Exploring the Prevalence and Patterns of Media Exposure and Use among Adolescent Generation Z in Secondary Schools in Western Kenya: A Focus on Kakamega, Kisii, and Siaya Counties

The purpose of this study was to explore media exposure patterns among school-going Generation Z adolescents in Western Kenya, specifically in Kakamega, Kisii, and Siaya Counties. By providing crucial insights into the media habits of these adolescents, the study aims to enhance understanding of youth media behavior and its developmental impacts. The findings could inform educational policies, parental guidance, content regulations, and health initiatives to address issues such as screen addiction and cyberbullying. The study applied Erik Erikson's Psychosocial Theory of Development to explore the media habits of adolescents in an exploratory context. Using descriptive and correlational research designs that included questionnaires, interviews, focus group discussions, and content analysis, data was collected from a sample of 384 learners drawn from a population of 190,555 learners using a stratified random sampling method. Additionally, 56 parents and 48 teachers were selected based on the principle of data saturation. A pilot study conducted in Vihiga County with 42 learners yielded a Cronbach's Alpha coefficient of 0.87. Expert faculty members assessed the instruments for face validity. The study adhered to the Kenya Data Protection Act of 2019, ensuring ethical procedures such as informed consent from principals, participant anonymity, and thorough training for research assistants. The data was analyzed using a mixed-methods approach that combined descriptive statistics for the quantitative data and thematic analysis for the qualitative insights. Findings reveal that Generation Z adolescents have widespread access to media, primarily engaging with social media (38%), with at least 35% using media for over 6 hours, notably on social media and mobile phones. A significant portion (35%) of their media consumption occurs without parental supervision, prominently on social media (40.7%) and mobile phones (28.2%). Media serves dual purposes for these adolescents, with radio and television primarily used for education (32% and 31.8%), while mobile phones and social media are predominantly for entertainment (34.6% and 25%). The study concluded that social media is widely used among adolescent Generation Z learners, with substantial daily engagement and minimal parental supervision. This study recommends implementing digital literacy programs, setting screen time limits, and integrating educational content into popular digital platforms, particularly targeting adolescent Generation Z. Schools should collaborate with content creators to enhance learning through engaging, interactive materials.