Social responsibility of media

The entertainment media has thrown caution to the winds

The need of the hour is a strong shake-up of the entertainment media.  | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

The entertainment media, both the big and small screens, has a social responsibility, but of late, I find that caution has been thrown to the winds.

The alphabet ‘V’ plays an important role in the scripts — violence, venom, vengeance and vendetta — so much so the films appear as a battle field, leaving the audience petrified as they leave the theatre.

Television is supposed to be a companion to old people confined to home. Unable to go out, they have serials as a main diversion, but here again the script is based on the alphabet ‘V’! The women are shown as having plenty of money in their handbags which they dole out to criminals who do their bidding to eliminate whoever they want to. Often, the script revolves around relatives of a sick old man or woman who plan all the wicked deeds, including mixing of drugs or some tablet in the food and drinks of the old.

Much worse, the serials show teenage girls practising morbid means to achieve their goals. Instead of providing entertainment to the aged, the serials sink them into fear and sadness. Instead of leading the young girls onto the right path, the script shows they have been encouraged by their parents to do wicked deeds.

Young boys are shown as indulging in extreme unethical activities to achieve their goals.

Rich women are shown as having the mobile numbers of criminals and getting them to do the most morbid acts. The criminals who do their bidding eliminate whoever they want. Imagine the plight of the aged who have such people in their homes. Worse are the young girls who do their bidding and also the boys who have no proper guidance. A sorry situation indeed, depicted by television.

So the need of the hour is a strong shake-up of the entertainment media. There should be a mandatory time for telecast of such serials, if pre-censoring is not possible. Sometimes, such serials go on and on for weeks and the story ends in a disgusting, morbid manner.

The producers of these serials have a responsibility towards society which they do not seem to be discharging now. Cinema or TV should project universal ideals for good human conduct and uphold the eternal views of Satyam, Shivam and Sundaram.

drgsundaram@yahoo.com