MASS COMMUNICATION AND SOCIAL CHANGE IN INDIA

-A SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY-

Sociology 2.4

Submitted by:

Jyotiringa Puzari
UID- SM0117025
BA.,LLB (Hons.) 1st Year
Semester – 2

Faculty In-Charge
Ms. Racheal D. Sangma

National Law University, Assam

Guwahati

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents Page No.

1. Introduction
1.1 Literature Review
1.2 Objectives and Scopes
1.3 Research Questions
1.4 Research Methodology

2. Introductory Concepts of ‘Communication’ and ‘Social Change’

2.1 Mass Communication
2.2 Sociology of Mass Communication
2.3 Social Change- a sociological perspective
2.4 Communication for Social Change

3. Impact of Mass Communication on ‘Social Change’: An Overview

4. Mass Media and Communications in India

4.1 Beginnings of Modern Mass Media
4.2 Mass Media in Independent India
4.3 Globalization and Mass Communication

5. Role of Mass Communication as an agent of Social Change in India

5.1 Radio
5.2 Television
5.3 Newspaper and other print media
5.4 Cellular phones
5.5 Internet

6. Conclusion

Bibliography

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 INTRODUCTION

Mass media have made profound impact on societies and their culture. It ceases the boundaries of different
societies among the individuals and creates ‘Globalization.’ The globalization is a decent case to delineate the
friendship of media, since people can witness what is happening in different nations or how they dress up and
what their way of life is. Subsequently, they typically mirror what others do.

Furthermore, media are a storehouse of information. It educates individuals about day to day occasions or new
revelations. This data some of the time is utilized to change individuals’ sentiment. For instance, in the race of
president, the devotee of candidates publicize in media such as, TV or the web for them, and ingest
consideration regarding choose any individual that they need.

Thus, it can be concluded mass media have a powerful influence in shaping a persons’ lives.
However, mass media can have both positive and negative impact on the lives and on the minds of the people. It
depends on the mindset of the people, as to which side they look for.

This project is a sociological study and research on the aspects of mass communication and social changes that
are seen in the Indian society over years. It gives an outlook to the concepts of ‘Mass Communication’, ‘Social
Change’ and other related topics in a brief manner, thus giving an overview on the project title. Subsequently, it
discusses on how mass media communications affect the society as a whole, resulting in ‘social change’.
The research project is bended to the context of the Indian society. That is why; an extensive discussion is
carried out on the development of different means of mass communications in our country, India, over time.
The final chapter is the crux of the project, which gives an elaborate and distinct description on the ‘roles of
different means of mass media communications- radio, television, print media sources, cellular phones and the
latest invention- the Internet etc. played by them in our social lives and explains us about how they act as
‘Agents of Social Change in Indian society’ which is thoughtful. Later, it concludes on how media
communication affects the social life in the Indian society and to what extent.

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1.1 LITERATURE REVIEW

In this project a distinct amount of articles and books are used. They are reviewed as follows:
 NCERT, Class 12 textbook ‘Social Change and Development in India’
This is the CBSE prescribed textbook for Sociology. It contains 8 different chapters dealing with various
topics relating to the field of sociology. It includes a chapter on ‘Mass Communications in India’ which
gives a detailed description about the development of mass media in our country over time.
 Awatade, Mr. Milind; 'Media And Social Change: Current Trends In India'
This is an online article through which the writer explains about mass media as an important social
institution which caters social and economic needs of wider social groups and it has been playing vital
role in developing countries like India, with detailed description in a sociological perspective.

1.2 SCOPES AND OBJECTIVES

Following are the objectives of this project:

 To understand the sociological concepts of mass media communication and social change.
 To know about the impact that our society has from the means of mass communication and discuss about it.
 To find out the roles played by the mass communication in our society, which in a way has multiple
sociological effects.
 To discuss about the roles played by mass media as ‘agents of social change’ in the Indian society.

The scope of the project lies within the area of research of the Indian society, in terms of the impact that
mass media has on it and the extent to how the different means of mass communication acts as ‘agents of
social change’

1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

Keeping in view of the objectives, various research questions are formulated:

 What are Mass Media Communication and Social Change?

