Modern Media’s Effect on Mental Health: Key Concerns

"Major Arora. Major Arora? Could you elaborate on what Mr Khan said in his statement? Major Arora, are you even listening to me?" shouted the anchor of Today News during his 9 o'clock debate. The people in the tiny windows on the screen kept yelling and screaming at one another. "Mr Arora. How do you feel about Palestine's stance today? Do you have any comments?" reiterated the anchor once again, as in the backdrop, battle rages - not on the TV but in the living room.

Today, News is the biggest news channel in India with multiple programs, but the 9 o'clock debate is the hot favourite. It is a time when TV personalities clash over the topic of the day. Today's topic was Palestine's stance, which involved Israel, Palestine, Gaza, etc.

Don't get us wrong—the role of the media is to bring our attention to the pressing issues around the world. But surely, the constant screams and fights make it an issue. Today, let's talk about something people are not really talking about!

Television has burgeoned in recent years, with scores of programs and scores of anchors participating in a million debates in the country. Switch on any television news channel today, and you are bound to stumble upon the debate of the hour. The Vietnam War ended 30 years ago, but the living room war has just gotten started.

The media's role in shaping public perception and creating an "environment of conflict" in our living rooms is huge. This happens because of constant news coverage, dramatic portrayals in television and films, and the burgeoning of war-related content on social media platforms. War in the media today has evolved to make conflict feel immediate and inescapable, even though it is occurring thousands of miles away or sometimes not even occurring at all.

To begin with, it is the 24-hour news cycle that gives updates on wars, military operations and global conflicts. News outlets constantly bombard us with live footage of bombings, military strikes and refugee crises, using dramatic visuals and emotional storytelling. From this is born an overwhelming sense of urgency and proximity, making viewers feel as if they are witnessing war first-hand from the luxury of their homes. Because of the constant footage loop, TV audiences can get desensitised, bringing down the complex human toll of war to images and statistics that can be passively consumed.

War-related content is not just related to the News. Popular films, documentaries and TV series glamourise or dramatise conflict, making it exciting and borderline heroic. Movies show soldiers as valiant heroes while downplaying war's psychological and physical impacts (we're looking at you, John Rambo). Because of this, war seems like a necessary or a noble pursuit.

Finally, social media comes along, amplifying the environment of war by spewing real-time updates, user-generated content, and sensationalised narratives. Modern media is viral and gives out distressing images, shocking headlines, and polarising opinions, mostly without context, increasing anxiety and making war omnipresent.

Wherever you look, there's violence. TV shows, news programs, and movies show war, violence, and conflict with such graphic detail that the more gory, the better. Whether such content is fictional or based on real-world situations, viewers become desensitised to violence, and it seems to become an inevitable part of life.

Sensationalising War for Entertainment

Which is your favourite war movie? Rambo? Saving Private Ryan? Inglorious Basterds. Look around you. Most action movies, dramas or news outlets turn war into a total spectacle, focusing on explosions, dramatic confrontations and heroism. Because of this sensationalism, the human cost of war is overshadowed, and it is presented as thrilling and glamorous instead of devastating.

On television, war seems so enticing. Take part in it in real life, and you'll know the horrors. On television, what seems attractive may not always be real. Do your research independently and come to a conclusion before television ruins your thought process today.

Political Propaganda and Bias

How often have you switched on the television only to see politicians seem to argue, putting their points across, screaming in incomprehensible voices? News networks shape how wars get portrayed, thanks to biased reporting or selective coverage. Some networks might lay stress on one side of a conflict, reinforcing particular political ideologies and nationalism and labelling enemy forces as threats so viewers' perception of war gets changed.

If war has entered our living room, political propaganda is to blame. It is because of this lopsided propaganda that conflict has become entertainment.

Glorification of Militarism

Television usually glorifies the military, portraying soldiers as heroes and fostering an environment that romanticises war. Shows like Band of Brothers or documentaries like World War 2 emphasise the bravery of soldiers and the righteousness of their causes, showing that war is noble and almost necessary in its pursuit. Military conquests get glorified, and live missions are shown on TV, highlighting that war is today something to sit and eat popcorn while watching.

Propagating a Sense of Us vs. Them

TV news and entertainment frame conflict as a binary struggle between 'us', the viewer's nation or group, and 'them', the enemy or adversary. Such framing encourages hostility and can dehumanise the enemy, simplifying complex geopolitical issues into demarcated battles between good and evil. This sense of us vs. them fosters the feeling that war has come into our living room.

In conclusion, by always exposing us to violent content, showcasing political propaganda and bias, sensationalising content, showing "us vs them", glorifying military action, exposing us to violent content and more, news channels have brought war into our living rooms. As the battles rage on, experts keep dropping their opinions on TV and more, a state of war in the living room today is as commonplace as a state of bliss.