Abstract

Individuals learn to become functional members of the society by internalising acceptable norms and values of the society and learning to play functional roles in it. This life-long learning process, termed socialisation, begins from birth and is broken into stages. Childhood is a sensitive stage during which the individual develops cognitive and behavioural abilities and can be easily influenced by television because of the undiscerning and educable mind of the child. This examined the relationship between parental mediation among educated female parents and direct-to-home satellite television viewing among their children in Ogun State, South-west Nigeria. The study adopted survey research method and questionnaire as date collection instrument administered on a sample of 150 female parents drawn purposively from the population. Results indicated that high (active) parental mediation had a significant relationship with positive satellite television viewing influence; low parental mediation did not produce positive influence of satellite television viewing; and total access (no parental mediation) to satellite television viewing led to negative influence among children in their socialisation process. The paper recommended active, restrictive and interpretive mediation strategies by parents to prevent negative viewing influence.

Key Words: Parental Mediation, Satellite Television Viewing, Satellite Television Viewing Influence, Socialisation.

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*Oluwakemi Oriola is with the Mass Communication Unit, Department of Sociological Studies, Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, Ogun State, Nigeria

**Olusegun Ojomo, Ph.D., is with the Department of Mass Communication, Babcock University

Ilishan Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria

^JCMRJournal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 8, No. 2, October 2016, 67 – 84