CHAPTER ONE

1.0 Introduction
1.1 Backgrounds to the Study
Television has become a significant social phenomenon in Nigeria
and all over the world. Television viewing is generally believed to generate
social force of undeniable influence on both the adult and the younger
once. It is assumed to be the most popular entertainment mass media for
children and women. It is this selection of daily programmes, which gets
full attention of the viewers. One might says, whatever impacts television
is able to inculcate, it is because of various plays, cartoons, films and
musical shows e.t.c. which are telecasted everyday, (Zubari, 1992).
There is lot of television programmes designed for viewing pleasure
of their target audience. Some are tailored towards children, women,
adult and many more. This could carry different title such as family
health. You and the law, today’s women, children arena, political talk,
musical, T.V drama, cartoons, let’s go farming and many more.
However, for the purpose of the research, attention will be on the
effect of television cartoon network on the socialization of children.
A cartoon is any of several forms of art with varied meanings that
evolved from one to another.
Cartoon networks are a main source of entertainment for children.
Children keenly observe what cartoon is on air on cartoon network.
Because of this channel, we can see barren play grounds, children
sloppy attitude towards studies. They have no time for the healthy
activities.
Children watch cartoons which are understandable in terms of
language. Nigeria children therefore prefer to watch English version
cartoons because English language has been adopted as a linguafranca.
When children see cartoons in easy and understandable language, they
enjoy more and are involved more.
 Elementary school age ( five to eleven) is considered a critical
period for understanding the effects of television cartoons on
socialization and behaviour of children. At this stage, children develop
the attention span and cognitive ability to follow continuous plots and
recognize motivations and consequences to characters actions. At this
age children’s learning ability is faster than adults (cited at: www. Media.
Awareness. com).
A number of early studies revealed negative relationship between
amount of viewing and measures of their mental ability or aptitude,
Schramn et al .(1961)found that students with “ high mental ability”
watched more television than these with low mental ability, until ages
10-14: at this point, the low mental students begin watching less and
less.

1.2 Statement of Research Problem

The positive and negative effect of television cartoons on the
behaviour of children attract the attention of so many intelligent people
in the state and other in the educational sector to address the problem.
The research seeks to x-ray whether exposure of children to
cartoon shows influence children socialization and attitude while
children tend to behave base on what they watch on television.
Other problems are poor media law to determine what children are
to watch, watching violence cartoon on television do stick to the psyche
of children.
Parents and guidance lack knowledge of the implication of
watching violence cartoon on their children attitude.

1.3 Research Question

i. Do children watch cartoon on television?
ii. Do children imitate or copy cartoon characters?
iii. Does television cartoon affect children socialization?
vi. Do television stations televise violence cartoons to children?
v. Is there any way television cartoons socialize children?
vi Do parents influence cartoon viewing habit of children?
vii. What is the influence of cartoon on children socialization?

1.4. Purpose of the Study

i. To examine whether children watch cartoon on television.
ii. To know if children imitate or copy cartoon characters.
iii. To find out if television cartoon affect children socialization.
vi. To examine whether television stations televise violence cartoons to
children.
v. To know ways by which television cartoons socialize children.
vi To find out if parents influence cartoon viewing habit of children.
vii. To examine whether the influence of cartoon on children
socialization.

1.5 Significance of the Study

The research is significance in decent that, the research will help
to find the remote influence of the T.V cartoon on children socialization
and attitude. It will as well enable parents and guidance to determine
their children exposure to cartoon network.
Therefore, this study will show parents how to be responsible for
the upbringing and training of their children instead of living such
training to their peers, television, teachers and determine watching hour
and programme exposure of their children.
 Therefore, the findings of this research will serve as a good
literature for both scholars and students of mass communication who
might want to carry out similar or related research in the future.
Media houses will also learning how to schedule their programmes
and know the nature of the programmes to be televised.

1.6 Limitation/Scope of the Study

The study is limited in scope to the influence of TV cartoon on the
socialization and behaviour of children because it is difficult to study all
children in Nigeria, and that is why Ebunoluwa International Nursery
and Primary School, Osogbo and Olive Nursery and Primary School;
Osogbo and fifty (50) parents will be selected from Parents Association of
the two school form the case study of the study.

1.7 Limitation of the Study

It is not an overstatement that a work of this nature cannot be
carried out without some hard experience, however below are some of the
constrains to this work.
There are many limitations ranging form not knowing where to
start, not knowing who to consult or approach for materials not knowing
what next to write in various segment of this study and not actually
knowing who to put me through in achieving my work and others are:
1. Stress from other academic activities is one of the limitations to the
research work
2. Financial constraint to travel to different places.
3. Duration for the research work is relatively short
3. Materials that are available on this topic is relatively small as the
concept is new or people are not written from that angle.

1.8 Operational Definitions of Terms

Influence: it means the impact or contributions or implication.
Television: this is the major mass media using audio visual to converge
message to a wider audience.
Cartoon: this is a graphical illustration using animate image to present
information usually in newspapers.