Effects of Turkish Soap Operas on the Female Youth of Pakistan

Abstract

Television dramas or soap operas are well thought-out to be the supreme source of leisure for females. After the surfacing of private media industry in Pakistan, numerous of private TV channels are broadcasting foreign contents for grabbing the attention of the more viewers and getting more rating. These foreign contents are being endorsed without considering the social and cultural values of the society. It is also distinguished that these foreign production having great viewership in Pakistan, which accomplish the business and rating interests of the owners. The first Urdu dubbed Turkish soap opera i.e. Ishq-e-Mamnoo got an uninterrupted rating among the viewers of Pakistan. The plot of Ishq-e-Mamnoo revolved around the extramarital relations of a rich Turkish family. This high rating opened the new way for the private channels to on air Turkish content to grab the maximum viewership and to earn more profit without their own production. In addition, most of the channels are zealous to broadcast such unfamiliar content which not only disparaging the social norms and values of the society but also, they are injurious for the living standards of the females. This research has examined the effects of Turkish dubbed soap operas in changing the life styles of female youth. The main aim of this study is to understand that to what extent these dramas are being watched by females and to what amount these dramas are affecting the interpersonal communication, dressing and talking styles of the young females. The research was also carried out that whether the culture which is being presented in the Turkish soap operas are more in accord with the Western or the Islamic values. This research has also examined the perception of the female youth regarding the promotion of the vulgarity in these soap operas. Cultivation theory has been applied for this purpose. Survey method has been used to analyze the behavior of the female youth. The city of Gujrat and its surrounded areas were selected to conduct this study. A sample size of 180 females was taken for this purpose. The results are more favorable to the hypothesis of this study.