Strategies to Mitigate the Influence of Televised Entertainment Programmes using Smart Phones on Youth Deviant Behaviour

This paper seeks to establish strategies that can be used to mitigate the influence of televised entertainment programmes using smartphones on youth deviant behaviour. Televised entertainment programmes using smartphones have become a major means by which young people learn and understand the world around them. To understand the behaviour that young people resort to, we must pay more attention to the influences of the portrayal of deviant behaviour in televised programmes and smartphones in the 21st century. Young people learn how to dress, walk, dance, and talk by copying what is portrayed in selected television programmes while using their smart phone. This paper used qualitative research method. Purpose sampling, semi-structure interview in a focus group was used to collect data from the participants. The study sampled twelve young people from Madonsi village in South Africa to participate in the study and ethical consideration was thought-out. The study revealed that parents should be technologically advanced to be able to block programme contents by using a password for their satellite signal decoder to prevent young people‘s exposure to deviant behaviour on television. Parents should monitor their children‘s smartphones on activities undertaken. The study recommends that National Youth Policy 2020-2030 should address youth media health issues aspect to prevent the influence of media on youth deviant behaviour.