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RETHINKING THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA COMEDY 

ON CHILD DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA; A STUDY OF 

MARK ANGEL SKITS 

 
1Okoye, Chukwudi Michael PhD, and  

2Chinaza Jacintha Okenyi 
1,2 Department of Theatre and Film Studies,  

Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria. 

Corresponding email: mc.okoye@unizik.edu.ng 

 

Abstract 

Children learn often from what they see and hear either through 

modelling their parents’ or peers’ behaviour, reading books, or 

viewing movies. Recently, the internet has become a major source 

of entertainment for children and adults alike. This study, however, 

focuses on identifiable negative social-cultural behaviour 

portrayed in the contents of online comedy skits by video producers 

who may or may not have had formal training in film narratives but 

see social media as a means for disseminating artistic content 

without necessarily putting in context, the development needs of 

young viewers who are merely attracted to these various artistic 

creations churned out on different social media platforms. The 

research offers suggestions on how children experience the world 

around them using the concept of Jensen Eric’s Arts with the Brain 

in Mind as the theoretical framework, and employing the 

Emmanuella and MarkAngel comedy skits as case studies for 

analysis. The content analysis and case study approach of the 

mixed research method was also employed in this paper. The study 

recommends that parents provide needed guidance in using 

smartphones as an alternative means of relaxation and 

entertainment. There is a serious need to adopt balance in the 

engagement of creative activities that can engender qualitative 

psychosocial development in children rather than spending these 



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passive leisure times in the consumption of uncensored internet 

comedy drama skits.  

 

Introduction  

The impact of social media as a present phenomenon in our 

world today is not in doubt.  Social media represents a social 

structure that displays the different cultural backgrounds of 

individuals, communities, and organisations and how they 

communicate. Indeed, this is made possible every day through 

technological advancements, which have opened up further the 

ease of communication and, to a large extent, influence. 

Technology has shown rapid development through the introduction 

of small communication devices that can be used to access social 

networks anytime and anywhere. These gadgets include 

computers, Tablets, laptops and even mobile phones (Shabnoor 

Siddiqui and Tajinder Singh 71). 

It would appear that social media is connected to almost 

everything that humans interact with today, education, health, 

finance, entertainment, and most especially for social interactions 

and connectivity.  The roles social media plays are numerous; in 

the last decade, it has been utilized as a platform for individuals to 

voice out and discuss their issues and opinions as well as exchange 

information, ideas, materials, etc. Among these social media 

platforms are “Tech Giants” such as Facebook, LinkedIn, 

Instagram, Twitter, WeChat, WhatsApp and many others which 

have arguably influenced the value systems of many individuals, 

especially younger members of society.  

This study, however, is focused on the impact of social 

media comedy skits on child development in Nigeria and how they 

influence development in the transition from childhood to 

adulthood. The discourse on social media's exposure, use and long-

term effect on young minds would continue to dominate 

intellectual conversations for years to come. Indeed, while some 

scholars argue that early exposure to technological devices capable 



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of accessing the virtual space, may help the child compete 

favourably in the 21st century, others propose that such actions may 

further inhibit proper psychosocial development in children. 

Jonathan Glazzard and Samuel Stones observe that, “evidence 

suggests that social media can impact detrimentally on children and 

young people’s mental health. At the same time, social media use 

can be beneficial and have positive effects. (1). Furthermore, 

Barbara Kolucki, and Dafna Lemish opine that, 

 

There is also great anxiety associated with media’s ability 

to encourage destructive behaviours, perpetuate 

stereotypes, and lead to a deterioration of moral 

values…depending on the content we fill them with…and 

the individual characteristics of the children using them. 

Research around the world suggests that good-quality 

media products produced for children … can effectively 

promote a host of development goals (9). 

 

 The study, thus, evaluates the impact of social media comedy skits 

such as the MarkAngel’s Comedy series and how it influences 

children’s behavioural, socio-emotional, cognitive and physical 

development. The research employs an analysis of the character of 

Emmanuella; a stereotyped character known for her hilarious and 

mischievous acts carried out on adults and peers alike. The study 

will draw attention to the main character's performance which is 

the major cause of the amusement in the skits. 

Scholars have argued that uncensored social media content 

could be responsible for impaired and misconstrued learning 

among developing children. This challenge is evident in the retinue 

of problems that could hamper holistic development in children. 

