Gk Questions with AnswersGroup Discussion Related Topics
Do films cause social evils?
Points in favour :-
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Films have come to influence the impressionable young minds like nothing else. One often comes across reports where frustrated lovers even commit suicides, young boys and girls elope imitating such portrayals in films, a jilted youth tries to kill his sweet heart and college going students take to drinking, gambling, drug peddling and worse, contract killing. Encouraged by films such social evils not only cause great mental anguish and humiliation to the parents but also throw the entire and national equilibrium out of gear.
Films also adversely affect the eye-sight. Moreover, even otherwise healthy people return infected with airborne diseases like influenza, cough, cold, etc. from cinema halls.
Several criminals when arrested admit to having got the idea of their crimes – thefts, murders and kidnappings – from so and so film. Psychiatrists have often traced juvenile delinquencies and violence of films.
Such is the craze of films and TV entertainment among students that their studies have been badly affected because of over indulgence in the make believe world of the silver screen. Even grown up people have given up their reading habits and social life in favour of watching films and film based programmes over T.V. Thus we must admit that films cause social evils in several ways.
Points in against :-
How we can blame films for our social evils? Rather, they provide cheap entertainment to the vast majority of poor labourers who after a day's hard work find a good relief in them. Moreover, they provide great amusement to children as well through animated and children's films. They help develop their personality through recreation and healthy entertainment at a low price.
Films not only provide employment to a large number of people, they also encourage cultural activities like art, drama, music, etc. through their support. Thus, they help develop people's aesthetics sense.
Since the medium of films influences people as nothing else, it can be used to motivate people in achieving social causes and in building opinion against strikes, violence, untouchability, dowry system, black money, corruption, recourse to terrorism etc.
There is no denying that in the name of catering to public tastes and demand a few producers adopt the easy way of making sub standard and suggestive types of films, where there is a surfeit of sex and violence, but they are aberrations, not a general pattern, which can be track led by strict, unbiased and proper censorship.
Film – through their audio visual presentation can do play an important role in spreading education and bringing about social reforms. Television and films have greatly helped in imparting distant education. Films can more effectively teach several intricacies of medical science, technology, agricultural operations, etc. than mere classroom lectures.