Media: Mother Nature's Pesticide

Are we blinded by the darkness that is media?

Media .. Mother Nature's Pesticide

This is my first time writing an article — a newbie on voicing my opinion online if you will. From the age of 20, I've been through milestones which in effect, help with the developing sense on how to tackle the new world. When you hear the word 'Media', what do you think? What do you link? What do you connect? What is your main source? Media is essentially the main source of mass production for any communicative news — whether that is actually news, weather or merely 'tweeting about your opinion'. Now, when reading about any form of news, one must realise that there are two ways of displaying the cake, displaying the final results. One being utter facts. The other, however, are opinions.

Now moving onto the main screening ...

I believe (as do many, many others) that media is the control center for all world problems. Now many people can disagree with this opinion, and I do understand that this theory can seem quite biased. Radically to blame all of the worldwide epidemics on written/spoken words.

With the introduction of newer technology every day, we rely on the internet to feed our hunger and thirst for more and more information. Unfortunately, this information can be perceived in many ways. One can see it as informative facts or simply hatred opinions (as stated previously). We receive news on foreign affairs from all sorts of sources – whether that’s from CNN or reading the Indian Times. Now as you would imagine, words can be taken in - from one ear and out the other. In our generation today, I feel the likes of media whether that is watching a documentary or skimming through the Daily Mail, can penetrate the minds of our society. And it has.

Just a few weeks back, my cousin and I had a conversation on women’s rights. Now as a feminist, I strongly stand for equal rights. My cousin, on the other hand, challenged my viewpoint on the whole idea (and for that Amit, thanks).

We then went onto who was the ‘troublemaker’ in the major conflict known as the ‘The Iraq War’ which was led by the United States of America in 2003. This was retaliation for the 9/11 attacks in the US, two years previously. We have experienced what one would call a ‘domino effect’ in which a chain reaction was produced. Typically, you’d hit your friend, your friend would hit you back and so on. See now that would be menial. Imagine this effect on two countries where one would have the second largest army in the world against one of the most lethal weapon producers in world history. Boom. It only takes one domino to fall to create the chain reaction.

From disrupting the peace of one country, we are experiencing another world war. How do we know countries like Iraq are suffering? Media. What do we know exactly? We know exactly what we are being told. We are being told that the British government is supporting their neighboring country, America. Our main source of information is broadsheet and tabloid newspapers, along with the reporters we receive on the television.

If we compared the 9/11 attacks to the London attacks, both killed innocent people, both were instigated, both were caused a wildfire on the names of the countries and the cultures they followed. Being British, I find my news through the likes of the live stream one would find BBC or Sky News.

I refuse to read the likes of the Daily Mail with their arrogant and egotistic on foreign affairs. We as human beings. We as brothers and sisters. We as society need to know all the facts before we have our own opinion. When it came to the 9/11 attacks, we were told who/what/why/where. Same with the London Bridge attacks.

However, the issues we are not informed about are the ones where it concerns the likes of Iraq, Iran, and the Middle East. Why may you ask? We are being fed information that does concern the likes of these countries, but only to confirm that they are all terrorist linked. I cannot give the answer to that question to whether if they are or not, but what concerns me the most is that Islam overall is supporting these attacks when in fact, they are not.

We are told what the government wants us to hear. We are aware of the treatment we receive but not the retaliation we send back. If you pause for one moment and try to understand what you’d be thinking, not knowing if you’re going to wake up the next morning to see you, children/parents. Traumatic, right? Exactly.

As I said previously, I am supporting no side, I am voicing my opinion. And I encourage everyone else in my generation to do so. Understand, I do not agree with such terrorist attacks and I am definitely not blaming anyone, in particular, however, I believe the media has influenced the way we think as a younger generation rather than having our own beliefs. All this hidden information will eventually turn into hatred. And this is what we have today. Below is an algorithm I have created to help understand how Media such as these tabloids can take effect:

Event Occurred + News Reported = Only certain information released = Hatred amongst society.

The end product is, 14 years on, they are still conflicting. This time, it is not the US being affected – it is the rest of the world. London, Manchester, Barcelona being some examples. We are experiencing without knowing, World War 3.

On BBC One, a few months back, Gurinder Chadda released a documentary on the partition of India. I, for one, found it extremely interesting as it changed my outlook on the ongoing issue between Hindus and Muslims. I was always told of the dispute from the Hindu’s point of view. I never thought of the treatment they, the Muslims received.

Hindus and Muslims at the time were just as bad as each other. They killed and raped the women of our society. One major fact which hit me the most was, women after being raped would jump down wells to avoid embarrassment. They thought were scarred for life.

It was always based on ‘We are two different religions. We have different ways of thinking. We have different morals.’ My childish mind was oblivious to this side of the argument. It only opened up my eyes to the real cause of this ongoing indifference — the British Empire. If you had seen the documentary, the separation was due to a plan referred to as a ‘divide and conquer.’

The British Empire wanted more income — whether it was money or spices or jewelry. They were ultimately the big wooden spoon, Hindus and Muslims were the mixtures and it was the very action of the British Empire that caused the tension between the two greats.

I, a British Hindu, can confirm I have neither religious or cultural hatred for Islam. I believe it is a beautiful religion and that certain members of society are out to tarnish it. Without having this documentary being aired, I would have continued to have this narrow-minded thinking. The British Empire may have been on the education boards, but the story was told from the British.

As I’ve gathered more information on this topic, it made me think – no one is born with any form of hatred in their hearts, whether that is racial or cultural. My best friend is Muslim and I do not treat her any different to my other Hindu/Sikh friends. Her family treat me like a third daughter and likewise with my family. Why? Because I’m not a racist. It is only pessimistic views that will poison the mind. It is media poisoning the earth. It is the biased media that is slowly killing mother nature and its beauty.

Believe me when I say this is only example being given. There are worldwide epidemics occurring as you are reading this article and they are reporting just a minority.

It is October 2017. You and many other people are made fully aware of the crisis happening currently in the US. But let me ask you a question … Did you hear about the devastating floods in South Asia? Thousands and thousands of people being killed. Maybe you did … Maybe you did not. These headlines are being hidden or given more priority dependant on who they are.

It was only days ago when they realised the Muslim genocide in Burma. So many people are dying yet our concern is upon the financial upper hand of the US. I could be hysterical when stating this, but I believe when there is some form financial gain involved, the country offering the most, will receive the most attention. Many may agree, many may not. We can choose to live as human beings or we choose to ultimately challenge for the superior hand.

All I ask is question everything. Read often. Become opinionated. Question this. Question that. It will only make you wiser.