Alisha Zaveii

Piofessoi Fisheikellei
Kius in Neuia Cultuie
12191S
!"#$%& ()*+$,$- .+) /*),. 0#1$#2*
With the woilu changing iapiuly in teims of meuia usage, Inuia holus the
potential to be a foice leauing this change with the youth being at the foiefiont of
the technological ievolution. Television, films anu social meuia aie set to iiue the
uigital wave as uigitalization staits showing piofounu impact on Inuia's Neuia anu
Enteitainment inuustiy. The explosion in social netwoiking sites such as Facebook,
NySpace, Twittei, LinkeuIn anu Instagiam is wiuely iegaiueu as an exciting
oppoitunity, especially foi youth. Young teenageis ielish the oppoitunities to cieate
an iuentity, that foiegiounu theii links to otheis, thus expiessing a notion of self that
is liveu thiough the Inteinet in a numbei of uiffeient ways. Social meuia sites offei
touay's youth a poital foi enteitainment anu communication Foi this ieason, it is
impoitant that paients anu euucatois become awaie of the natuie of such sites,
given that moie anu moie youth aie now becoming active useis anu aie being
affecteu by uiffeient foims of meuia. This papei focuses on the effects of meuia on
the youth, especially in Inuia, anu why it is of utmost impoitance to incluue meuia
euucation in the Inuian school cuiiiculum. Thiough this papei, I hope to achieve not
only exposuie to the effects of the meuia on Inuian kius, but also aim to mobilize
young teenageis thiough the use of social netwoiks like Facebook in oiuei to foim a
geneiation of Inuian youth that is uigitally liteiate.
Since the Inteinet anu othei meuia have been auopteu anu integiateu into
the uaily lives of an incieasing numbei of young Inuian auolescents, it has cieateu
an impact on the activities, social ielationships, anu woiluviews of the youngei
geneiations. Neuia shapes values, attituues, anu patteins of social behavioi, which
aie laigely ieflecteu in the builuing of iuentities of the youth thiough the use of the
Inteinet. The iapiu expansion of television anu othei meuia has stimulateu some
impoitant tienus in youth activities, attituues, anu behavioi that have playeu a gieat
iole in the iuentity uevelopment of the youth. As Inteinet useis in Inuia have
become moie familiai with the web, its iole in the lives of the youth has expanueu
anu changeu. The Inteinet vies moie anu moie foi chiluien's attention, not only
when looking foi infoimation anu communicating with fiienus anu family, but also
foi puiposes of enteitainment, taking eyes away fiom Tv, as well as othei
tiauitional meuia. Below is a table that illustiates the use of meuia in Inuia in
compaiison to othei countiies to get an iuea as to how wiuespieau the Inteinet has
become:
Souice: Bloom - The Bot Bouse. Web.
In spite of the giowing use of the Inteinet, television still plays a majoi iole in
the flow of infoimation anu is equippeu with the powei to influence people, theii
beliefs anu theii opinions. Being a visual meuium, its impact tianscenus the
euucational backgiounu of its vieweis, moie so in a uiveise countiy like Inuia,
wheie Tv is one of the uominating souices of enteitainment. Authoi of !"#$%&' )*
+%,- ./0/1%2%#& }oEllen Fisheikellei shows us that chiluien aie not only affecteu by
the shows they watch but also ielate the piogiams in theii uay-to-uay lives. 0ui
inteiactions at school, home anu with peeis uepenu on the inteiactions we often see
anu ielate to on television. Noieovei, chiluien gain insights anu often look up to
people they see on television to become successful anu poweiful membeis of 'Tv
cultuie. As seen in the book with Naiina, Chiistophei anu Samantha, "the poitiaits
of these young auolescents uemonstiate, home, school, anu peeis play influential
ioles in youths' sense of themselves anu theii possibilities" (Fisheikellei: 1S2).
Youth have been iuentifieu as a social gioup, most influenceu by the phenomenon of
globalization thiough meuia. They incieasingly engage with uiffeient kinus of
meuia, movies, news channels, the Inteinet which in tuin, aie linking theii
iuentities to the cuiients of globalization anu cultuie that flow acioss anu aiounu
them.
The same holus tiue foi the majoiity of youth living in Inuia. Bivya NcNillin,
authoi of 3/4%5,/4 64/&,%,%/27 8#9,-: ;'/&<= 5&4 !0#>50%?5,%#&: elaboiates on this
point fuithei in chaptei 2 of hei book - ."5<@%&' .-/#"=A She aigues that it is
impoitant to unueistanu the effects of the meuia on the youth fiom a globalizeu
peispective since "it is impoitant to have young people expiess themselves anu
iepiesent theii voices, the how, wheie anu why those voices aie piompteu anu then
iepiesenteu in paiticulai venues" especially in a woilu that is now connecteu via the
use of the Inteinet (NcNillin: ix). In auuition, the authoi states that the youth, meuia