 How do mass media communications impact the social lives?
 How does mass media communications act as agents of social change in the Indian society and how it
affects the lives of common people?
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1.4 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The researcher conducted mixed type of methodology. Study design in this paper was cross sectional where by
data were collected at one point in time. The use of library sources, journals, articles and internet sources has
greatly supplemented the research. Various books pertaining to the subject have been immensely helpful in
guiding the research.
To ensure a quality study of the subject matter, the researcher collected the Secondary type of data. Though
primary data is very valuable and precious; still the importance of the secondary data cannot be overlooked. So,
the researcher collected secondary data through various books, articles, journals and mostly from the internet
sources

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2. INTRODUCTORY CONCEPTS OF MASS COMMUNICATION AND SOCIAL
CHANGE

2.1 MASS COMMUNICATION

Mass communication is a process of transmitting message to a large number of scattered audiences. Through
mass communication, information can be transmitted quickly to a large number of people who generally stay far
away from the sources of information. Mass communication is done through radio, television, newspaper,
magazine, leaflets etc. some definitions of mass communication are as follows:

According to Emery and others, “Mass communication is a process of sending a message, thought and attitude
through some media at a time to a large number of heterogeneous audiences.”

According to R. P. Molo, “Mass communication is a process through which an individual, organization or govt.
communicates with the general people.”1

Mass communication is "the process by which a person, group of people, or organization creates a message and
transmits it through some type of medium to a large, anonymous, heterogeneous audience." This implies that
the audience of mass communication is mostly made up of different cultures, behavior and belief systems. Mass
communication is regularly associated with media influence or media effects, and media studies. Mass
communication is a branch of social science that falls under the larger umbrella of communication studies of
communication

The history of communication stretches from prehistoric forms of art and writing through modern
communication methods such as the Internet. Mass communication began when humans could transmit
messages from a single source to multiple receivers. Mass communication has moved from theories such as the
hypodermic needle model (or magic bullet theory) through more modern theories such as computer-mediated
communication.2

1
The Business Communication, ‘What is Mass Communication’; (https://thebusinesscommunication.com/what-is-
th
mass-communication/), last accessed on 15 April, 2018.
2
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ; ’Mass communication’; (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_communication),
th
last accessed on 15 April, 2018.

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Characteristics or Features of Mass Communication

Mass Communication has all the features of general communication. In addition, it offers some unique
characteristics because of its specialty in nature. The characteristics of mass communication are discussed
below:

a. Large Number of Audience: The foremost feature of mass communication is that it has large number of
audience. No other communication gets as many receivers as it gets.
b. Heterogeneous Audience: Mass Communication is not only composed of a large number of audiences but
also aims to heterogeneous audience. The heterogeneity here means that the audience may belong to
different races, groups, section, cultures etc.
c. Scattered Audience: The audiences of Mass Communication are not organized in a certain area rather they
are highly scattered in different geographical areas. The receivers of message of mass communication may
stay any place of the country and even any place of the world.
d. Wide Area: The area of Mass Communication is wider than any other communication systems. In case of
mass communication system, the message is structured, formal and standardized and that’s why it has
acceptance all over the world.
e. Use of Channel: Mass Communication system uses various types of mass media channels such as-radio,
television, newspapers, magazines etc.
f. Use of Common Message: Another unique characteristic of mass communication is that it sends the same
message simultaneously to a large number of audiences staying far away from each other. If the audiences
have the proper access to the media used by the sender they can easily get message wherever they stay in the
world.
g. Direct Feedback: Mass Communication does not produce any direct feedback. The reaction of audience
cannot be known quickly here.
h. Outward Flow: The flow of message in mass communication is outward, not inward. The basic objective of
mass communication is also to send message to the people outside the organization who say far away.
i. Use of Technology: Mass Communication system uses modern technology in the process of production and
dissemination of the message to be sent.3

3
(http://bizcommunicationcoach.com/what-is-mass-communication-features-of-mass-communication/), last
th
accessed on 15 April, 2018.

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2.2 SOCIOLOGY OF MASS COMMUNICATION

Mass communication is done to impact people. It has three main motives to make people ‘Read, Understand
and React’. It sets basic knowledge for people to interact in society with each other and with situations.
Sociology help perceive the psychology of the people not at an individual once you are successful at gaining
knowledge of society’s functions and structure, you will be able to transport ideal or suitable messages in
society. From designing content of the communication to communicate to the people till the post scenario of
communication is also said to be a subject matter of Sociology. Marshall McLuhan states the importance of
choosing a right medium to impart the message to the society is very essential. McLuhan recommends that a
medium itself, not the substance it conveys, ought to be the concentration of study. He said that medium
influences the general public in which it assumes a part not just by the substance conveyed over the medium,
yet in addition to the attributes of the medium itself. Media theories are now being developed based on critical
thinking and qualitative method. Communication can be viewed as central part of consciousness as well as the
element of human activity. Also, sociological analysis of communication is necessary to understand whether
mass media have any impact on social structure and vice versa.

