IMPACT OF NTA ENUGU TELEVISION ADVERTISEMENT ON THE MENTAL DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN (A STUDY OD GOLD CIRCLE)

1.1Background of the Study

Television is incorporated within the child‟s experience as it becomes part of the child‟s inner world.

In discussing about television and evolutional development of T.V, some one may wonder how television affects a child of ten to eighteen year. But it is apparent that the young child is dominated by this TV. Children learn to read pictures they understand. In the watching of television, all the children see in “reality” and events do not follow the social order of the story. It is by observation of social relationship and by minor reflections of self that the child is socialized. Dumped mostly prematurely into the twentieth century, it is hardly surprising that the child still relies on what he see as the deception of reality.

As we accept that television and advertising affects the children‟s linearity in thought starting with the onset prints, since the young child is exclusively concerned with here and now of the present which is sufficient by demanding of his intelligence.

Advertising through television presents awesome advantages, they always make sure that through television advertising, each person‟s idea, viewpoints and services are given equitable space to express veritable information about their products for the wellbeing of the society in general.

There are some advertisements of some products which are not good for the seeing of children. In this study we will be looking at one of the products:

Gold Circle:

Gold Circle “Condom” is manufactured in Nigeria for population services and packed in Nigeria by the society for family health. Thrown into the mix is the crackdown on condom advertisers by the Advertisement body charge with vetting and approving advertisement.

They are worried that advertising condoms could promote promiscuity. APCON had tightened the screw with new requirements that condom advertisement may not be aired on children‟s programme before 8pm on television or displayed on billboard.

HIV/AIDS activists argued that the measure is counterproductive to the success achieved in promoting the use of condoms insisting that a large number of young people are finding it difficult to abstain from sex. Advertisement of condom (Gold Circle) should not be aired on children‟s programmes as this would affect the mental development of children, the advertisement should be aired at about 10pm in the late light.