Abstract
The aim of this study is to analyze the impact of the „The Fast and the Furious‟ (action film) on
the social behavioural pattern of students. To achieve this, the survey research design was used.
Subjects were drawn from student‟s composition of five faculties in NnamdiAzikiwe University,
Awka, Anambra State, using the simple random sampling technique and purposive sampling.
The sample size was 380 and 350 copies of questionnaire were retrieved. Four research questions
guided the study. Research findings shows that the students in NnamdiAzikiwe University,Awka
were exposed to action films and were being affected to a great extent by the films they watched.
To this end, the researcher recommended that parents, lecturers and school authorities should
help Government to sensitize the students on the danger of so much exposure to the action films.
Students should also resolve in their minds to restrain from any film that would be injurious to
their social orientation. The research suggested that further research should be carried out on the
roles of film industries in eradicating negative behaviours and vices among youths.
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of Study
To fully comprehend the research topic, it is important to know and fully appreciate the
power of television and films as media used to disseminate information. Television is virtually
seen in almost every household. It was introduced to the masses at the New York World‟s fair in
1939.
Jeffery Schrank (1985:21), says television is the greatest invention of the twentieth
century. Some on the contrary, see it as a vast wasteland that steals time and turns viewers into
couch potatoes. All the same, television is the most competent, involuntary, electronic message
carrier of our time. It brings to millions of heterogeneous viewer‟s door steps, live or recorded
events. Most Nigerians today, educated or not, have unknowingly, conferred on television and
films, the status of baby sitter in their homes.
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Film is a study recorded as a set of moving pictures to be shown on the television or at
the cinema. It is also a roll on sheet of thus flexible plastic that is sensitive to light for the use in
photography. Film also known as movie or motion pictures is a series of still moving images. It
is produced by recording photographic images with cameras or by creating images using
animation techniques or visual effects. It is considered to be an important form, a source of
popular entertainment, a powerful method for educating or indoctrinating people especially
children and youths.
Balogun F:(1987) classified film into European film, American film, Chinese film,
Nigerian film, lengthy feature films among others. All these classifications can produce violent
films, comic films, entertainment film, romance etc. But of these types of films, this study is on
Action Films which can be classified under violent films and its impact on the social behavioural
pattern of undergraduate students.
Action film is a film genre where one or more heroes is thrust into a series of challenges
that require physical feats extended fights and frantic chases. It tends to feature a resourceful
character struggling against incredible odds, which include life threatening situations, a villain,
or a pursuit which generally concludes in victory for the hero. Advancements in CGI (Computer
Generated Imargery) have made it cheaper and easier to create action sequence and other visual
effects that required the efforts of professional stunt crews in the past. However, reactions to
action films containing significant amounts of CGI have been mixed as films that use computer
animations to create unrealistic highly unbelievable events which are often met with criticism.
Action has long been an element of films, the “action film” as a genre of its own began to
develop in the 1970s. The genre is closely linked with the thriller and adventure film, and it may
sometimes have elements of spy fiction and espionage. Action film have traditionally been a
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reliable source of revenue for film studios, relatively few action films garner critical praise.
Action film have traditionally been aimed at the male audience from the early teens to the mid30s, many action film makers from the 1990s and 2000s added female heroine in response to the
expanding social conception of gender glorifying the strong female archetype.
According to American academy of pediatrics (AAP) 2005 „„Children are influenced by
media, they learn by observing, imitating and making behaviour their own”. It is quite depressing
to note that since the inception of action films, there have been increase incidents of violent
behaviours in youths.
Action films have both detrimental (negative) and beneficial (positive) effects on youths.
Pro-social behaviour and anti-social behaviour are the outcome of youths exposure to action
films.
The impact of the fast and the furious on the behavioural pattern or development of
youths can be a pro-social behavior learnt from films and are imitations which including sharing
extrusion behaviour, co-operation, speech construction etc. Anti-social behaviours are verbal,
that is, insults and physical aggression, stealing, bullying, fighting etc.
Liebert et al (1998) agree that significant exposure to media violence increase the risk of
aggressive behaviour in certain youths. They reviewed that other effects include desensitization
to other‟s pain and suffering and the tendency to become fearful of the world around them,
viewing it as a dangerous place. Also in America, which has now spread to otherparts of the
world via satellite television, the sexularization of American media has serious dangerous
influence on youths.
1.2 Statement of the Research Problem
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Film as we know portrays the cultural, social and life orientation of a given society. This
indicates that once youths watch films they become exposed to the entire scenario which the film
portrays, that is the entire cultural and social setting.
Youths learn negative behaviour patterns and values from the films they watch and that is
why it is therefore necessary to carry out a survey on the effect of this action films on the
undergraduate students.
Therefore, the question of this study seeks to answer is; what is the actual impact of the
fast and the furious on the social behavioural pattern of the undergraduate students in
NnamdiAzikiwe University, Awka.
1.3 Objectives of Study
• To find out the viewing habits of Nigerian Youths of action films
• To find out the impact of action films on Nigerian youths.
• To asses to what extent parents monitor the viewing habits of their youths.
• To examine how what the youths watch actually affect their behaviour.
1.4 Research Questions
This research is aimed at finding answers to the following questions;
• What are the viewing habits of Nigerian youths of action films?
• What are the impact of the fast and the furious on Nigerian youths?
• To what extent do parents monitor the viewing habits of their youths?
• How does what the youths watch actually affect their behaviour.
1.5 Scope of the Study
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This study is based on the impact of the fast and the furious on the social behavioural
pattern of students and it is limited to students in faculty of Engineering, Social sciences, Law,
Arts and Management sciences but since the characteristics of students are similar, the findings
of the study will therefore be generalized to include all students in NnamdiAzikiwe university,
Awka.
1.6 Significance of the Study
This study is expected to be of great importance to parents, youths, students, researchers
and even the government or policy makers who are interested in ascertaining the actual impact
action films have on the students.
It will enable the youths to know the mode media can play in changing their attitude and
behaviour. Research institutions and students will benefit immensely from this study because
they will gain greater insight into the various factors that are likely to influence youths. The
study will also help them to understand the internal and external influence that make individuals
to act in certain ways.
Finally, the result of this research will enable the government and other policy makers to
put adequate measures in place to check the movement of action films and provide vital
information on how to address issue of the impact of action film on Nigeria youths.
1.7 Operational Definition of Terms
1 Impact: The powerful effect action films have on students in NnamdiAzikiwe
University.
2 Undergraduates: For this study it is the students who are studying for their first degree
inNnamdiAzikiwe University.
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3. Social behaviour: Attitude of students exhibited towards action films
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