Mass media

Is mass media “a gift or threat in changing the socio-cultural behaviour of the Bhutanese youth”?

Mass media includes the means of media such as the television, radio and internet access through which information can be disseminated and shared to a large public and audience. The introduction of various   media is a vital part of Bhutan’s transition to democracy which aims at giving people the right and freedom to know themselves and the world around them. The influence of information and media on the world, and in Bhutanese society particularly, continues to grow and develop leading to socio-cultural and socio-economic changes. Though mass media has some westernization impact on the Bhutanese culture, the improvements and benefits it brings through exposure and learning environment, the revelation of the past and socialization are far more affirmative. Thus, mass media is certainly a gift in changing the socio-cultural behaviour of the Bhutanese youth.

Mass media brings in a positive energy the Bhutanese youth through the exposure they get. The internet and the explosion of digital media content have made more information available from more sources to more people than at any other time in human history. Bhutan has adopted an array of technologies and, with them, a variety of new media forms. International direct dialing, computer games, CD ROMs, cell phones, new interactive radio, TV and cable channels, online newspapers, and interactive web sites. More than 125,000 people now use the cell phone, overcoming Bhutan’s main communication challenge of high mountain barriers. (Dorji, n.d.). For the vast majority of people, almost all of the information we have about politics comes from the media. While our friends, families, and co-workers may also talk to us about such topics they too are most likely to have gotten their information from a media outlet of some kind (Wolfsfeld, 2011). The media, in general, has been playing a significant role in shaping society today. Irrespective of age or qualification, the language of a large number of people is being significantly influenced by it. The electronic media has really made the world a global village. Just by pressing a button one gets to know the happenings in virtually any part of the world. The satellite television has brought into our lives the kind of things that we could not even imagine a few decades ago. Even the hair- style or the one-ear ring style of Beckham or Ronaldinho has become popular in some rural areas of the country, thanks to the media coverage of club and country football in Europe and South America. It is an undeniable fact that the electronic media has increased our knowledge base and we have quite a few mobile encyclopedias amidst us, at least among the educated public. The media keeps providing information to young students and educated youth to build up their careers. It has opened up a new horizon for these youngsters to unravel their own hidden talents and the media is providing some ventilation to their feelings, creativities, and aspirations. In Kuensel, for example, there are pages where school-going and college students can write poems, essays, articles, or even short stories. There are also programs on television where experts from different fields are invited to give talks or to participate in discussions so that it helps them in choosing their careers, or finding solutions to their problems. There are also career-counseling sessions on television, and students are immensely benefited by such programs. The media has become the most important purveyor of information and its importance is fast-growing  with  the spread of education. This looks to be a healthy sign so far as the progresses of nations like Bhutan or other Asian nations. In an unstable national and international environment where hostile external stimuli often seek to initiate internal instability, as at present, nation-building and preservation of national culture have become the primary responsibilities of the media which brings it into close contact with the rest of the society. In this era of globalization, the media seems to be playing a crucial role in inculcating many Western /alien cultural values into the life-style of people in various parts of oriental cultures; countries like Bhutan which are able to maintain and follow an unique pattern of value system strengthened by age-old  tradition  and  customs,  will  have  to  work  out  a master-plan to counter the ill-effects of the media, which is fast-pervading  the  life-style  of  people  in  many  parts  of Bhutan. (Balasubramanian & Nidup, n.d.)

It is through media that we come to know the history, about the situation of our country centuries ago, and about our forefathers and ancestors. This shall continue that the future generations will be able to know the present generation. When mass media and the internet were first introduced in Bhutan in 1999, it signaled the beginning of a significant change in Bhutanese society. The oral tradition of storytelling, with families sitting around the hearth sharing their beliefs, values, and societal norms, is disappearing. Until the early 1980s, Bhutan was largely a traditional society untouched by the world. Sociological studies have shown that there is an inherent link between fashion, culture and identity. Fashion, in this case, refers to any trend of images, thoughts, sentiments, and sensibilities that reflect social aspirations. In Bhutan, fashion has manifested itself in the form of music, film, and apparel. Fashion has its own source of culture and social structure, and serves the purposes of both social differentiation and social integration. It is often identified as a form of communication, and is said to satisfy certain psychological needs. The significance of the changing fashions of Bhutanese youths is that it signals a deeper undercurrent of social and cultural change going on within society. (Dorji, n.d.) This is also known through the media. Therefore, with the experience of the past, the present and the future can be determined. This is vital information. We can make changes, for the coming generations and not to repeat the same.

