Are you watching, reading, listening to something because your friends are?
More importantly, are you pretending to like something because your friends are?
If you’ve been nodding YES to all the above questions it’s time to start thinking about your choices.
One of the most eminent problems of the present times is that of peer pressure or simply put — Social Pressure. This kind of pressure leads one to shadow his/her choices and follow the bandwagon. Having said that, you must think what has ‘entertainment’ got to do with ‘social pressure’.
Honestly, how many of you watch something on the television only after you’ve found out about it ‘ON YOUR OWN’? The title of the article consists of this term ‘standard’ and by that one means – Is entertainment setting social standards? Is it moving away from its prime objective of offering ‘pleasure’?
This is one of the many issues that might turn into problems in the near future if not paid ample attention to. This question that has once risen must be answered.
One of the many explanations that can be offered as answers for this question can be – Is the industry failing to offer options? Maybe it is reaching its stagnant stage. Every day there is a new sitcom, a new movie, a new book, a new author, a new band, a new genre – but are our choices new and original?
The answer is NO. Our choices are not new and original. As hard as you may try, they can never be new as long as superficiality in the culture exists. We humans fear the NEW. This fear is a habit we cannot get rid of. The stagnancy persists on both sides – producers and the audiences. The content forces the audiences to cling to what’s already been said and done.
Is culture using an illusion to make us feel as though what’s on the screens, the paper, the speakers today is as new as “what used to be on the screens, paper, and speakers” once upon a time?
Start now and start soon – to understand that, there lies a difference between a “need” and “want”. You might need to watch Game of Thrones because without that you won’t be able to strike a conversation with your best friend but – You might want to listen to Rabindra Sangeet because that makes your feel good. The choice is always for you to make. Everything that steps out of the industry as a product of entertainment is not for you to like.
Entertainment has its roots in all forms of art and an art form, I believe, is the most beautiful in its imperfection – it needs both critiquing and appreciation for it to grow and prosper.
Written by Smita Ganguli
Aspiring cyber journalist but too damn opinionated.