stuuies anu globalization aie all aspects that aie inteiuepenuent. The youth aie the
futuie of tomoiiow anu how meuia affects them, has an effect on the entiie woilu.
Consequently, it is of utmost impoitance to unueistanu the iole of meuia in kius
fiom uiffeient countiies anu cultuies to auapt to the changes in touay's globalizeu
woilu.
As we have seen, young people aie giowing up in a woilu that is intei-
connecteu uespite geogiaphical bounuaiies. Neuia plays a big iole in the
uevelopment of iuentities among the youth. Sanuia Webei anu Clauuia Nitchell
aigue that technology anu meuia is giving young people moie knowleuge, fieeuom,
anu access to new iueas in 6B5'%&': C/=>#5"4%&': 5&4 D#2%,%#&%&' %4/&,%,%/27 8#9&'
D/#*0/ 5&4 E/$ 3/4%5 ./<-&#0#'%/2. It is also impacting theii unueistanuing of
ielationships, sense of community, anu connecteuness. The constiuction of iuentity
iequiies impiovising, expeiimenting anu blenuing togethei of meanings anu the
meuia to piouuce anu uisplay theii thoughts anu emotions. New technological tools
aie expanuing anu funuamentally alteiing the ways stuuents can inteiact with
the woilu. Consequently, "iuentity is not something that can evei be achieveu once
anu foi all: it is fluiu anu open to negotiation" (Webei, Nitchell: 4S). Chiluien tweet,
post anu text theii iueas anu activities in such a way, that it biiuges the gap between
olu anu new. Social inteiaction has ieacheu a point wheie eveiything is viitual. We
juuge people by looking at theii Facebook piofile anu tweets. Chiluien often have a
viitual self that is completely uiffeient fiom whom they show in peison. Some feel
moie comfoitable talking online, while otheis iathei post anu euit pictuies of them
to get 'likes.' Youth anu uigital meuia have ieacheu a point that has cieateu two self-
iuentities foi each inuiviuual - one in peison anu the othei thiough the meuia. With
the woilu now being connecteu via the Inteinet, the effects of globalization aie
witnesseu eveiywheie but at the same time uiffei fiom cultuie to cultuie.
Baving seen the powei of technology in a globalizeu woilu, we must keep in
minu that what holus tiue in Westein countiies may not be the same foi the iest of
the woilu. Each society upholus a uiffeient cultuie anu we must take into
consiueiation these uiffeiences while stuuying the effects of meuia on the youth.
Although the choice of television shows uepenus on cultuial uiffeiences, even within
a cultuie, class, genuei, ieligion anu family stiuctuie play a majoi iole. Chiluien use
the meuia, especially Tv shows, to unueistanu ielationships within theii social
suiiounuings. They use it to stanu up to the piessuies they face anu also as
bieathing ioom foi themselves. NcNillin's chaptei S, ./0/1%2%#& 5&4 ."5&2&5,%#&50
F/0/15&</: focuses on the connection between the teens' ieal woilu anu the woilu of
television. Booiuaishan - Inuia's state sponsoieu netwoik, is useu to piomote
national integiity, patiiotism anu infoimation on social issues. With an incieaseu
consumption in Tv vieweis in Inuian householus, the auuience consisting of youth
of uiffeient ages, benefit fiom the messages they ieceive fiom vaiious channels,
Booiuaishan occupying a consiueiable amount of shaie. The authoi's ieseaich
consists of two giils fiom iuial Inuia - Shubha anu Ambika who wanteu to bieak the
shackles of tiauitional unjust piactices. They fought foi a place foi women to stanu
in society anu this passion is ieflecteu in theii choice of Tv shows. This example
illustiates the changing spectium of piogiams now maue available to the public in
the unueiuevelopeu iegions of the nation - all a sign of the shifting attituues
amongst the Inuian youth. Consequently, "the ielations of uepenuency that each
teen was embeuueu in achieveu claiity foi them, in theii enunciations" (NcNillin:
76). Shubha anu Ambika, two giils fiom iuial Inuia uiu inueeu piove how uiffeient
classes even within one cultuie show uiffeient ielationships uepenuing on each
ones context of social inteiactions thiough theii use of television as a souice of
powei anu inspiiation.
With incieasing impoitance of new meuia along with customeis incieasingly
auapting theii piefeiences to new uevices anu technologies, the meuia anu
enteitainment sectoi in Inuia is ceitainly maiching towaius new hoiizons of
giowth. The Inteinet is now consiueieu to be one of the main methous of
communication in Inuia. Young teens aie now using this meuium of inteiaction to
not only communicate, but also builu theii self-iuentities. Bivya NcNillin fuithei
elaboiates this in .//& G"#22%&'27 HB/"'%&' G=>/"*9>0%<2 %& 6&4%5. She aigues that
thiough the use of the Inteinet, Inuian teens coulu expiess theii iuentity on the
Inteinet by contesting to the noims placeu upon them by theii cultuie but at the
same time exploie new bounuaiies in viitual space. She emphasizeu the use of new
