Impact of mass media on our culture

Since the 1950s, cinema, radio and TV had begun to be the most popular or the only source of information and entertainment for a large percentage of the population in the West. At one stage, these media outlets started to be considered as the central instruments of mass control. Over a decade later, the idea emerged that this land has reached a high level of industrialisation, and that the country "belongs to the person who controls communications" --- as well as the notion that the radio, newspapers, television and the cinema have a key role to play in the political arena too.
The mass media plays a significant role in shaping public perceptions on a variety of important issues, both through the information that is dispensed through them, and through the interpretations they place upon release of the information. It also plays a big role in shaping culture, by selecting and portraying a particular set of beliefs, values, traditions, and an entire way of life, as reality. The mass media also plays a crucial role in the spread of civil unrest, such as anti-government demonstrations, turbulence of various kinds etc. The use of radio and television has kept the influence of unrest confined not only to the geographic location of cities, but it also spread to far-away areas within the mass media's distribution networks.
Let us take a look at the good and bad sides of the media's influence on culture. The media has its unique way of presenting to us constructive information, when it comes to news, travel and educational programmes. Youngsters benefit from watching these on television, since it can boost self-esteem, heighten interest levels in a particular subject, or encourage them to ask relevant questions. Violence is a major factor when it comes to the mass media, becoming at times a potentially dangerous instigator among the young audiences. Youngsters are influenced easily by what they see on television or the Internet, mimicking the acts --- if not as extreme, yet in the line of violence targeting elders or the youngsters of their age.
The television is a getaway to places unknown, foreign, and imaginary, along with the knowledge of what goes on around us without being physically present in those places. Commercial advertising can jeopardise one's idea of what beauty is, seeing that products revolve round this aspect in an outrageous fashion. Youngsters can become obsessed with the way they look, especially through beauty-related reality shows and magazines. It can lead to health problems like anorexia and bulimia, or encourage the use of the antics of questionable celebrities in the glamour industry as 'influences'.
The media in all its forms can introduce us to creative outlets that can help us better ourselves in different ways, be it in our personal or work lives. It can change our perspectives and push us into doing more than what we limit ourselves to. It can also help us engage with other people around the world, and be more open and understanding towards other cultures. The media can influence one to do things that are not moral, like getting into substance abuse. Movies portray the habits that are unhealthy such as 'cool' or 'mature', forcing the youngsters to be at par with cliques who use the media as a tool to manipulate vulnerable youths in their interests.
Except for clearly identified news or educational programmes, we often think that the explicit purpose of the mass media is entertainment to occupy our leisure time - from newspaper comics and crossword puzzles to the latest music releases on the Internet. While that is true, the media has other important functions too. They also socialise us, enforce social norms, confer status, and promote consumption.
An important dysfunction of the mass media is that it may act as a virtual narcotic, desensitising us to distressing events.
The impact of mass media on Bangladesh is very significant, and this is clearly apparent through the rising numbers of advertisements banking on these media channels to spread their messages. Experts need to examine the intangible cost involved in the burgeoning of mass media-bred culture, advertisements included.
Culture is frequently defined as the integrated pattern of human knowledge, faith, and behaviour. By this I mean the system of beliefs, ideas and the corresponding values which are dominant in a particular society at a particular moment of its history. Every ethnic component, major or minor, has carved out its own cultural niche; culture and its preservation matters a great deal to Bangladesh at least in rhetoric. There are no official cultural policies currently in Bangladesh. It seems the advent of mass media has made the existing cultures redundant and they appear to have virtually disappeared for the masses.
Bangladesh is made up of dozens of ethnic groups, with Muslims the predominant one, speaking their own languages and dialects. As a result, folk music plays an essential role in uniting people of the same 'dialect group', which may be far apart geographically. Examples may include the folk music of Chittagong Hill Tracts and Mymensingh, and the Santal music of the country's north-western area. It serves as a means of communication as the lyrics of the songs often cover recent cultural changes and events; as well as spiritual subjects. The electronic and print revolutions have granted the masses of the country access to these forms of culture. Districts often have their own newspapers and access to television is readily available to the majority. The latest Bollywood and Hollywood films are no longer off-limits to their connoisseurs, because of their shows on TV channels. The DVD players are seen everywhere, even in the villages having electricity.
The portable cassette player once unleashed a revolution of sorts in the popular culture of the country. The advent of cassette technology in the 1980s transformed Bangladesh's popular music industry into a free-for-all among hundreds of local cassette producers. The result was a radical rise in the spread of popular Indian music; Western pop music did not lag behind.
It is nearly impossible to establish the precise number of people with access to television sets in this poor country. It is because of the fact that individual cable subscribers sometimes pass on the service illegally to an entire neighborhood at nominal charges.        
With the advent of a vibrant mass media and channels of communication and information, the people traditionally at the top of the social tiers have been replaced by those possessing various latest electronic gadgets at their homes. Social or community divisions, in terms of material strength, have been blurred in the quest for gaining access to information and media-based entertainment; it in itself is not a bad thing. On the other hand, television watching, especially in the rural areas, has become a community event. It is not uncommon for the TV owners in the rural areas to position their television sets in such a way that they are facing the open door --- allowing the disadvantaged groups to sit outside the home and enjoy the shows. At the same time, in many villages, where there is one common, government-provided television set, members of the village gather around to watch television communally. This is seen especially in the case of religious programmes as well as those related to agriculture.
Apart from changing the social structure and norms, the media revolution has also contributed to the disintegration of many time-honoured values and practices. Indian TV serials and the latest formula movies are an ideal demonstration of the cultural shock undergone by many Bangladeshis today. We have long been watching a fast-gaping chasm between the traditional Bengalee values of female beauty along with modest clothes and the TV-fed concept of glitzy female glamour. Women have already become 'objects of desire' in many television programmes.
Many other aspects of our age-old culture have been sacrificed in favour of Western influences. Folk music and Bauls have given way to compact discs; Jatra (music-based rural opera) shows have almost dissolved under the pressure and competition brought forth by television and the cinema. The traditions of story-telling have also taken a back seat due to the onslaught of urban plays full of gimmicks. Glossy sexuality-laced print materials, such as magazines, are widely available throughout the country.
The media can be used for or against the people, depending on how we use it individually.
The time spent on electronic media is quite important. Things like educational magazine programmes for youths need to be broadcast in greater numbers, along with those demonstrating the decent aspects of life. No further elaboration and in-depth study is needed to prove the truth that the mass media today is influencing centuries-old cultures in many ways. Bangladesh is an example. To speak bluntly, the media plays a great role in the making of a modern man. Its proper use, or abuse, depends on where we stand today as a nation --- politically, socially and economically.
The writer is a retired Professor of Economics, BCS General Education Cadre. [email protected]