The impact of mass media on the morality of the youths in Kyabakuza Parish in light of Miranda Prorsus

Abstract

Kyabakuza Parish is a growing town with a big population of the youths. It is in this same period of its growth that we see a vibrant development in Mass media. And there is a remarkable decline in morality among the youths. Therefore, our research was to establish a thesis that Mass media has an impact on the morality of the youths and the Church has the capacity to curb the negatives of mass media and uplift the positives. Mass media is a term denoting that section of the media specifically designed to reach a very large audience and these may include print or electronic media such as: Newspapers, Magazines, television, radio, internet, smartphones and social apps. God gave man the power to subdue the earth, man uses his knowledge and wisdom to advance in technology like in the means of social communication. This dawn of the new era comes along with many advantages and at the same time with disadvantages. These in one way or the other may bring a negative impact on the morality of those who perceive the message. The church has a duty to safeguard against the errors that may come along with the new advancement in technology. The Church should not only use social media for evangelisation but should evangelize it first. In our research findings, we discovered the fact that Mass Media has got an impact on the morality of the youth; it has a positive impact, and a negative impact if not properly used, and also there are other factors that affect the morality of the youths like urbanisation and that the Church as a mother has a role to play in evangelizing media. Mass media has a positive impact on the morality of the youth; however, everybody can be manipulated by the powers of mass media: shows, Series, films, books, magazine, music, smartphones, which often portray violence and immoral behaviours. The youths are the group mostly influenced. Their lifestyle is mostly influenced and modelled after media personalities, it is highly believed that Mass Media is greatly responsible for the behavioural changes among the youths, this not an assertion or a hasty generalisation, but an observation. And at the same time evangelised it, such that its aim conforms to that of the Church. The Church as a duty to safe guard against the errors that may come along with the new advancement in technology.