The myriad of scenarios in this regard may consist of but is not 

limited to excessive exposure to social media content at home 

could increase the chances of poor cognitive and problem-solving 

skills, lack of parental guidance in the kinds of social media content 



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children have access to; the disregard of social network policy on 

age censorship by children and how it can affect their self-esteem 

as well as increase conditions of anxiety, stress, depression and 

Cyber-bullying; and the unique ability of social media comedy 

skits to persuade and connect its audience on social matters thereby 

amplifying opportunities for the dissemination of wrong and 

mischievous information, placing children at risk of moral 

misconduct and poor development. 

 It can be deduced that development in children can be 

approached from the two perspectives of maturation and learning. 

This study, however takes the approach of child development from 

the aspect of learning. Eric Jensen in his view classifies learning 

appropriately when he states: 

 

Learning is commonly divided into two broad areas. One is 

explicit, what I call “labelled learning”—what we 

commonly read, write, and talk about. It includes textbook 

learning, videos, lecture, pictures, and dialogue. The other 

type is implicit, which includes “hands-on” approaches, 

more trial-and-error, habits, role plays, life experience, 

drama, experiential learning, games, and active learning. 

(74) 

 

Learning takes place every day, every time and everywhere, 

especially in the lives of children. Children learn at birth and 

continually, even at a more rapid pace in their early years. This 

learning takes place in stages as children develop. According to 

John D. Bransford et al., for the Commission on Behavioral and 

Social Sciences and Education, National Research Council, it is 

reported that: 

…a great deal of children’s learning is self-motivated and 

self-directed; other people play major roles as guides in 

fostering the development of learning in children. Such 

guides include other children and adults (caretakers, 



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parents, teachers, coaches, etc.). But not only people can 

serve as guides; so, too, can power tools and cultural 

artefacts, notably television, books, videos, and 

technological devices of many kinds. 

 

In development and learning, children acquire cognitive skills, 

attitudes, and new physical skills.  

Their assertion above means that children’s development results 

from the many ways they learn to understand, process, connect, and 

interpret information from external factors. Therefore, social media 

comedy viewership as we see it today assumes a critical reference 

point in child behaviour and development when constantly exposed 

to it. Numerous researches have indicated that young children are 

among the high users of mobile devices, especially at home. But 

this view does not imply that social media or any other media 

sources are bad in themselves. Indeed, there are also indicators that 

it can contribute to broad learning and knowledge acquisition. 

 

The Influence of Social Media on the Cognitive Development 

of Children 

Children occupy a unique place in society because they guarantee 

the continued existence of human society. It is, therefore, 

imperative that attention be paid to their educational and 

developmental needs to stimulate healthy and balanced 

psychosocial practices and values. The advent of social media buzz 

on the Nigerian scene appears, at best to create a grey area on the 

benefits to the cognitive development of children. Indeed, a holistic 

understanding of the psychology behind short dramatic skits on 

social media and their general appeal, especially to young viewers 

worldwide, remains critical to the discourse of cognitive 

development in children today.  Andie Phoon opines that: 

 

Almost every individual’s first instinct is to reach for their 

phone and check through their notifications and social 



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media accounts. They wake up scrolling through them, 

liking pictures, commenting, sharing, tweeting, 

etcetera…Social media has become a big part of our lives, 

and most of us cannot live without it. We spend every 

waking second engaging with it, learning and receiving 

new information, ideas, and concepts through it. This has 

shaped our culture, our society, and, perhaps, even our 

general view of life. And in the moments where we are not 

attached to it, we react in ways that are similar to the 

symptoms of withdrawal. People hardly consider or ponder 

about why we feel that way, and how heavily social media 

impacts us as a society. (1) 

 

There are key points to deduce from the submission of 

Phoon because they form critical points of discussion on the impact 

of social media in content and context. These points are to be 

considered to fully grasp the impacts of social media on children’s 

cognitive development. They include that social media activities 

appear to be mainly for connecting and sharing ideas and 

experiences of events through videos and pictures. However, due 

to its addictive nature, it can also be a source of low self-esteem for 

individuals seeking attention or a sense of validation online.  

These above thoughts can be said to have shaped how social 

media content creators and producers, especially those producing 

comedy skits, perceive their audience and viewers. There seems to 

be a drive to exploit the advantage the addictive nature of social 

media has on individuals who view such content, not necessarily 

minding the ages of the viewing audience. Social media is not only 

growing in popularity but is also dynamic in influencing the mind 

considering the number of viewers and the hours they spend on 

various devices. It could be on any device (e.g. smartphone, 

computer, tablet, etc.). These online platforms have become a daily 

ritual and for many people are essentially unavoidable in modern 

society. On average, people check their social media multiple times 



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a day on different devices, affecting how they think and carry out 

their daily routines. Because of the influential role social media 

play in society, understanding the psychosocial mechanisms 

through which symbolic communication influences human thought 

and action is of considerable importance, especially in the 

development of children. 

