By: Kannan, Junior College 1 Teamwork

Over the years, there have been multiple developments on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. These platforms are good ways to keep ourselves updated with the latest news and juicy gossips. However, some may argue that the media pays too much attention to insignificant matters: even trivial matters such as Cardi B, Jennifer Lopez, and other celebrities being seen without makeup in public are being highlighted, exaggerated, and posted/ published online just for publicity. A focus on all these petty things diverts the public's attention from the matters that need attention. The Turkish earthquake evacuation issue was overshadowed by the Selena Gomez and Hailey Bieber dispute. The media tends to cover events that will bring positive audience reactions, no matter how mundane the issue is. Even though the media is a powerful platform that can help millions by posting educational articles, most of the time, it chooses to focus on unnecessary celebrity dramas for a larger audience.

Back in 2020, a similar issue arose in India when people were focused on star kids who gained popularity due to their celebrity parents rather than their talents. When all the social media platforms were full of the same nepotism content, the Assam flooding and the loss of lives in Assam were ignored just because it had a smaller audience. Additionally, few people are aware of the struggles of the people in Kashmir due to terrorism and constant bomb attacks from the ISIS organisation because this matter would not have the same reaction from people compared to when watching news on the USA-China or Russia-Ukraine issues. The media has decided to rule this out and divert the attention to less important issues.

Moreover, people know more about the Kardashians and the latest TikTok trends than the more important events taking place in the society. As long as they are aware of the latest online shenanigans, they will pay no heed to other matters. This also affects the educational mindsets of the students. These days, students can learn a song's lyrics faster than their syllabus because the media says that not keeping up with the trends makes people outdated and boring. News such as Kylie Jenner's daughter's first words gets more views than natural disaster relief videos.

Media, on the other hand, also helps us by connecting us to our favourite celebrities. Knowing things about them such as what they eat, when they sleep, and what colour they are wearing today will make us feel more connected to them. Social media workers such as paparazzi make our lives convenient by casting every detail about the celebrities so that fans can adopt a similar lifestyle. For example, following fashion icon models such as Bella Hadid can tell us about the most recent dressing and clothing trends. Following the same diet might help fans get similar results to the models and achieve their dream bodies. Sometimes, focusing on these small matters can also help or inspire many people in their personal life.

Therefore, every issue has two sides. The media, specially social media platforms, keep us updated with all the news, no matter how trivial the issue might be. But we cannot allow these insignificant cases to overshadow and overtake the issues that require immediate attention and action. The media is bound to expand even more in the future. Instead of broadcasting and focusing on small mundane matters, the media could broadcast educational programs that will help the viewers and other crucial matters that will benefit the upcoming generations.