Batswana adolescents’ interpretation of American music videos: So that’s what that means!

Understanding the impact of mass media communication from developing countries on Black populations continues to be an important research topic. This study assessed the impact of television, specifically, music video programming from the United States, on 191 Black adolescents from Botswana, a developing country located in southern Africa. Results indicated that television programming originating in America has a significant impact on the Batswana youth, with greater than two thirds of adolescents having weekly exposure to this form of American culture. However, the majority of African youth failed to demonstrate accurate perceptions of culture-specific language and images contained in the music videos. Findings also suggest that American entertainment figures are replacing the influence of African entertainers on the Batswana youth. Relations between media technology and shifts in cultural values of developing countries are discussed