That Was My Childhood: An Audience Study on the Long-Term Impact of High School Musical
TITLE
That Was My Childhood: An Audience Study on the Long-Term Impact of High School Musical
ABSTRACT
Tabanera, L. A. (2017). That Was My Childhood: An Audience Study on the Long-Term Impact of High School Musical, Unpublished Undergraduate Thesis, University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication.
Childhood programs have long term effects on kids and how they perceive certain situations. This study sought to understand the impact of phenomenal childhood shows on audiences even after a considerable number of years. Specifically, it is motivated by the research question: How has the High School Musical series affected its viewers and fans, first as children, and now as young adults? The research’s structure is based on the Cultivation Theory by George Gerbner and the Circuit of Culture by Stuart Hall. The study made use of a qualitative approach in data gathering by conducting in-depth focus interviews using a sample size of 12 informants. The study found out that even as children, the fans of High School Musical were already active audiences of the series. They were able to identify with specific characters from the series and were consumers of merchandise. As young adults, the fans associate the series with specific moments in their youth and can still remember the song lyrics, dialogue, and dance choreography. As young adults, the fans also hold on to specific lessons that they feel High School Musical taught them. They have also become fans of musicals and other genres of music because of their early exposure to High School Musical.
KEY WORDS: childhood, High School Musical, impact,
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