From crib to casket, a person is influenced by a number of socio-cultural factors. Demographics such as age, sex and others have remained strong factors that influence decisions of individuals on issues and events.
Conversely, difference categories of media audience have different values, expectations mode of thought as well as needs and desires all of which influence their attitudes to issues things and events with media perception inclusive. The elderly people who form a category of media audience tend to posse varied attitudes upwards television programming parse. While some see it as their adversaries, other perceive it as their mentors.
The objectives of this study, there froe is to ascertain whether their level of exposure or wage of media contents tally with their into motion,. Education and entertainment needs. It is also an attempt to find out if the elderly people use the media more as escape route from loveliness insecurity and boredom.
It was found out after testing the hypothesis that there was statistically insignificant difference in elderly peoples use of the media for all variables tested giving credence to the assumption that they make use of the medal in anticipation of some rewards or gratification.
To this ends therefore, this researcher made far reaching recommendations that the quality of media contents and progrmmes derivable from societal needs and values, should vary from one cultural. With this in mind other influential factors such as sex, level of educational attainment and political learning which are capable pf affecting attitude can categories of media audience like children and youths in order to establish their media use and perception,
There is bound to be differences in perception and attitudes of different categories of media audience towards the media because or\f the obvious individual differences in need disposition and experiences of these groups of people. Different categories of media audience have different m\needs and experiences hence the difference in their attitudes and disposition towards the media. People of different age groups have also different m\needs experiences, ideas, values and behavioral people.
Under situation, the different experiences, ideas and values of these groups or categories of media audience, have a great relationship with the meaning they give to their uses of the media, to their judgments on media messages and to any attempt they may male or wish to make to incorporate them in their own s\daily actions.
As reported n a UNESCO documentary dossier.
“ the is no need to pint on that people
who are over seventy have lined through
upheavals and have seen values they
hold collapse as a result.
Members of the different categories of media audience tend to incorporate the audio- visual messages they get through their contact with the media into their own actions or in their interactions within the groups they belong.
These elderly people have a lot of experiences different from the other category. There are limitations and set backs whish they experienced and the disadvantages and crises which have resulted hence the differences inn their expectations form the media. Their expectations are quite different from those of the younger generation. The elderly people therefore are wont to expose themselves to the media dependent on what they think about the medial.
The intre-dependence of attitudes and the media is very pronounced especially where attitude according to Donald Fleming “(1967) I sued to mean
All the tendencies or disposition learned
rather than inborn, towards objects, persons
or groups these tendencies or dispositions
are not specific to any particular set
of facts or particular policy questions
but apply genially towards the objects
persons or groups to which they related
But age is not the only fetor that shape attitudes large-scale organizations further affect the attitudes individuals form hence social category differences. Interests of class, caste and secondary group membership such as national citizenships, religious fraternities, professional affiliations etc. invariably affect the opinions individual concerned held on various issues and subjects. It is therefore in he foregoing contexts that Machide (1980/9\81) in his study of the media state that:
The media of communication are
Instruments which serve to promote
Or influence attitudes to motivate to
Foster the spread of behavioural patterns
And to bring about social integration.
The media especially televising under this situation is he fore available of influencing situation is therefore capable of influencing the attitudes of its audience groups. While attitudes differ from one group to the other, it is more pounced along age line within the groups.
People of different age groups tend to passes different behvioural and attitudinal patterns. The elderly who are less active and depends largely on the media for reassurance (especially television) j\have enormous impact impressed on their lives and attitudes.
Age as well as other factors that affect attitudes also generate certain needs. To this end, the elderly people tend to have their own peculiar needs different from those of the young active people. This category of media audience tend to seek the satisfaction of their needs through various means. The media, especially the television is one such means through which they do so. They get exposed to the media hoping to acquire certain knowledge with which they satisfy their peculiar need o tackle their problems as created by prevailing circumstances of cut kind they never experienced during their lay days.
The uses and gratification theory of mass communication according to Davidson and Philips (1974) gives credence to these:
Members of the audience acutely
Utilize media contents, rather than
Being passively acted upon by the media ---------------
Gratification can be from the very act
Of exposure to a given medium as well
As from the social content in which
It is consumed.
People belonging to a given age or social category are seen to possess the same kind of experiences, values, beliefs and dispositions. These elderly people, because of their peculiar circumstance tend to pose themselves more to ten media especially television in their attempt to get not just information and entertainment but re-assurance.
The values and behavioural patterns of the elderly people tend to conflict with those of the dominate younger people. In such circumstance, this category of people attempt finding security and justifications for their own patterns of behaviour and attitudes hence their tendency to expose themselves largely to the media.
The above motioned is buttressed by the view point of M. Mculuham (1964) when he concluded in his study on elderly peoples understanding of the media that:
The greater the sense of insecurity the
More time they will spend in listening
To the radio, watching the televisions
And reading newspapers. magazine that
Can help them overcome their disquiet
All these sudden changes and conflict in values as well as upheavals which mark the experiences of the elderly people, tend to make them partial audience group for the rural produced output of the media especially the television beliefs and value in one age or period are demand, invalid, false or immoral in another. The ,media on their part tend to fasters these value and behavioural patterns existing during a particular period. It was discovered that some traits are good at a certain period but considered unacceptable at other periods. That people of different age groups or generation have different attitudes, behavioural patterns ad well as needs, has been established.
The question at this juncture is whether people of the older generation actually exlubit different attitudes and have different expectation from the media? Again, are they likely to expose themselves more to the media than the active young people world? These have answers in the affirmation. Having established the existence of needs, values, beliefs etc along age line, the question that remained unanswered is whether the life experiences and peculiar circumstances of members of audience group in nay way affect or relate to their attitudes and relationship with the media.
This question forms the basis of the study. He study is directed towards finding out whether eh subjects see the media especially the television as being part of their problems or solution to their problems. It is believed that their attitudes towards the media is based on what they think about he media. Their level of dependence and tolerance of the media is found to be base on what they believe his media stand for.
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