COMBATING JUVENILE DELINQUENCY THROUGH THEATRE AND FILM AND NEGATIVE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN DIGITAL SPACE

Despite its numerous advantages in global marketing of culture and information dissemination using theatre andfilm industries, digital space has exposedjuvenile to fraud, violence, illicit drugs and moral decadence through social media. The artists as members of the society use their creativity as social commentary on their immediate society. Over emphasizing crimes and immoralities in creative contents corrupts the youth's minds. Culture is an agent of development in the society. Sadly, the societal cultures are becoming relics of deleted past to most youth due to globalization. Exemplary theatrical works andfilms that promote cultures, moral need to be projected and more encouraged. This article is modeled on social representational theory and adopted content analysis as a research tool. The paper sees corruption, bad parenting and violent religious preaching as other factors affecting the youth. Parents and religious leaders have significant roles to play in molding children and youth's behaviour. The article concludes that as product of the society we may have unique characteristics but shaped by cultural ideology. The paper recommends among others, that parents should be mindful of the kind of gifts and affluence they exposed their children to. Artists should reduce emphasis on sexuality, celebrity affluence and violence as such exposure pose danger to youth psyche and prioritize morality and cultural values. Government, cooperate 'organizations and influential citizens need to invest in educational system. There should be restriction in the use of social media especially for juveniles, banning of contents capable of compromising cultural and moral values.