By Michael Makri
We are deeply saddened and some of us inconsolable while listening to and reading pf the brutal rape and murder of a 19-year old young girl (forgive me for not mentioning her name, I respect her name and so too the names of many other victims) from 4½ miles Upper Shillong on March 17 last. On a daily basis, there are several reports in local newspapers of rape cases within the state of Meghalaya; it is shameful that probably in the only matrilineal society in the world, women are seen as objects of pleasure for few psycho-satyriasis males of our society. It is unthinkable that our society, which is known for ‘tipbriew-tipblei’, is polluted by hypersexual-maniacs. What has become of Meghalaya today? Where is that morality’ gone? And from where do these deviant immoralities sneak into our society? Definitely the blame would be the media. And to a certain extent, it is true because of the ability of media to duplicate morality. There is nothing more oppressive than the standards of morality that the media culture promotes. Media, be social or traditional, in alliance with modern-day capitalism, manufactures false needs, desires and dreams, defining for people especially the young a standard of measure of one’s social life. But its potential danger lies in the tyranny of judgments we make on the lives of others on the basis of such. It leads to a mere duplicated morality where the original is far from attainable.
Therefore, a false consciousness imminent in this standard does not only discourage timid young people from their pursuit of self-esteem but it also hides from them the wonder of an early-morning walk or the rushing sound of a stream nearby on their way to school. That is why many young people can fall prey to illusions and would duplicate those for in their lives and thereby fail to recognize the fact that those things s/he finds as s/he scrolls down their news feed or as s/he changes the television channels are mere representations of the truth of things. Likewise, many talk shows uproot the masses from a historical totality, in the same way as the beauty of Aishwarya Rai transforms a young man’s passion for magical reality into an empty dream. Fr. Joseph Celia sdb in one of his seminars few years back said that this phenomenon is a product of the ‘culture industry,’ which is symptomatic of what is so irrational about modern life. No doubt, modernity has brought forth affluence and prosperity, however, massive poverty remains the scandal for which modernity has failed to account.
Honestly, we can mention various ways and how efficient and effective our most modern means of communication has become. And without any arguments this has been translated to the emerging societies coupled with novel initiatives for professional growth. Moreover the modern means of communication is also the cheapest way to maintain one’s contacts with peers and the most convenient mode of gathering information on current affairs. And so, it has turned some into instant critics and analysts, thereby contributing to a culture of intelligent discourse. And this must be credited to the media. But, what is the role of ‘human reason’ in this unfolding? History has taught us that the ‘enlightenment’ that was brought by media and modernity was supposed to bring human reason to new heights. It was viewed as the redeemer of humans from the abyss of ignorance. For example, science has opened new worlds and expanded the reach of human imagination. Science has enabled humans to understand the universe and unveil its deepest secrets. Science has become the master over nature and has kept that dominion. Media is the youngest child of the enlightenment. Yet, beyond that promises of salvation and glory, nothing can be more dangerous than the false sense of the good life that the media culture unknowingly promotes. We find its massive duplication in the likes of Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian or Miley Cyrus. And don’t we see this morality being duplicated by our young people all over the world? This duplicated morality of the media culture industry in modern-day capitalist society makes the minds of young people less critical and this is the truth we are challenged with. This is more alarming because social change cannot happen overnight. It has always been the case that social transformation will require a new generation in order to overhaul the mistakes of a previous one.
It is true, economic progress cannot be denied and, indeed, thousands of people have truly benefited from economic expansion. However, unchecked addiction of the young to media culture also perpetuates the marginalization of some people who continue to suffer from neglect amid economic progress. Its severe implication often makes the poor man, the orphan, or the stranger an outsider. More than their hunger, the pain caused by the invisibility that those people in the periphery experience is disturbingly real and deeply personal. Skyscrapers, however high, can and will never reach the heavens; just as any picture posted online or the advertisement in television screen is no more than a mere image of our true but duplicated selves. Therefore, the real battle for humanity happens in their hearts and minds.
The film ‘Modern Times’ of Charlie Chaplin can serve as a suitable portrayal of the subordination of the individual to modernity. Without its own form of criticism, media will enslave the individual. The number of rape cases will rise. The hallucination of comfort created by media in our consumer society has made us forget that real beauty is something that we don’t have to pay for. In fact, today’s media culture as a modern-day spell is apparent in the failure on the part of many to realize that consumerism has also diminished the meaning of human life, equating the struggle for human happiness to that which is material. Something is truly wrong and incomprehensively absurd when some people do things on the basis of utility or that which is pleasant, all in view of some value that is tangible and impermanent. Media culture therefore, whether social or traditional should remain that way. But users and consumers should be critical and should not duplicate those moralities in real life. Because, without critical thinking and without ethical grounding, media culture will lead to various problems that might prevent us from fully appreciating what really matters in life. It is merely a duplicated culture – that leads to a duplicated morality, which will soon fade. So users and consumers of media must be forewarned.