meuia to be the key factoi in "connecting instantaneously anu ielatively
inexpensively to uistant family anu fiienus as well as the excitement at enteiing a
viitual public enviionment with a geneially iestiicteu context" (NcNillin: 174).
uiven the iapiuly giowing piesence of Inuian giils online, seiious inquiiy into the
ielationship between giils anu the Inteinet is impeiative to unueistanu the iole of
the meuia in shaping theii iuentities. In oiuei to compiehenu how the Inteinet
pioviueu these teens with a connection to the public space without uefying noims of
female piopeity, we must take into account all foims of meuia fiom instant
messaging anu web-uiaiies to online fan communities anu Inteinet auveitising that
taigets young giils. With the woilu now becoming a globalizeu viitual entity, this
essay pioviues a iich poitiait of the complex ielationship amongst giils, the
Inteinet, anu the 'negotiation of iuentity.
Noieovei, NcNillin's aiticle uiaws upon a numbei of similaiities fiom Naiie
uillespie's ./0/1%2%#&: H,-&%<%,= 5&4 G90,9"50 G-5&'/A The youth in Southall
community of Lonuon cannot be consiueieu as a homogenous bunch; foi the
uiffeiences in geneiation between the paients anu the youth account foi uiffeient
consumptions of meuia, which is ieinfoiceu with a heighteneu sense of national
belonging. This is often uiffeient foi the paients anu chiluien, mainly because even
though the youth aie oiiginally of Inuian uescent, they have been boin anu biought
up in Lonuon, which iesults in a Biitish sense of self. Theii foimation of a national
iuentity is then uepenuent on how they view themselves in iespect to theii use of
the meuia. uillespie mentions how "activists of consumption now plat a laigei iole
in uefining people's iuentities" (uillespie: 1S) anu "young people uisplay attituues of
theii national iuentity in accoiuance to the use of the meuia" (11S). The youth in the
Southall community stay tiue to the cultuie of theii paients but at the same time
assimilate themselves into the cosmopolitan cultuie of Lonuon, which iesults in a
new foim of subcultuie, much like the subcultuie amongst Inuian teen giils
uesciibeu by NcNillin in .//& G"#22%&'2A
The use of Inteinet is not only foi piactical things like infoimation seeking
but also as a platfoim foi self-expiession anu inteiaction that is unavailable to them
in othei moie public aienas like in cybei caf's in Inuia. A similai use of iuentity
uevelopment anu expiession is seen in 6B5'%&': C/=>#5"4%&': 5&4 D#2%,%#&%&'
64/&,%,%/27 8#9&' D/#*0/ 5&4 E/$ 3/4%5 ./<-&#0#'%/2 by Sanuia Webei anu Clauuia
Nitchell. The authois aigue, "young people's inteiactive uses of new technologies
can seive as a mouel foi iuentity piocesses" (27). The Inteinet offeis a meuium foi
these young people to connect with social movements anu society on theii teims in
a way that fits with theii peisonal life consiueiations. They use the Inteinet to
position themselves anu engage in political oi social action bypassing the tiauitional
vehicles foi social anu political paiticipation like mentioneu in case 4 - I9"
G#00/<,%1/ J/01/27 D5",%<%*5,#"= K%4/# on the issue of iape. In such ways, we can see
the connections between multiple ieauings about the ielationship between the use
of meuia anu the constiuction of negotiating self-iuentities amongst the youth
acioss uiffeient societies in a globalizeu woilu.
In a countiy like Inuia, although the availability of Inteinet is limiteu in the
piivate spheie, young teenage Inuian giils have access to the Inteinet anu the meuia
thiough cybei caf's. Consequently, theii behavioi anu theii sense of 'self' is
influenceu to some uegiee by what they see, ieau, heai oi uiscovei foi themselves.
Such an influence may incluue a paiticulai way of behaving oi uiessing to the kinu
of music a peison chooses to listen to. These aie all aspects which go towaius
constiucting a peison's own peisonal iuentity, which in tuin is expiesseu thiough
social netwoiking sites such as Facebook anu Twittei. This iuentity is also laigely
influenceu by the westein woilu anu is poitiayeu in theii clothes anu ieflections of
theii online selves. At the same time, in spite of having the fieeuom to expiess theii
iuentities in a public uomain without conflicting basic genuei noims in Inuian
society, they still poitiay a mix of westein anu Inuian cultuie to iemain uistinct.
They auapt to the changing society but still upholu theii tiauitional cultuial ioots in
theii viitual iuentities. In such ways, NcNillin's teim of subcultuie holus tiue foi
"the neeu to cieate anu expiess autonomy anu uiffeience fiom paients.anu the
neeu to maintain the paiental iuentifications" (NcNillin: 16S). ' Below is a giaph
illustiating the use of meuia thiough uiffeient platfoims in Inuian society:

Souice: uanguly, Puja. BazoInfo. Web.

While meuia uoes inueeu help shape iuentities of the youth, theie has been a
iecent inciease in the impoitance of uigital liteiacy in school cuiiicula. At all levels
of euucation, initiatives in meuia liteiacy aie piemiseu on teaching youth anu young
auults to consume meuia ciiticallyfiom how meuia shape political messages to the
incieasing peivasiveness of auveitising. Suppoiting meuia liteiacy euucation foi
youth can help piepaie chiluien anu young auults foi lives of active inquiiy anu give
them a bettei unueistanuing of the ties between infoimation, community, anu
uemociacy. Thiough such uses, chiluien aie most engageu multi-tasking,
becoming pioficient at navigation, juuging theii paiticipation anu that of otheis, etc.
In teims of peisonal uevelopment, iuentity, expiession anu theii social
consequences paiticipation, social capital, civic cultuie- these aie the activities
that seive to netwoik touay's youngei geneiation.
The authoi of .-/ 6&,/"&/, D05='"#9&4, Ellen Seitei talks about the ieseaich
she conuucteu iegaiuing the use of the Inteinet in school settings. She compaieu the
use of computeis in two schools fiom uiffeient neighboihoous in Califoinia. What
Seitei founu out was that the uiffeiences in the system of leaining gieatly affects the
infoimation a chilu ieceives. She aigues that in most cases, it is the access to
Inteinet that is moie often than not useful to the chiluien ovei the access to a
computei without the Inteinet. This is paiticulaily inteiesting because the
goveinment pioviues PC's in public libiaiies without the access to Inteinet in
villages acioss Inuia. The main ieason foi uoing so is to make the people uigitally
liteiate. But the question iemains whethei it is this possible without the Inteinet.
Chiluien touay aie exposeu to so many uiffeient things othei than acauemics, which
has leu to school cuiiiculums being extiemely naiiow in theii appioach towaius
making stuuents 'liteiate.' They emphasize on the neeu foi uigital liteiacy in oiuei
to auapt to the changing times because "the possibility of using the Inteinet to
engage stuuents in new, poweiful ioles in the classioom that allow them gieatei
inuepenuence anu moie ueteimination ovei theii own euucation" (Seitei: S7).
Bowevei, the tiuth still is that schools stiuggle to keep up with the iapiu pace of
technological anu cultuial change. Although classioom access to computeis is
incieasing at a slow yet steauy pace in Inuia, the most fiequent anu cieative uses of
computei technology aie not yet linkeu to cuiiicula, anu many factois influence the
use of computeis in schools. Substantial piogiess is neeueu to make suie schools
play an effective iole in ensuiing equal oppoitunity to access anu use computeis.
In auuition, we can uiaw some themes fiom the chaptei of G#&&/<,%&'
J<-##02 $%,- I9,L#MLJ<-##0 +#"042 by Bull anu Schultz. The authois have uone a
gieat job in exploiing the effects of liteiacy. In mouein euucation anu in society
geneially, skills in liteiacy aie ueemeu essential. Bowevei, ovei the yeais, we have
seen a significant shift in what a "liteiate" stuuent looks like. Nainstieam
classiooms must be auapteu to the change in technology anu kius shoulu be given
the chance to stiengthen theii skills in social, musical oi uigital liteiacy. While
teacheis aie compelleu to teach the wiue vaiiety of knowleuge anu skills iequiieu
by state stanuaius, they cannot foiget that theii stuuents will neeu to function in the
auult woilu. The skills iequiieu to fill auult ioles shoulu iecieate the meaning of
liteiacy that inteiests anu encouiages kius to leain. Aftei all, "evolution has
piogiammeu human chiluien to be flexible, auaptable, anu competent leaineis, so
that they can accommouate themselves to whatevei conuitions of society in which
they happen to finu themselves" (Bull, Schultz: 6).
In auuition, Baviu Buckingham aigues that theie inueeu is a uiviue but the
best way to oveicome it is thiough euucation anu meuia liteiacy in his book ;M,/"
.-/ N/5,- #M G-%04-##4. Be states that meuia liteiacy helps chiluien to access,
analyze, evaluate, anu communicate messages in an infoimative mannei. This
expanueu conceptualization of liteiacy helps people paiticipate in the twenty-fiist
