Study of Music Video Content and Cultural Values Among Secondary School Students in Enugu State

Music videos consume significant attention time among Nigerian adolescents and carry cultural messages that may reinforce or contest dominant social values, yet their specific influence on the cultural attitudes of secondary school students in South East Nigeria has not been systematically studied. This study examined the content of popular music videos consumed by secondary school students in Enugu State and assessed their relationship with student cultural values. A content analysis of 30 of the most frequently streamed music videos by students in the study period was combined with a survey of 220 Senior Secondary School students from six schools in Enugu North and Udi LGAs. Content analysis coded for representations of gender roles, wealth values, indigenous language use, and traditional cultural elements. Survey data measured cultural value orientations and self-reported music video consumption patterns. Results showed that 68.3 percent of analysed music videos portrayed aspirational materialism as a central narrative, while 76.7 percent featured sexualised female imagery. Indigenous cultural elements appeared in only 13.3 percent of videos. Students with the highest daily music video consumption showed significantly weaker attachment to traditional communal values than low-consumption peers (p < 0.01). Students with parents who engaged in discussions about media content showed more critical media consumption practices. The study recommends incorporating media literacy into the secondary school curricula in Enugu State to build critical engagement with music video content. Keywords: music videos, cultural values, secondary school students, Enugu State, media literacy