From home to school from school to workplace we use different ways to communicate with others because each
individual plays carries different social status, mindset, and social skills. Hence here Sociology comes in handy
when you are at home you talk to your family member according to that. When you are at work you will be
more careful and formal following work and social etiquette so that you don’t fall in trouble. As characterized
by C. Wright Mills in The Power Elite (1956), the broad communications have two critical sociological
attributes: to start with, not very many individuals can impart to an awesome number; and, second, the group of
onlookers has no viable method for replying back.

As in today’s time, Mass Media overpowers the mental lives of people. Therefore it creates intense curiosity
among Sociologist to know more about mass media and its effect on society. In past also we have seen the
different instance where people used dissimilar tactics to convey their messages and set up propaganda in
society. Early examinations by Harold Lasswell, Paul Lazarsfeld, and others appeared to demonstrate that
media impacts were, in fact, immediate and capable the supposed ‘hypodermic’ model of impact. Be that as it
may, more escalated examine uncovered that mass interchanges have interceded in complex ways and that their
consequences for the group of onlookers rely upon elements, for instance, social class, social settings, values

8
and ethics, convictions, enthusiastic state etc. Thus, for better communication one needs to understand society
and human behavior as Media and Sociology are complementary to each other.4

Sociology helps an individual understand people more in depth rather than basing an opinion on an assumption.
We gain an understanding of people in all aspects in the way they live their day to day lives, as well as their
way of thinking and why they might have certain thoughts. Sociology is relevant in mass communication
because it gives you the knowledge on how to communicate with people all over the world. For example a
person that is learning about mass communication and visits a third world country may not have the knowledge
on how to deal with situations involving individuals in that country who may approach you and try to
communicate their dire need of help. Now a person that has the hands on knowledge in sociology and is
studying mass communication would definitely have a better understanding on what needs to be communicated
in such situations, in a more effective and professional manner.

Dennis Mcquail has described media as engine of change. The question arises whether media truly working as
an engine of social change or not. Media should come out of infotainment syndrome. Media is a means of
socialization. A.A. Berger has opined that, “What is important about informal socialization is that people
generally do not recognize that they are being taught what roles to play and how to play them, what values to
espouse, what attitudes to have, what goals to strive for, and so on.”5

2.3 SOCIAL CHANGE- A SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

Social change is the transformation of culture and social organization/structure over time. In the modern world
we are aware that society is never static and that social, political, economic and cultural changes occur
constantly. There are whole range of classic theories and research methods available within sociology for the
study of social change.

There are four main characteristics of social change (Macionis 1996): -

4
Sociology Group; ‘Relationship between Sociology and Mass Media Communication’
(http://www.sociologygroup.com/relationship-sociology-mass-media/)
5
Mr. Milind Awatade; 'MEDIA AND SOCIAL CHANGE: CURRENT TRENDS IN INDIA'; (www.srji.com)

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  It happens everywhere, but the rate of change varies from place to place. For example, the United States
would experience faster change, than a third world country that has limited access to technology and
information.
 Social change is sometimes intentional but often unplanned. For example, when the airplane was
invented people knew that this would increase and speed travel. However, it was probably not realised
how this invention would affect society in the future. Families are spread throughout the country,
because it is easier to return for visits. Companies are able to expand worldwide thanks to air travel. The
numerous crashes and deaths related to airplanes was not predicted either.
 Social change often generates controversy. For example, the move over the recent years to accept
homosexual rights has caused controversy involving the military, religion, and society overall.
 Some changes matter more than others do. For example, the invention of personal computers was more
important than Cabbage Patch dolls.6

2.4 COMMUNICATION FOR SOCIAL CHANGE

Communication for social change, referred to as communication for sustainable social change and
development, involves the use of variety of communication techniques to address inefficient systems, processes,
or modes of production within a specific location that has not incurred major technological advances. Different
mediums and approaches are used to help individuals among the targeted society to acquire new knowledge and
skills. This will allow communities not only to experience change but to guide it as well.7

Communication finds its place at core of the social development agenda, whereby it welds together
marginalized and isolated communities, diverse s and subcultures, groups and individuals, and combines the
efforts of change. In 1962, UNESCO’s survey highlighted that 70 per cent of the world didn’t have access to
adequate information despite the UN Conference on Freedom of Information in 1948, establishing that access to
information is an essential freedom. Long back, the world had understood that communication is essential for
survival of our contemporary civilization as beyond the physical requirements of food and shelter.

