The Sunday Pioneer – Dilli Billi – 23rd December 2012 – “Daily buzz of entertainment”

Daily buzz of entertainment

Watching shows on small screen gives a break from mundane activities. Unfortunately, it is also making people forget traditions and values.

Last week, I called my aunt. I was shocked when she took the call but disconnected it immediately. I was a little put off but let it go. I then called my mother and mother-in-law. Both told me that they would call me later. This is the standard answer that I get whenever I call them in the afternoon or evening. It was then that I realised that it is prime time for soap on satellite channels.

Ever since the introduction of saas-bahu serials and reality crime shows like Crime Patrol, Sansani and Savdhaan India, housewives in India can never get bored now. The serials have entertainment quotient and the reality shows are diverting. They help to bust the stress of everyday life.

I understand that the shows on the telly help people forget their hassles for the number of hours spent in front of it. Watching women in their fancy saris, bindis and perfect make-up go about their daily chores with a lot of drama thrown in for good measure gives the woman at home necessary break from household work. Television shows are definitely a source of entertainment for the middle class families.

I remember when we were young and only had options like Krishi Darshan, Chitrahaar and a movie on Sunday on Doordarashan. Today, things are different. There is entertainment for all ages 24X7.

The news channels, that on most occasions sensationalise the news, are also entertaining in their own way. Then there are shows for children. It is sad that they are more interested in watching TV than reading books.

Gone are the days when there was emphasis on good handwriting, vocabulary and reading. Texting or keeping in touch with friends on social network sites, it appears, is the favourite pastime of teenagers. Today, every child over the age of eight has a mobile.

Though soaps and reality shows are doing their bit, one wonders whether they are doing more good than harm. Crime shows are a way to educate the people to be on guard at all times. One only hopes they are not making people taking to crime in real life.

There was a time when girls where taught needle work, knitting and how to cook. I don’t know a single girl of this generation who knows any of this craft. In their free time they are busy watching shows on the small screen. It’s alarming to see mothers switch on the cartoon channel whenever it is time to feed their child or putting them to sleep. The days of telling a story are gone.