pornography materials such as picture and films over the last two decades, especially through the Internet, have influenced the cultural life of today’s youth but to a large extent the secondary school student in an unprecedented and diverse ways (Lofgren-Martenson and Mansson, 2010; McNair, 2002; Paul, 2005; Peter and Valkenburg, 2007).
Internet-enabled devices such as phone ipad, tab and other screen enabled technologies have indiscriminately allowed people of all ages to encounter, consume, create, and distribute sexually explicit content, and a growing body of data reveal these phenomena are increasingly common for student worldwide (Owens, Behun, Manning and Reid, 2012).
The Internet, as the traditional media is considered a highly sexualized environment (Cooper, Boies, Maheu, and Greenfield, 1999; Peter and Valkenburg, 2006a), and research has shown significant increases in the number of youth who are intentionally or accidentally encountering pornographic material online (Mitchell, Wolak, and Finkelhor, 2007; Wolak 2007).
Given these circumstances, one may assume that adolescents’ access to pornography via the Internet is unmatched by any other medium (Mitchell, Wolak, & Finkelhor, 2007); the volume and range of sexually explicit content available on the Internet is remarkable. The evolving nature of technologically mediated pornographic content (e.g., real-time and interactional) provides novelty and variety at unprecedented speeds (Coopersmith, 2006). Additionally, the risk of cyberbullying, sexual victimization, or harassment from others is real and pervasive (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2011).
Furthermore, the Internet is present and prioritized in the lives of many. For example, in the United States, 93% of all adolescents ages 12 to 17 use the Internet; 63% go online daily and 36% are online several times a day (Lenhart, A., Purcell, K., Smith, A., & Zickur, K. 2010). The World Internet Report surveyed 12 to 14 year olds from thirteen different countries and found that 100% of British youth, 98% of Israeli youth, 96% of Czech youth, and 95% of Canadian youth reported using the Internet regularly (Lawsky, 2008). Given that the average American teen owns 3.5 mobile devices (Lenhart, Purcell et al., 2010). It is of their online activity is portable, and therefore, largely censored by their parents (Roberts, Foehr, and Rideout, 2005).
This increasingly ubiquitous access to the Internet can be positive; for example, people of all ages are turning to this medium for information on sexual education and sexual health (Barak and Fisher, 2001), social connection, work, shopping, entertainment, news, and academic research. While on the other hand, it can be negative. The unmonitored access for youth access to the internet raises genuine concerns in light of the potential risks (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2011); adolescents often lack the risk attenuation needed to discern and manage online dangers and content in safe and healthy ways (Delmonico & Griffin, 2008). There is also a small, but growing, body of research that indicates adolescents are increasingly struggling with compulsive Internet use (CIU) and compulsive behaviors related to Internet pornography and cybersex (Delmonico and Griffin, 2008; Lam, Peng, Mai, and Jing, 2009).
As the Internet use increases, it is important to understand the systemic influence of this medium, and specifically exposure to pornographic stimuli, on the young ones and particularly, the adolescent, who may still be a secondary school student. Being in a state of flux, these young ones can be easily influenced by what they see, watch hear and or exposed to. Hence this study attempt to investigate the pervasive influence the exposure to pornographic material online can have of the secondary school student with a particular view on student of Amazing Grace Secondary School Abraka.
1.2 Statement of the problem
There is no gain saying that the Internet as an information and communication technology provides access and its influence is increasingly being integrated into people every day’s life as they search for information, entertainment, communicate and conduct business transactions in their internet enabled smartphones and other devices (Wellman and Haythonrwaite, 2002). Yet the lack of effective regulations, censorship and rating systems has led to accessibility of undesirable contents (Weiman, 2000) among which are pornographic materials or sexually inciting contents. The abundance of pornographic content tends to magnify the anxiety about the harmful influence of Internet pornography, in particular, for minors.
Undoubtedly, social scientists who are interested in the study of mass media particularly film effects on the society, have been involved in the efforts to find out the relationship between media and youths sexual behavior and sexual pervasiveness among young ones. There has been series of research works which show that audio-visual media can be described as an all-powerful, all pervasive and all manipulative medium capable of producing the most effective emotional reaction through the portrayal of pornography. But in recent times with the arrival and proliferation of internet enabled smartphones, individuals and particularly the young ones are prone to use the internet enable devices to view and access x- rated material.
It is against this backdrop that this study tends to investigate the influence of pornographic films on the internet on secondary school students with a focus on Amazing Grace secondary School student in Abraka Delta State.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The objectives of this study are;
- To find out how students of Amazing Grace secondary school access pornography on the internet
- To ascertain the frequency at which students of Amazing Grace secondary school visit pornographic sites on the internet.
- To ascertain how pornographic site on the internet influence the sexual behaviours of Amazing Grace secondary school students.
1.4 Research Questions
The objectives of this study are;
- How do students of Amazing Grace secondary school access pornography on the internet?
- How often do students of Amazing Grace secondary school visit pornographic sites on the internet?
- How does pornographic site on the internet influence the sexual behaviours of Amazing Grace secondary school students?
1.5 Significance of the Study
This study would be beneficial as it will help to find out how student access pornography on the internet. This information will be particularly useful to parents, regulatory, bodies, teachers of these secondary school students. It tends to achieve this through its findings and possible recommendations.
This finding will be relevant as it will help us to ascertain the frequency at which students visit pornographic sites on the internet. It will also be significant to internet service providers and this would be brought to lime light through its research findings and recommendations.
The study would also be beneficial as it will help to ascertain how pornographic site on the internet influence the sexual behaviour of these secondary school students. Thus the information derived would be relevant to the student themselves.
Finally, the study would be significant as it will expand the body of knowledge and also provide additional information on already existing research work by other researchers. It tends to achieve this through its well research findings and recommendation.
1.6 Scope of the Study
The study is on the influence of pornographic films on the internet on secondary school student. The geographical scope is Amazing Grace Secondary School, Abraka community in Delta State. The work was limited for reasons of feasibility to study the attitudes and views of students ranging from 13 years and above. The reason behind this is because they are old enough to understand the questions inherent in the questionnaire.
1.7 Definitions of Terms
The following term are used in the context of the study thereby defined in order to foster understanding of the study;
Film: This is a photographic chemical based medium
Influence: To have an immediate and strong effect on something or something
Internet: International Network (a global communication network).
Pornography: This is an explicit portrayal of sexual subject matters, for the purpose of sexual gratification
Student: Somebody who studies at a secondary school usually an adolescent as different from a pupil who is in primary school.
