Iraqi College Students’ Reliance on Satellite Channels as a Source of Information for Raising Awareness of the Dangers of Drugs
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33282/abaa.v18i73.1319Keywords:
Awareness, college students, satellite TV channels, drug risks, dependency theoryAbstract
Objectives: This research aims to reveal the extent to which Iraqi college students rely on satellite TV channels as one of the main sources of information regarding the dangers of drugs, to identify the role these channels play in raising awareness among college students about these dangers, and to determine the most prominent channels and program formats that contribute to fulfilling this role.
Methodology: The research adopted a descriptive survey approach, as it was appropriate for the nature of the problem and its objectives. A questionnaire was used as a data collection tool for a sample of 200 students from the College of Media at Al- Iraqiya University, of both genders, with the aim of identifying the extent of their reliance on satellite channels and the motivations behind this reliance, as well as to evaluate their role in raising awareness about the dangers of drugs.
Results: The results showed that Al-Sharqiyah and Al-Iraqiyah were the top satellite channels on which the respondents relied heavily to obtain information related to the dangers of drugs. The results also revealed that satellite channels play a positive role in raising awareness of these dangers through the content and educational programs they provide. They also indicated that talk shows and documentary reports are the most effective and influential program formats in raising awareness among university students about the dangers of drugs.
Conclusion: The research concluded that satellite TV channels are an influential source in shaping Iraqi college students’ awareness of the dangers of drugs, particularly when they employ program formats based on dialogue and documentary-style content and present information in a clear and convincing manner, which underscores the importance of developing awareness-raising media content targeted at young people, thereby contributing to efforts to prevent drug use and mitigate its social consequences.
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