Children’s experiences of the world are largely culture-

specific. In an adult-dominated society like Nigeria, children are 

not so socially empowered and may not even have a voice, 

reflecting their overall development. But through drama, especially 

comedy, they gain knowledge of different perspectives of the world 

through the characters. Eric Jensen in his theory of “Arts with the 

Brain in Mind” makes it more lucid when he asserts that: 

Dramatic arts can facilitate the development of emotional 

intelligence in children because they meet the criteria for 

facilitating those essential social and emotional skills. They 

create face-to-face interactions; and they require managing 

feelings, expressing verbal and nonverbal requests, 

delaying gratification, managing self-talk, problem-

solving, identifying feelings in others, resolving conflicts, 

and more. All of these activate the student brain’s pleasure 

centre, making arts a genuine source of joy day after day. 

(80). 

 

Comedy can be seen as a great source of inspiration that can 

influence their behaviour and development because it is most 

common on the internet, unlike other forms of dramatic enactments 

seen on social media. Caty Borum Chattoo in her “The Laughter 

Effect: How Comedy Works (To Change the World)” opines that: 

 

Comedy’s persuasiveness is a central element that connects 

with social change. Learning more is not necessarily a 

precursor to developing a favourable attitude or taking 

action. While comedy and entertainment are not the 



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dominant media genres for audiences to learn purely factual 

information, they are important vehicles to fuel audiences’ 

attitudes and perceptions. As individuals enjoy the comedy 

message and the messenger, they are less likely to 

scrutinize and counter-argue the information, which 

improves the conditions for persuasion. (1-2) 

 

It is paramount to note that comedy is a powerful source of 

influence and means of communication. At the same time, the need 

to engage the children in social problems is profound and taken 

seriously as a method to bring them into social issues. Children’s 

experiences of the world are largely culture-specific. However, as 

noted by Jensen, comedy is: 

 

important for enhancing student learning. Reading, 

counting, speaking, and problem-solving are all maturation 

correlated…because play usually has the recipe for brain 

growth built-in: challenge, novelty, feedback, coherence, 

and time. Students often do theatre and play games 

precisely because they are just challenging enough, with a 

novel twist here and lots of feedback. (76) 

 

It can then be deduced from the above words that drama and, 

indeed, comedy which is the genre discussed in this research, can 

have tremendous effects on children because “people share comedy 

to create shared cultural moments and display personal identity, 

amplifying serious messages” (Caty BorumChattoo 2). 

The porous nature of internet access therefore, and the 

impact of comedy skits may likely have less desirable effects on 

the overall development and learning of children, partly because 

the internet is loosely regulated or and many media products and 

content are not censored by any specific person or the parents of 

the children. Furthermore, many social media content creators and 

producers utilize their platforms in ways that express their values, 



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preferences and knowledge base which leaves a large margin of 

error, especially with young viewers. 

 

Implications of Language to Child Development  in Markangel 

Skits 

Mark Angel is a young Nigerian in his early thirties. He is 

a comedian, scriptwriter and video producer. He produces the Mark 

Angel comedy skits alongside his cousin Emmanuella Samuel who 

also plays major roles in his skits. His skits are viewed on 

YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and other platforms. Observations 

reveal that the bulk of the  Markangel series deals with themes of 

economic woes, sibling rivalry, get-rich-quick schemes, moral 

decadence and so on, which appears to make it appealing to a cross-

section of Nigerians. 

This thrust of the analysis of this study investigated the 

impact of Markangel comedy skits on the behaviour, attitude and 

overall development of children in Awka South, Anambra state, 

Nigeria. The study population was made up of selected urban 

parents within Awka South, Lagos. Over 150 questionnaires were 

sent to respondents. Not all the questionnaires sent were returned. 