Communication plays a crucial role in education, social, and economic progress by not only facilitating trade
and transmitting ideas beyond boundaries, but also promoting human development in the remotest corners of
the globe. Hence, the UN urged all its member states to incorporate media development strategies within their

6 th
(http://worldanimal.net/documents/2_Social_Change_Introduction.pdf), last accessed on 15 April, 2018.
7 th
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communication_for_social_change), last accessed on 15 April,2018

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socio-economic development plans.Although, our experiences suggest that independence of media can be
compromised, yet it has the power to maintain checks and balances allowing people to raise their voice and
build consensus. In order to facilitate development it is a pre-requisite for the mass communication mediums to
have proper environment in terms of independence, capacities and finances. Globally, people want their voices
to be heard and media institutions to be transparent, responsive, capable and accountable for driving social
change. As we have embarked on the journey towards achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs) by
2030, our processes should be open allowing people to become change agents with their inventiveness,
practices and knowledge. While doing so, a plural, independent media’s role to channelize information would
be vital so that the people participate in debates, discussions and the development process.8

The influence of the media on society has for a long time preoccupied researchers in the field of
communication. Various normative, social scientific and critical communication theories have addressed how
media influence social change. Early media effects theories assumed a direct and unmitigated influence of
media on individuals and society. Later research questioned the assumption of all-powerful media effects,
launching what became known as the limited-effects tradition. From those early days of communication
research, there has been a constant ebb and flow of theories and empirical research attempting to understand the
real effect of media on social change.

Numerous theories have also attempted to understand the effect of the media on social change from a variety of
perspectives and for different objectives. These include theories of media and democratization, theories of
development communication and social learning, and theories in health communication, social marketing, and
participatory communication. Also, a variety of areas of inquiry in mass communication dealt with social
change. These include research on alternative and pirate media, public service and educational broadcasting,
public opinion and political communication, and research on propaganda.9

8
Rahul Chowdhury, ‘Role of Mass Communications in Achieving Social Change’ (Linkedin, September 18, 2017)
(https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/role-mass-communications-achieving-social-change-rahul-choudhury)
9
Marwan M. Kraidy , ‘SOCIAL CHANGE AND THE MEDIA’;
(https://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.co.in/&httpsredir=1&article=1335
&context=asc_papers)

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3. IMPACT OF MASS COMMUNICATION ON ‘SOCIAL CHANGE’: AN OVERVIEW

‘Mass media’ is communication—whether written, broadcast, or spoken—that reaches a large audience. This
includes television, radio, advertising, movies, the Internet, newspapers, magazines, and so forth. Mass media is
a significant force in modern culture, particularly in America. Sociologists refer to this as a mediated culture
where media reflects and creates the culture. Communities and individuals are bombarded constantly with
messages from a multitude of sources including TV, billboards, and magazines, to name a few. These messages
promote not only products, but moods, attitudes, and a sense of what is and is not important. Mass media makes
possible the concept of celebrity: without the ability of movies, magazines, and news media to reach across
thousands of miles, people could not become famous. In fact, only political and business leaders, as well as the
few notorious outlaws, were famous in the past. Only in recent times have actors, singers, and other social elites
become celebrities or “stars.”

The current level of media saturation has not always existed. As recently as the 1960s and 1970s, television, for
example, consisted of primarily three networks, public broadcasting, and a few local independent stations.
These channels aimed their programming primarily at two‐parent, middle‐class families. Even so, some middle‐
class households did not even own a television. Today, one can find a television in the poorest of homes, and
multiple TVs in most middle‐class homes. Not only has availability increased, but programming is increasingly
diverse with shows aimed to please all ages, incomes, backgrounds, and attitudes. This widespread availability
and exposure makes television the primary focus of most mass‐media discussions. More recently, the Internet
has increased its role exponentially as more businesses and households “sign on.” Although TV and the Internet
have dominated the mass media, movies and magazines—particularly those lining the aisles at grocery checkout
stands—also play a powerful role in culture, as do other forms of media.10

Media is one of the most powerful tools of communication in the developing countries, as well as in the
developed countries. It can aid in promoting the right things at a right point of time, or can make use of any
situation to create disturbance around the people or in the society. Media helps to provide a strong message to
the world about what is right or wrong. The world is making a steady progress towards a better future every
day. But still, people are bound by the social problems and issues directly or indirectly are” affected by the
people, of the people and for the people. “No one can deny the blessings of media in today’s world. The mass
media helps people to remain informed and updated about the various news, events, social activities, lifestyle,
entertainment, and advertisements irrespective of the geographical barriers. For example, while sitting in India,
one can get all latest news and events of UK, or USA. Like, even while sitting miles away, one got the breaking

10
(https://www.cliffsnotes.com/study-guides/sociology/contemporary-mass-media/the-role-and-influence-of-
th
mass-media), last accessed on 15 April, 2018.

