Influence of Parenting Styles and Media Exposure on Children’s Learning and Emotional Needs in Okpokwu Local Government Area, Benue State

Abstract

The study investigated the influence of parenting styles and media exposure on children’s learning and emotional needs in Okpokwu Local Government Area, Benue State. Two research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population of the study comprised 750 parents living within Okpokwu Local Government Area, Benue State. Convenient sampling technique was utilized to get the sample size from all 750 parents within the study area using the researcher-designed Influence of Parenting Styles and Media Exposure on Children’s Learning and Emotional Needs Questionnaire (IPSMECLENQ). The data for the study were collected from all 750 involved parents. Cronbach’s Alpha was used to establish the internal consistency of the instrument, which yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.85. The descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation were used to analyse and answer the research questions, while the null hypotheses were tested using independent sample t-test at 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed negative influence of authoritarian and permissive parenting styles and media exposure on children’s learning and emotional needs. The way parents consume social media is against the whole well-being of their children’s academic performance and emotional support. However, authoritative parenting styles which balances warmth and responsiveness with clear boundaries and expectations should be adopted and practiced for the good of the children’s psychological well-being. Also, Parent Teacher Association (PTA) should organize frequent meetings encouraging all parents to belong to the association where they can always be informed about their children’s academic progress.