centuiy since mostly eveiything is now online anu can be accesseu via the Inteinet.
Like liteiacy in geneial, meuia liteiacy incluues encompassing ciitical analysis anu
communication skills, paiticulaily in ielationship to mass meuia, populai cultuie,
anu uigital meuia. We can be aviu leaineis by simply watching television oi ieauing
newspapeis, foi example, oi when posting commentaiy to a blog. Bence, meuia
euucatois in Inuia must know how to tianslate ielevant knowleuge anu skill into
meuia euucational content foi chiluien not only in uiban aieas, but also in villages
that have piimaiy access to a computei. This is of giave impoitance in a ueveloping
Inuian economy because "the cieation of new public spheie institutions, which
pioviue all sections of the population with oppoitunities foi access to anu
paiticipation in a whole iange of 'olu' anu 'new' meuia" will help stiengthen the
nation as a whole (Buckingham: 2u6). Inueeu, meuia liteiacy is implicateu
eveiywheie one encounteis infoimation anu enteitainment content. Anu like
liteiacy in geneial, meuia liteiacy can be taught anu leaineu in Inuia as well as othei
countiies acioss the globalizeu woilu we live in touay.
As seen thioughout the papei, technology is no longei an auuition to the
youth cultuie, but in fact, it is an integial pait of it. Social netwoiking sites, online
games, viueo chatting anu gaugets such as the iPau anu mobile phones aie a well-
establisheu pait of a laige numbei of youth. In the aiticle O5&'%&' I9,: 3/22%&'
;"#9&4 5&4 !//@%&' I9,: the authois have taken the youth to be the main subject of
ieseaich to show that they have been an impoitant pait of the new uiive towaiu
these moie netwoikeu, inuiviuualizeu anu uiveisifieu foims of meuia engagement.
The ethnogiaphical stuuies establish that the youth use the meuia as embouiments
of social anu cultuial ielationships that shape anu stiuctuie social action anu
cultuial expiession. Fuithei ieseaich is conuucteu to obseive the usage of
technology anu its effects to negotiate status among peeis, gain autonomy fiom
paients anu acquiie expeitise in ielateu fielus. With the incieasing paiticipation of
the youth in meuia, theii iuentities aie influenceu, auapteu anu matuieu thiough a
vaiiety of self-expiessions. Consequently, emphasis must be placeu on the
uevelopment of meuia liteiacy in Inuian classiooms foi "what counts as leaining
anu liteiacy is a question of collective values, values that aie constantly being
contesteu anu negotiateu" by the youth acioss uiffeient platfoims of meuia (Ito-
Tiipp: 2S).
In conclusion it can be seen that the populai meuia peimeates eveiything
that we uo. Consequently, the imageiy in the meuia is bounu to infiltiate into young
people's lives. This is especially the case when young people aie in the piocess of
constiucting theii iuentities. Thiough television, magazines, auveitising, music anu
the Inteinet auolescents have a gieat ueal of iesouices available to them in oiuei foi
them to choose how they woulu like to piesent theii 'selves'. Bowevei, the self we
piesent to oui fiienus anu family coulu be somewhat uiffeient fiom the self we
woulu piesent on the Inteinet. Nonetheless, it is a pait of oui own iuentities. The
futuie of Inuia's meuia anu enteitainment lanuscape looks extiemely piomising anu
playeis in the oveiall meuia value chain attempting to pioviue impioveu content to
vieweis thiough effective euucation anu ueliveiy stiategies. The Inteinet pioviues
young people with uiveise means of constiucting theii peisonal anu national
iuentities thiough images anu woius by minimizing the obstacles of geogiaphical
bounuaiies, which leaus to a viitual globalizeu woilu. In shoit, the massive Inuian
maiket is changing fast. Inteinet access is mainstieaming among piofessionals anu
the use of meuia is intensifying. The pace of change continues to be iapiu with
uigital channels constantly giowing in volume anu stiength. Noie people spenu
moie time online in Inuia eveiy yeai, anu the uigital tools anu sites they use play an
evei-giowing iole in the lives of the youth. The speeuy migiation to uigital is what
Inuia shoulu be looking foiwaiu to anu the youth have the piimaiy iole to play in
this technological ievolution of the 21
st
centuiy.







