Today, the role of media as a means of reaching out to a larger number of people, initiating the process of exchange of ideas and increasing the level of interaction among them, increases manifold. Two of my contributed articles on media namely-'mass media in education
and is television posing a threat to society' were published on June 5, 1997 and August 31,1998 in the esteemed paper 'The Imphal Free Press', In those two articles we could understand the importance of media in education and how television poses a serious threat to society today. As media has witnessed the awakening of the world community, i would like to contribute more on the role and impact of audio-visual media. Media is an utmost importance in this scientific age but many of us are still ignorant about the role played by media. Media awareness is highly needed in our State as it plays an important role.
It is due to media only that there has been a growing concern over the common problems of mankind such as environment population explosion, arms race, etc. The world has now realised that the solution to any problem that is haunting us today cannot be solved by individual efforts but needs a collective initiative. Mass media in every society should serve three purposes:
(i) to spread information,
(ii) to spread education and
(iii) to spread entertainment.
But the predicament is that in the Indian context it has not been able to perform any of its expected roles in its fullest. It has deviated from its original path and has ventured into an area where it has contributed to the spread of ignorance, mis-information and hence confusion. It is also being manipulated to serve and perpetuate the interests of a particular class. The reasons for this need a greater scrutiny of the roles played by the media in the fields of information, education and entertainment.
Today, in imparting the information to a child or a student, the role of audio-visual media is more than the print media. With the so-called revolution and the satellite communication in Indian society, the priority of urban Indian children has seen drastic changes. The emphasis is more on watching television rather than reading books. Hence the electronic media holds tremendous potential. The mushrooming of satellite channels has, in effect, played with young minds by providing them information which is qualitatively degrading and quantitatively beyond their power to grasp. The result is confusion. It is not that the information imparted by all information based programmes are utter nonsense but a greater part of the problem lies in the incorrect direction and the lack of research into its production. The programme such as quiz shows and talk shows are either made to serve the adult population or turn out to be trash. The failure to attract young viewership also proves the fact that the kind of people who are engaged in the direction and production of these programmes are inefficient at their work and moreover are more interested in making what is called ':QUICK-BUCK'. Information is directly related to education. What is the message that we are trying to get across to the children through the medium of the so-called information-based programs?
Most of the programmes do not identify themselves with reality and are bereft of logic and rationality. Almost all the programmes which are shown during prime time on all major channels deal with subjects which are irrelevent to young minds. Even at Doordarshan all major serials deal with subject which teach children something that is unethical in nature. And most of the programmes do not deal with family values and societal evils. Some of the programmes are concerned with problems of urban life, but their target group is the adult population. In the absence of child-oriented programmes, children are forced to watch them and hence develop a pseudo-confused personality.
The programmes which are churned out by different agencies serve only a small fragment of the urban population, least of all the rural one. Although the people for whom these programmes are meant are very small in number, it is possible that a great part of it is constituted to children. So, indirectly children form the largest viewers of these programmes. Hence, in the disguise of serving the adult population, children are subjected to watch the shows of vulgarity, nudity and violence. Even cinema which is a broader medium is highlighting nothing else but the above things or shows. Suitable examples are the latest Hollywood blockbusters such as the Robert Denior-Ai Pacino starer 'Heat' and again Robert Denio-Sharon Stone starer 'Casino'. Both of these movies deal with criminal mob-violence and the underworld society. All these things combine together to create a false illusion in the mind of the child in which there is least attention and regard to family values and societal evils. These nasty and awkward scenes lead to the false virtues and ethics as well as a kind of false consciousness. They take the citizens of tomorrow away from their actual socio-economic cultural and political reality of today. And their very perspective of life is full of distortions.
If programmes are planned, regulated and if implemented in a logical manner, drawbacks which the media is having today will improve its image, utility and will save the young generation from its perils, and the media can be considered to play the role of saviour, social reformer as well as an effective teacher., To achieve this, there is need of detailed analytical research which will bring forward the requirements of the viewers and knowledge the drawbacks the current programmes suffer from.
Moreover, emphasis should be laid on greater use of the new techniques of child psycho-analysis. Media alone cannot solve these problems. There is an urgent need for the parents to take collective initiative; it is the duty of all those persons who are in a position to mould young brains to take the required steps in order to save the young generation and the society of tomorrow from destruction.
The writer of this Article is the eminent educationist and erudite scholar. Recipient of National and International Awards and Honours
