The influence of the Media on the Developmental Life of the Adolescents in Nairobi Pentecostal church

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to find out the level of exposure to media communication among the adolescents, particularly adolescents in Nairobi Pentecostal Church-Central. An attempt was also made to find out specific ways that the media are exerting influence on the social and moral development of the adolescents. The researcher also sought to see whether these specific ways of media influence on the social and moral development of the adolescents have any relationship to the age of the adolescents, sex differences of the adolescents and the adolescents' level of exposure to media communication. The study focused further on attempt to discover the extent of this media influence on the social and moral development of the adolescents either positively or negatively. Based on the gathered information, recommendations were made to parents and Churches on how to help the adolescents get the best from the media. The findings of this study revealed that the adolescents have a high degree of exposure to media communication. Findings also revealed two positive and five negative ways of media influence on the social development of the adolescents and also two positive and two negative ways of media influence on their moral development. Again, while age and media influence have no significant relationship, gender differences seem to have strong relationship with media influence on their social development but not on their moral development. Level of media exposure also seems to have strong relationship with media influence on their social development but not on their moral development. The negative influence of the media was also discovered to be greater than the positive influence on their social and moral development although, the difference is not significant.