Effects of Television Soaps on Students’ Academic Performance: Evidence from Uganda

Abstract

Despite the diffusion of new media technologies, Television is still a key entertainment and information

medium for the youths and it occupies much of their time alongside the other activities. Although there are

numerous studies carried out in the developed world about TV and academic performance, this area is still

novel in Uganda. This therefore, compelled the researcher to write scholarly paper on the effects of

television soaps on academic performance of students in Uganda. This paper focuses on how TV soaps

viewing affects students‘ academic performance and strategies for regulating TV soap viewing with a view

of improving academic performance in secondary school level. This paper adopted a qualitative approach

and its data was based on secondary sources and content analysis of relevant documents. Major findings

indicated that television viewership stopped students from completing homework assignments, reading and

engaging in creative plays. Similarly, TV soaps depicted bad characters such as; fraudsters, drug addicts,

rapists, murderers and since young people look at them as celebs, they copy their behaviour and

consequently became stubborn, unruly and some dropped out of school. However, the paper also envisaged

that some TV soaps are good in society as they can teach certain skills and thus should not be banned but

regulated through censorship and guiding youngsters on how to watch operas. This study recommended

that teachers, parents and TV soap producers should guard learners against the negative impacts of TV

soaps towards students.