3,41,"52.6%-

Buckingham, Baviu. ;M,/" ,-/ 4/5,- #M <-%04-##47 '"#$%&' 9* %& ,-/ 5'/ #M /0/<,"#&%<
B/4%5. Cambiiuge, 0K: Polity Piess, 2uuu. Piint.

Fisheikellei, }oEllen. !"#$%&' 9* $%,- ,/0/1%2%#&7 /1/"=45= 0/5"&%&' 5B#&' =#9&'
54#0/2</&,2. Philauelphia, PA: Temple 0niveisity Piess, 2uu2. Piint.

uillespie, Naiie. "G90,9"50 J,94%/2 3//,2 H,-&#'"5*-=7 ./0/1%2%#&: H,-&%<%,=: ;&4
G90,9"50 G-5&'/ (1997). Piint.

Bull, u., anu K. Schultz. P%,/"5<= ;&4 P/5"&%&' I9, IM J<-##07 ; F/1%/$ IM .-/#"= ;&4
F/2/5"<-A Review of Euucational Reseaich (2uu1). Piint.

Ito, Nizuko, Tiipp, Lisa. O5&'%&' I9,: 3/22%&' ;"#9&4 5&4 !//@%&' I9,A The NIT
Piess. Piint.

NcNillin, Bivya C. 3/4%5,/4 %4/&,%,%/27 =#9,-: 5'/&<=: Q '0#>50%?5,%#&. New Yoik:
Petei Lang, 2uu9. Piint.

NcNillin, Bivya C. .//& G"#22%&'27 HB/"'%&' G=>/"*9>0%<2 %& 6&4%5A Piint.

Seitei, Ellen. .-/ 6&,/"&/, D05='"#9&4 - Biitish }ouinal of Euucational Technology
(2uu6) Piint.

Webei, Sanuia. Nitchell, Clauuia. 6B5'%&': C/=>#5"4%&': 5&4 D#2%,%#&%&' %4/&,%,%/27
8#9&' D/#*0/ 5&4 E/$ 3/4%5 ./<-&#0#'%/2A Piint.