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news of Barack Obama winning the Presidential election. He became the first African American to hold the
office. Mass media have made profound impact on societies and their culture. It ceases the boundaries of
different societies among the individuals and creates ‘Globalization.’ The globalization is a decent case to
delineate the friendship of media, since people can witness what is happening in different nations or how they
dress up and what their way of life is. Subsequently, they typically mirror what others do.

Furthermore, media are a storehouse of information. It educates individuals about day to day occasions or new
revelations. This data some of the time is utilized to change individuals’ sentiment. For instance, in the race of
president, the devotee of candidates publicize in media such as, TV or the web for them, and ingest
consideration regarding choose any individual that they need. Thus, it can be concluded mass media have a
powerful influence in shaping a persons’ lives.

However, mass media can have both positive and negative impact on the lives and on the minds of the people. It
depends on the mindset of the people, as to which side they look for. Media can help to create awareness among
the people faster than any other thing. In fact, mass media can have a great impact on peoples’ lifestyles and
culture. For example, girls living in a conservative country or girls who are growing up in a conservative culture
can be prompted and motivated to wear short dresses by watching TV shows or by following another country’s
culture. They might consider by wearing short dresses they can become cool just like the TV personalities they
admire.

While the above point stresses on the negative impact of TV, it also has made some positive impact for the
society. Through television, one can create social awareness about many social and economic issues like AIDS,
Child Abuse, Female Foeticide, and so on which are For example, television channels organizes TV shows like
“Satyamev Jayate” which focuses on making people aware of the harsh realities of life. It mainly discusses and
provides possible solutions relating to the various social issues of India. It aims to empower citizens with
informations. Hence, through this type of shows, many NGOs comes up with the social causes and holds
campaigns, demonstration, and protests in order to demand justice.

Even, National TV channels like Doordarshan, DD National used to air shows like “Bharat Ek Khoj” which was
an Indian historical drama based on the book ‘The Discovery Of India’ written by Jawaharlal Nehru that covers
a 5000-year history of India from its beginnings to the coming of independence in 1947. Hence, media also
played an educative role by hosting programs like “Bharat Ek Khoj” in order to enlighten people about their
country’s struggle to freedom.11

11
http://esolz.net/mass-media-plays-a-crucial-role-in-influencing-peoples-mind/

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Some Other Mass Media Platforms:

a. Social Media has the power to mobilize mass movement. For example, Tunisia and Egypt saw an increasing
use of the social media platforms, i.e., social media networking sites like Facebook and Twitter in order to help
the citizens in organizing, communicate and ultimately initiating street action and civil-disobedience campaigns.
Also, during the year 2009, the Iranian “Green Revolution” was closely followed by the Western media
channels via the following social media platforms such as Twitter and YouTube, and the latter even gave
Moldova’s 2009 revolution its moniker, the “Twitter Revolution.”

b. In India, literacy forms a substantial barrier to the development of a country. In order to deal with this type of
situation, radio especially, Community Radio can help to reach out to a large number of masses, like the poor
people because it’s affordable and also uses less electricity. Community Radio lends a voice to the community
they serve with programmes in local languages, and also respecting the local culture and tradition. It also
provides a counterbalance to the increasing globalization and commercialization of media.

Any programmes can be successful, if the information is disseminated at grassroots level. Hence, radio forms
another major platform that helps in reaching out the rural masses, especially creating awareness regarding
government policies. The Community Radio movement can help to create awareness among the rural masses
about the different flagship programmes like ‘Digital India’ or ‘Make In India’ or ‘Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao’ or
‘Swachh Bharat’, etc.12

12
(http://esolz.net/mass-media-plays-a-crucial-role-in-influencing-peoples-mind/)

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4. MASS MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS IN INDIA

4.1 BEGINNINGS OF MODERN MASS MEDIA

The first modern mass media institution began with the development of the printing press. Although the history
of print in certain societies dates back to many centuries, the first attempts at printing books using modern
technologies began in Europe. This technique was first developed by Johann Gutenberg in 1440. Initial attempts
at printing were restricted to religious books.

