Influence of Soap Operas on Romantic Relationships Among Female Viewers in Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

Media has been perceived as playing a key role in influencing and shaping human behavior and interaction. It is however not clear how the media influences romantic relationships. In that regard that this study aimed at exploring the types of soap operas that are mostly watched by females in Nairobi County, reasons for watching, the accessibility and how these soap operas influence how the viewer‟s perceive romantic relationships. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. Quantitative data were drawn from a purposively sampled population of 257 female viewers representing the high, middle and low-income estates in Nairobi. These were Rosslyn, Nyayo Embakasi and Mathare respectively. Additional qualitative data were assembled from a purposively selected sample of 10 key informants. The quantitative data were analyzed using the SPSS. The study findings show that the key motivating factor for watching soap operas was for entertainment and the most popular soap opera was Daughters of the moon. The most accessible media platform for soap opera viewers was television with the majority watching in the early evening and very few during the day. It was also evident that soap operas were positively related to romantic engagements and that Christians were more influenced as compared to members of other religious denominations. The study concludes that soap operas positively influence romantic relationships among female viewers suggests that further studies should be done on the impact of soap operas on the different types of relationships since we are living in an era of changing dynamics of relationships. As a recommendation, the Kenyan mainstream media should air more programs that popularize the Kenyan or African culture and that are in line with values acceptable in the African context.