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.