In addition, six focus group discussions with parents were 

conducted to elicit other salient responses about the impact of 

Markangel comedy skit on children to supplement the 

questionnaire data. The research analysed and interpreted the 

questionnaire results alongside the focus group results 

simultaneously and was appropriately integrated. The general 

finding made from the survey and analysis is that many have 

various ways of relating to online drama skits. It was further 

observed that many of the parents do not watch the Markangel 

comedy skits but are very familiar with the names “Emmanuella” 

and “Success” alongside “Mark Angel”. In most cases other 

parents who watch the online comedy skits gave their reasons for 

watching it, saying it is entertaining, serving as a great source of 

stress relief for most of the parents after work. Some respondents 



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related to the online drama skits on a different level probably 

because it connects with their everyday lives for them the approach 

is edutainment. More so, the comic nature of Markangel comedy 

skits and the diversity of language used in the drama could be a 

possible reason for the high-interest listenership rate. However, at 

the time of this survey, the majority of the parents complained that 

their children’s mischievous behaviours and especially their 

language are being modulated by such online drama series and the 

likes due to the excessively identifiable negative social-cultural 

behaviour portrayed by the children, such as “lack of respect for 

elders, derogatory language usage by children in Mark Angel 

comedy towards grownups which is a reflection of what is 

witnessed among children and teens in the community today as 

seen in the images below in Mark Angel Comedy Episode 57 titled 

“Three Men”: 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 



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The images above evidently portray negative signs of moral 

values which are communicated through MarkAngel comedy skits. 

Therefore, in the bid to evaluate the impact of Markangel comedy 

skit, (54.6%) of the respondents agreed that such online drama skits 

had a direct or indirect positive impact on children which means 

that more than half of the respondents recognised the impact of 

uncensored internet drama skits and the likes, on children in 

general. This could serve as a pointer to the power which social 

media and indeed online drama skits, possess in enhancing or 

impeding a child’s behaviour and overall development through its 

subtle approach.  

 

In administering the data collection instrument for this study, over 

150 copies of questionnaires were distributed among the 

respondents. This number was chosen because the sample size was 

a fair representation of the entire study population. The qualitative 

data were interpreted and analysed per the study’s objectives. 

Deductions were drawn from the results concerning the subject of 

investigation. However, copies of the questionnaires were 

distributed to parents living in Awka South local government area 

in Anambra state.  

The method was used for presenting the data in the table, after 

which interpretation and analysis will be done, which will be 

concluded with the discussion of findings.  Over 150 



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questionnaires were administered, 150 copies were retrieved, and 

four copies were void for inconsistency in response and non-

compliance with the instructions.  This leaves the researcher with 

146 copies. The following research findings from the questionnaire 

are further presented and analysed below. The research considered 

equal distribution among gender to give both sexes an equal chance 

without bias since it was assumed that different sexes might exhibit 

different perceptions of internet use and viewership of online 

content.  

 

Table 1: The Impact of Markangel comedy skit on Children’s 

Behaviour and Development 

 

Respondents Frequency Per cent 

High Impact 82 54.6% 

Average Impact 40 26.7% 

Low Impact 24 16% 

Invalid Questionnaires 4 2.7% 

Total Questionnaires 

Retrieved 

150 100% 

 

The table below shows that respondents who hold the view 

that Markangel comedy skits have a high impact on children’s 

behaviour and development were 54.6% and those on average were 

26.7%, while those with a contrary view of low impact were 16%, 

while the invalid questionnaires are 2.7%.  

This means that most parents are aware of the socio-cultural 

implication of online uncensored drama skits that are likely to 

impede their children’s behaviours and overall development which 

can be a source of influence for negative behaviour modulations 



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among children and teens. However, the majority of the 

respondents complained of not being able to monitor what their 

children watch online during the day when they return from school 

because they go to work to attend to their daily business.   

 

Summary of Findings 

The study confirmed that social media unequivocally 

influences children's behaviours, realities and overall development 

as they grow up. This paper analysed data relating to the impact of 

social media drama series on child development using Markangel 

comedy skits as a case study. The study population was a random 

selection of parents living in a semi-urban area who are 

businessmen and women or office workers within Awka South, 

Anambra state. The research simultaneously analysed and 

interpreted the questionnaire results alongside the focus group 

results and was appropriately integrated. Most respondents said 

they watch social drama series while at home and their children 

also have access to such online content. It was observed that the 

rate of watching social media drama skits is higher during the 

weekends than on weekdays. Most parents watch social media 

drama skits with their children at weekends, mainly for 

entertainment. However, some respondents also noted that their 

children watch social media drama skits in their absence during the 

weekdays. The research found that there is an impact of social 

media drama skits on the behaviour and development of children 

concerning acquired language, behaviour and role types presented 

by these online drama skits. The media generates a scheme of 

relationships and influences between it and the individual who 

analyses the information provided and contained outside the text. 

