UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES AND PERCEIVED CONTROL MEASURES OF ETHIOPIAN FILMS: THE CASE OF IN-SCHOOL YOUTH IN ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

The study examines the effects of Ethiopian films in Addis Ababa. It looks into how young people respond to Ethiopian films in the media and how they perceive and interpret them in their daily lives. An approximate longitudinal survey design was employed to collect data from students in Assay Primary and Secondary School from November 20, 2016 up to June 10, 2017. The survey data were collected from 80 randomly selected students from those who had experience in watching Ethiopian films. In order to supplement the quantitative data, in-depth interviews and focus group discussion (FGD) were used to collect qualitative ones.
Accordingly, two focus group discussions were carried out with students, while parents and teachers participated in in-depth interviews. Hence, a triangular methodology was undertaken to analyse both quantitative and qualitative data. The study reveals that young Ethiopian film viewers are influenced and affected in many ways, both positively and negatively. These include rushing to early and unsafe sexual practices, alcohol and substance abuse, distorting the value and image of women, imitating
Western sexual acts and practices, abandoning family values, bad behaviour, among others. The study also demonstrates that the films, apart from sheer entertainment, have positive roles such as informing viewers how to improve their social interaction and behaviours to know and learn other cultures.The study concludes that, in spite of their undesirable consequences on various aspects of life, Ethiopian films have manifest entertainment and educative values for the adolescents.