Essays

Nowadays, another very popular means of social interaction and propagation that has emerged along with the Print Media is the rise of Electronic Media. The birth of electronic media took place with the invention of radio when a single voice miles away thrilled millions across the continents who marvelled at this miraculous hearing of a voice. People wondered and were overjoyed with this great invention. It was the beginning of an entirely new era. Science was hailed as the mistress of knowledge because it had made the impossible possible—a voice travelled and reached every nook and corner of the world. Owning a radio became a symbol of pride and social status.

When the voice got a face through Television, the people were left aghast. How could they see a person sitting miles away, and hear him too so clearly? It was the miracle of miracles, wonder of wonders. Science is a pack of magical things. Television is a revolution in itself. The whole world got shrunk into that one room of the house. Then on September 15, 1959, Doordarshan was inaugurated in India, It was a great privilege to have a Television set in a locality. One could see people flocking in the drawing-room of the owner of a Television set every evening either to watch Chaupal or Humlog or Chitraha<ir. Sundays were the eagerly awaited days. with the Sunday Feature-film and then in the late 80s and early 90s began the addiction of the nine to ten show of Ramanand Sagar's epic creation The Ramayana" and later BR Chopra's "The Mahabharata\ The entire nation used to come to a standstill every Sunday morning as people belonging to every religion, caste and creed watched with great love, respect and interest the greatest epics of all times, dramatized on the silver screen.

With the introduction of Cable Television in 1993, electronic media has emerged as a greater social force than ever. Gone are the days when television was a monopoly of a few rich. Now the 'Idiot Box as it has been called by many, is found in every home, shop and office- Television now has invaded not only every home, but every sphere of life. In fact, in someway or the other television now a days dictates our life. It has invaded and cut short our social life. People prefer to watch television instead of visiting people or socializing. It has severed all homely conversations around the hearth. People don't want to talk to each other as they don't want to miss even a single image displayed on the Idiot-Box, Thus, families sit around as strangers watching, sacrificing their family bonds at the alter of Television. Visitors too are unwelcome when the favourite serial or movie is being aired. Moreover with the host of channels, television is also responsible for quarrels within the families for people wanting to watch different programmes on different channels at the same time. It reflects the imfact of TV on our social lifes.

But blaming television for all this solely would be an utter foolishness- Such things happen when human beings are enslaved by technology, when they let such things to guide their lives and master them. If used judiciously, the electronic media can prove to be very useful, educationally as well as socially, politically and economically. TV can, in fact, be used to as a powerful medium to spread social awareness among the illiterate masses against various social evils- Discussions on various topics can help the educated masses increase their intellectual abilities and widen their horizons. The various news channels keep the vigilant citizens updated. Channels like Discovery and National Geographic keep the inquisitive mind busy and satisfy every intellectual query of a probing mind. Alongwith these there are endless number of entertainment channels solely to amuse and tickle the audience. Now even a number of kids1 channels have come up to cater to this special section of the society. Television can help popularize technology and internationalize and universalize our outlook.

Along with TV. there are other means of electronic media like the internet or cinema which are fast growing and are extremely popular. TV can help strengthen our diversity, our unity and integrity and shake off social evils and superstitions. Thus, electronic media can play a great constructive role in helping to build the social and cultural infrastructure of the nation, if used wisely and within the limits of decency.