The "Yo" Phase!
Introduction: Media has made the youth proactive - in things both good and bad
Internet, television, MMS, radio… Blah… Blah. We have arrived at an age where everything from education to sex, relationships to hanging out, music to style has become ‘Media’. We cannot fully estimate if media influences the above or vice versa, bearing similarity to, “Which came first… the Hen or the Egg?” Thankfully the bombardment of information from all mediums a.k.a media has made a lot of questions answerable. Do teenagers today lead a fast life? And if they do how much of a role does media play in it?
A rapid flow of information through media makes everyone vulnerable. The focus though is primarily on the youth. Why?? Simply because they are the foundation of tomorrow and are the ones’ first bearing the impact of information exchange… and because they are the primary target to the information first downloaded from any medium.
Is it because they are gullible or is it because they are sensitive to impact?? Deepthi Adappa (19) talks to her friends for hours on this issue.
The youngsters are leading a fast life. They want to have the latest gadgets, be it, a cell phone or xbox (computer games). Continuous information exchange has made them smarter, informed and globally active. The youth is more determined to pursue what they want unlike the generations before them. Competition overrules talent, and the situation is more about who gets there first.
One side suggests a more materialistic lifestyle, while the other side shows a more humane side. Issues are more in the open and the youth is more willing to discuss their feelings and ideas. Deepthi says, “We are lucky that we have the best of both the worlds! We are a sensitive lot and the global linking of youth through various mediums has made us more aware that the issues all over the world are the same, everyone is going through the same grind.”
The Media has exposed them towards more real life issues, exaggerated or otherwise. The youth is given an outlet to the world, making them more independent and proactive. The upside of this is that when channeled rightfully; the youth have better means to fulfill their ambitions, which gives them a global perspective sans prejudices.
The downside to increased exposure to media is an increase of illicit activities. Piracy, Porn, and Perverted ideas have been given complete release. Considerable manipulation of use of media has resulted in showing another dark picture that hides behind this global set-up.
There is a need of applying some sort of restriction but that has been confused with hampering the right to express. Deepthi adds, ‘There is a section of teens that misuse this medium, that doesn’t mean that the entire teen community needs to be condemned. It is just like having good and bad adults and irrespective of who anyone is; they need to be corrected. Pleading ignorance cannot result in being let off. Although the recent MMS issue was sick, we have no right to judge them, they have suffered enough in the hands of media.”
With so much exposure comes responsibility in action. Besides, every generation has had their downsides; the tragedy is that this generation is scrutinized more because of increased media coverage.
Fourteen to seventeen year olds are presently going through the ‘Yo’ Phase. They will do whatever it takes to be considered cool. ‘Yo’ or ‘Cool’ would mostly consist of having a girlfriend/ boyfriend, wearing low-rise baggy pants; the first puffs of cigarette, latest model cell phone and a new bike/car (mostly dad’s)… and ofcourse err… ‘Hip Hop’ music, which is the in thing.
The youngsters hang out at coffee joints and pubs to spend more time with each other. This is a generation that knows what they want, and knows how to get it. They respect their parents for the freedom and space they get and command respect in return. They are educated, media savvy individuals who look at this well-balanced social and cultural set-up with gratitude and worry constantly about the generation after them.
So… who influenced whom first, the media or the youth… Or should we leave it to the generation next, to solve it?
Internet, television, MMS, radio… Blah… Blah. We have arrived at an age where everything from education to sex, relationships to hanging out, music to style has become ‘Media’. We cannot fully estimate if media influences the above or vice versa, bearing similarity to, “Which came first… the Hen or the Egg?” Thankfully the bombardment of information from all mediums a.k.a media has made a lot of questions answerable. Do teenagers today lead a fast life? And if they do how much of a role does media play in it?
A rapid flow of information through media makes everyone vulnerable. The focus though is primarily on the youth. Why?? Simply because they are the foundation of tomorrow and are the ones’ first bearing the impact of information exchange… and because they are the primary target to the information first downloaded from any medium.
Is it because they are gullible or is it because they are sensitive to impact?? Deepthi Adappa (19) talks to her friends for hours on this issue.
The youngsters are leading a fast life. They want to have the latest gadgets, be it, a cell phone or xbox (computer games). Continuous information exchange has made them smarter, informed and globally active. The youth is more determined to pursue what they want unlike the generations before them. Competition overrules talent, and the situation is more about who gets there first.
One side suggests a more materialistic lifestyle, while the other side shows a more humane side. Issues are more in the open and the youth is more willing to discuss their feelings and ideas. Deepthi says, “We are lucky that we have the best of both the worlds! We are a sensitive lot and the global linking of youth through various mediums has made us more aware that the issues all over the world are the same, everyone is going through the same grind.”
The Media has exposed them towards more real life issues, exaggerated or otherwise. The youth is given an outlet to the world, making them more independent and proactive. The upside of this is that when channeled rightfully; the youth have better means to fulfill their ambitions, which gives them a global perspective sans prejudices.
The downside to increased exposure to media is an increase of illicit activities. Piracy, Porn, and Perverted ideas have been given complete release. Considerable manipulation of use of media has resulted in showing another dark picture that hides behind this global set-up.
There is a need of applying some sort of restriction but that has been confused with hampering the right to express. Deepthi adds, ‘There is a section of teens that misuse this medium, that doesn’t mean that the entire teen community needs to be condemned. It is just like having good and bad adults and irrespective of who anyone is; they need to be corrected. Pleading ignorance cannot result in being let off. Although the recent MMS issue was sick, we have no right to judge them, they have suffered enough in the hands of media.”
With so much exposure comes responsibility in action. Besides, every generation has had their downsides; the tragedy is that this generation is scrutinized more because of increased media coverage.
Fourteen to seventeen year olds are presently going through the ‘Yo’ Phase. They will do whatever it takes to be considered cool. ‘Yo’ or ‘Cool’ would mostly consist of having a girlfriend/ boyfriend, wearing low-rise baggy pants; the first puffs of cigarette, latest model cell phone and a new bike/car (mostly dad’s)… and ofcourse err… ‘Hip Hop’ music, which is the in thing.
The youngsters hang out at coffee joints and pubs to spend more time with each other. This is a generation that knows what they want, and knows how to get it. They respect their parents for the freedom and space they get and command respect in return. They are educated, media savvy individuals who look at this well-balanced social and cultural set-up with gratitude and worry constantly about the generation after them.
So… who influenced whom first, the media or the youth… Or should we leave it to the generation next, to solve it?
© 2005 Puja Goyal
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