Television as a Stimulus for Emotion Response among Young People: Case of Assam University Students

Abstract

In 1976, George Gerbner and Gross developed cultivation theory which is vital in television studies. The theory states that the heavy viewer of television violent content is eventually affected by Mean World Syndrome; considering the entire world also to be violent. This theory focuses much on long term effects of television viewing. However, it is crucial to understand that television has a great impact on people`s emotions which are altered immediately during television viewing. Therefore, the study was conducted to find out; the kinds of emotions television alters among young people, ways television as a medium of communication acts as a relief agent to people and also examine the different situations television viewing influences emotions, behavior and actions. A sample of 100 students was selected randomly from the school of creative arts and communication studies of Assam University. This was a survey research design and research tools used for collecting data include; questionnaires, library research and internet, Audio recording, interviews and participant observation. Using descriptive analysis, the research results indicate that many students` psychological emotions get altered by television viewing. Students self declared that while watching television, they find themselves crying, laughing, jeering, kicking, frightened etc basing on the particular programme being viewed that time. Besides, some students changed their eating habits. Others hated their natural skin appearance and bought new cosmetics to improve their beauty so as they look like the beautiful ladies viewed in the television advert. Therefore, the research recommends that teachers should conduct emotion management classes among students’ at all academic levels. This will create self emotion awareness among young people thus become resistant to media messages and control unwanted emotions which tend to be harmful in the long run. Besides, students should regulate the television viewing time through getting other sources of entertainment for mind relaxation rather than depending entirely on television viewing. The parents should also promote media literacy among their children right from childhood. This helps children to grow up knowing that most television programmes are purely fiction and do not exist in real world.