A disconnected world
Aparna M Sridhar

Media Plays & Earth and I
Eds Sudhamahi Regunathan and Shriti Nath Foundation of Unity of Religions and Enlightened Citizenship, New Delhi Pages: 338 and 332. Rs 200 each

Media Plays & Earth and IONE would expect a compilation of students’ essays on various contemporary topics to be fresh and interesting, even if it does not generate new insights and views. However the twin volumes Media Plays and Earth and I the result of an essay competition organized by the Foundation for Unity of Religions and Enlightened Citizenship, supported by President APJ Abdul Kalam, is a pedestrian collection, redeemed only by a couple of pieces by "seniors."

While it is difficult to put down efforts by school students, one cannot but wonder what is the purpose of such a compendium and who is the target audience? If it is to encourage debate on the two issues of media influence and environmental protection among students, the purpose can be served only with a quality volume, where proper editorial choice has been excerised. Moreover, the essays are not as representative as the book cover claims them to be. They represent the mores of a few urban, elite schools in India and of some NRI students.

The first volume carries essays on the influence of the media, mostly by students but also by a few academicians and religious leaders. The students’ essays can be summarised as a predictable exercise in media bashing. It seems incredible that the average Indian teenager is carrying a torch for a better social order. Seems more like the writing of a "trying to say the right thing" parent or a social activist, not the outpouring of a ‘blog’ generation.

Media Plays & Earth and IAn inspiring essay by Dr Henry Jenkins, Professor of Literature at MIT, lifts the volume to give a better understanding of the stereotypes that exist when we analyse media effects. He differentiates between the "stylized representation" in cartoons and actual violence in real life. This differentiation in the minds of children is supported by the views of the students, who while condemning violence in daily news, seem to be unaffected by the "fantasy" violence of Bollywood and Indian teleserials.

Dr Jenkins points out that children ought to be taught to view things critically and exercise their discretion on what they want to be influenced by. Shrinking playgrounds and increasing schoolwork have magnified the importance of the media as a source of entertainment for a large number of the new "indoors" generation. Teachers need to have a better understanding of the mental energy children invest in popular media and not see it as something external to the school curriculum. The entertainment industry too should be challenged to become more creative in providing alternatives to violent entertainment which should empower and create social integration, he writes.

The Second Volume, Earth and I, is a compilation of essays that choke you with the writings on water, air and other forms of pollution. One wishes that students are sensitized to our countries religious and cultural practices which are replete with instances of harmony with nature.

The most interesting essays in this volume from the seniors section describe the relationship between nature and religion. Dr Homi Dhalla, a Zorastrian leader, writes about the religions’ belief in the divinity of the rising sun, sacredness of rivers and fire. "The respect for the elements should translate into reverence for all life" .

Dr L M Singhvi talks about Jain cosmology, while Selina Thielmann, a scholar in Vaishnava music and philosophy, elaborates on Hindu ritual practice which equates nature with divinity.





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