Another area where mass media plays a crucial role is in the area of socialization. Modernization and the introduction of mass media have also caused a significant change in Bhutan’s youth culture to include western influences of materialism and violence. As a result, negative social externalities such as juvenile delinquency, mental illness, substance abuse and broken families have increased in frequency over the recent years. It would seem that the government is facing an uphill struggle in its efforts to achieve its goal of Gross National Happiness (Dorji, n.d.). In fact, we have access to a vast amount of information, from sources that are increasingly portable, accessible, and interactive.  This brings an infinite number of opportunities for education and learning, entertainment and social connection. Social media such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are gaining popularity among the urban educated lot fuelled by ‘unlimited’ international content, user-friendliness and cost-effectiveness, and a liberal internet market policy. (Department of Information & Media Ministry of Information and Communications, 2013) Bhutanese access social media on a daily basis to interact, network, and share information among millions of population.  Social media is also widely used to express views and opinions. BMF’s   HRD   Master   Plan for Media (2012-2016) notes that social media plays an important role in Bhutan and is now increasingly becoming prolific. Many Bhutanese, from ordinary school-going children to the Prime Minister of Bhutan is now on Facebook. The number of Bhutanese bloggers is on the rise as well. Journalists use social media for reporting and producing stories they write. BMIS 2008 observed that internet was more vibrant during the elections and that there was an increase in blogging and social networking among the educated population. The focus on children and youth remains important. However many warn us against historical amnesia given that so many so many continue to greet each new technology with hallucinogenic celebratory comments that disregard the considerable historical knowledge on which we can draw. (Valdivia, 2003) The arrival of social media has further broadened this possibility, particularly for those Bhutanese with access to the internet. Increasing numbers of Bhutanese are now active users of various social media sites, engaging in information sharing, networking, and discussions on socio-political issues Both social and mainstream media continue to play an important role in shaping public opinions,  society’s  consciousness  and  thinking,  and  the  cultural  environment  they  live  in. BIMIS 2013 findings show that more Bhutanese now have access to different forms of information and media than ever before.  While evolving its role in a GNH nation, these media are influencing people, making them better informed and educated and keeping them more engaged.

Media has far-reaching   impacts   on   people’s   beliefs,   attitudes,   and   behaviour and more often shapes values and cultures. (Department of Information & Media Ministry of Information and Communications, 2013) The media has a combination of two conflicting, sometimes, contradicting objectives. It depends on the nature of the media personnel themselves, their ethics, morale and social consciousness. Mass media brings about changes in the socio-cultural behavior of the Bhutanese youth by being exposed to the world of knowledge and experiments, having experience and information of the past and the socialization they have among the people.

References
* Balasubramanian, N., & Nidup, J. (n.d.).   Role of Media in the Changing Socio-         Political Situations in Bhutan. Retrieved   on March 6, 2015, from http:/  www.bhutanstudies.org.bt/            publicationFiles/    ConferenceProceedings/    MediaAndPublicCulture/M-17.pdf

* Department of Information & Media      Ministry of Information and  Communications. (2013). Influence of  Media. Bhutan Information & Media    Impact .

*  Dorji, S. S. (n.d.). Opening the Gates in      Bhutan – Media Gatekeepers and The     Agenda of Change. Retrieved on March     12, 2015, from http://gnh-    movement.org/papers/pekdorji.pdf

*  Valdivia, A. N. (2003). A Companion to     Media Studies. Oxford: Blackwell    Publishing Ltd.

* Wolfsfeld, G. (2011). Making Sense of  Media and Politics. New York:  Routledge.