Idle consequences and ramifications of social media relate not 

merely to how online events arc perceived but also to a multitude 

of cultural influences that operate through social media. Social 

media is viewed as having the power to profoundly shape 

perceptions of the social world and manipulate actions in subtle but 



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highly effective ways. The debate over social media is in many 

respects being portrayed as a critical battleground of a larger 

“culture war” in the continuing struggle to define the factors that 

shape the broad social order of the society. Within social media, 

drama skits have emerged as an especially strong force on children 

and a tool capable of influencing their perceptions and cultural 

orientations. Children also form part of society therefore the overall 

effects of social media on society cumulatively affect them. This is 

predicated upon its ability to reach a wide audience, which often 

sends a strong and influential message. It is the persuasiveness of 

a medium such as the Internet that enables it to reach the target 

audience. Internet broadcasting is not censored and lacks control 

over the content displayed thereby influencing society. The way 

people engage with social media content, especially during the 

Covid-19 pandemic era, has drastically exposed more children and 

teens to illicit content on the internet, causing a cultural shift in 

social media use by them.   

This research, therefore, studied the following theories of 

media effect on society as integral to looking at the impact of social 

media drama skits on children’s behaviour and overall 

development.  

 

Conclusion  

Drama has a profound influence on human conditions and culture 

since for many children culture is something they partake in 

through electronic and social media. The production and 

distribution of social media products is concentrated in a few 

hands. In Nigeria, social media have an impact on children in Awka 

South, Anambra state because they consume a lot of online content, 

particularly comedy-drama series like Markangel comedy skits. It 

can be concluded that this predominantly Nigerian social media 

content has an impact on the choice of lifestyle for the selected 

sample of children in Awka because of the contact hours and their 

content. Children at this developmental stage are also active 



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participants when watching television and exhibit primary 

involvement where they fully concentrate on consuming the social 

media drama skits, sitting down solely to watch them. Almost all 

children expose themselves to comedy-drama series for different 

durations of time. Most children watch internet content during 

weekends and school holidays, at home and parents are usually not 

involved in discussing the content with their children. This study 

reveals that children who watch these social media content have 

minimal parental guidance. This raises questions as to some of the 

interpretations and lifestyles that emerge when children watch 

these internet contents in isolation and with no proper guiding 

principles. Studies have proved that what we watch has a profound 

influence on how we make our lifestyle choices and this is 

especially true for more amenable children. Most children found it 

normal to watch online comedy skits while eating and a smaller 

number while doing work at home. Some of the reasons children 

cited for watching social media drama skits were entertainment and 

to pass time and humour. The study established that there is equally 

bad behaviour and language usage that children are exposed to in 

the online drama skits that they constantly watched. It is important 

then for parents to provide alternative means of relaxation and 

entertainment rather than the passive leisure of watching internet 

comedy drama skits for example going for a walk or a bike ride, 

painting, learning to play a musical instrument, reading together, 

listening to music, talk, play a game and enjoy each other’s 

company. 

  Therefore, parents should try to engage children in more 

interactive and family activities. They should watch the social 

media dramas their children watch or preview and use them to 

discuss inappropriate material or unacceptable behaviour or 

lifestyle. This can also help prepare children to decide on their own, 

whether about what they watch or how to make smart choices about 

lifestyle and behaviour. 
 



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Works Cited 

Barbara Kolucki, &Dafna Lemish. Communicating with Children: 

Principles and Practices to Nurture, Inspire, Excite, Educate and 

Heal. Communication for Development Unit Gender, Rights and 

Civic Engagement Section Division of Policy and Practice New 

York: UNICEF, 2011.  

 BorumChattoo, Caty. The Laughter Effect: How Comedy Works (To 

Change the World). Center for Media & Social Impact. 

Washington D.C: School of Communication Agency University, 

2016.  

David R. Shaffer and Katherine Kipp. Developmental Psychology: 

Childhood and Adolescence. 8th Edition. USA: Wadsworth, 

Cengage Learning, 2010. 

Jensen, Eric. Arts with the Brain in Mind. USA: Association for 

Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2001. 

 Bransford, John. D. et al. How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, 

and School. Expanded Edition. Editors: John D. Bransford, Ann 

L. Brown, and Rodney R. Cocking. Washington, D.C.: National 

Academy Press. 2000.  

 Glazzard Jonathan and Samuel Stones. “Social Media and Young 

People’s Mental Health”. Technology and Child Mental Health. 

London: IntechOpen, 2019.  

Phoon, Andie. Social Media and Its Stark Influence on Society. WRIT: 

Journal of First-Year Writing: Vol. 1: Issue 1, Article 8. 

<https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/writ/vol1/iss1/8>Assessed on 

the 21st of August 2020.  

Shabnoor, Siddiqui and Tajinder, Singh. “Social Media Its Impact with 

Positive and Negative Aspects”. International Journal of 

Computer Applications Technology and Research Volume 5, 

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