With the Industrial Revolution, the print industry also grew. The first products of the press were restricted to an
audience of literate elites. It was only in the mid-19th century, with further development in technologies,
transportation and literacy that newspapers began to reach out to a mass audience. People living in different
corners of the country found themselves reading or hearing the same news. It has been suggested that this was
in many ways responsible for people across a country to feel connected and develop a sense of belonging or
‘we-feeling’. The well-known scholar Benedict Anderson has thus argued that this helped the growth of
nationalism, the feeling that people who did not even know of each other’s existence feel like members of a
family. It gave people who would never meet each other a sense of togetherness. Anderson thus suggested that
we could think of the nation as an ‘imagined community’.

We can recall how 19th century social reformers often wrote and debated in newspapers and journals. The
growth of Indian nationalism was closely linked to its struggle against colonialism. It emerged in the wake of
the institutional changes brought about by British rule in India. Anti-colonial public opinion was nurtured and
channelized by the nationalist press, which was vocal in its opposition to the oppressive measures of the
colonial state. This led the colonial government to clamp down on the nationalist press and impose censorship,
for instance during the Ilbert Bill agitation in 1883. Association with the national movement led some of the
nationalist newspapers like Kesari (Marathi), Mathrubhumi (Malayalam), Amrita Bazar Patrika (English) to
suffer the displeasure of the colonial state. But that did not prevent them from advocating the nationalist cause
and demand an end to colonial rule.

Under British rule newspapers and magazines, films and radio comprised the range of mass media.

Radio was wholly owned by the state. National views could not be, therefore, expressed. Newspapers and films
though autonomous from the state were strictly monitored by the Raj. Newspapers and magazines either in
English or vernacular were not very widely circulated as the literate public was limited. Yet their influence far
out stripped their circulation as news and information was read and spread by word of mouth from commercial

15
and administrative hubs like markets and trading centers as well as courts and towns. The print media carried a
range of opinion, which expressed their ideas of a ‘free India’. These variations were carried over to
independent India.13

4.2 MASS MEDIA IN INDEPENDENT INDIA

In independent India, Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister, called upon the media to function as the
watchdog of democracy. The media was expected to spread the spirit of self-reliance and national development
among the people. We can recall the general thrust of development in the early years of independence in India.

The media was seen as a means to inform the people of the various developmental efforts. The media was also
encouraged to fight against oppressive social practices like untouchability, child marriages, and ostracism of
widows,as well as beliefs of witchcraft and faith healing. A rational, scientific ethos was to be promoted for the
building of a modern industrial society. The Films Division of the government produced newsreels and
documentaries. These were shown before the screening of films in every movie theatre, documenting the
development process as directed by the state.

Radio

Radio broadcasting which commenced in India through amateur ‘ham’ broadcasting clubs in Kolkata and
Chennai in the 1920s matured into a public broadcasting system in the 1940s during the World War II when it
became a major instrument of propaganda for Allied forces in South-east Asia. At the time of independence
there were only 6 radio stations located in the major cities catering primarily to an urban audience. By 1950
there were 546,200 radio licenses all over India. Since the media was seen as an active partner in the
development of the newly free nation the AIR’s programmes consisted mainly of news, current affairs, and
discussions on development. Apart from All India Radio (AIR) broadcasts news there was Vividh Bharati, a
channel for entertainment that was primarily broadcasting Hindi film songs on listener’s request.

The major constraint for the popularisation of radio initially was the cost of the radio set. The transistor
revolution in the 1960s made the radio more accessible by making it mobile as battery operated sets and
reducing the unit price substantially. In 2000 around 110 million households (two-thirds of all Indian
households) were listening to radio broadcasts in 24 languages and 146 dialects. More than a third of them were
rural households.

13
‘Mass Media and Communications’; NCERT, Class 12 textbook(Social Change and Development in India)
(http://ncertbooks.prashanthellina.com/class_12.Sociology.SocialChangeandDevelopmentinIndia/chap7.pdf)

16
Television

Television programming was introduced experimentally in India to promote rural development as early as 1959.
Later the Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) broadcasted directly to community viewers in the
rural areas of six states between August 1975 and July 1976. These instructional broadcasts were broadcast to
2,400 TV sets directly for 4 hours daily. Meanwhile, television stations were set up under Doordarshan in 4
cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Srinagar and Amritsar) by 1975. Three more stations in Kolkata, Chennai and Jalandhar
were added within a year. Every broadcasting centre had its own mix of programmes comprising news,
children’s and women’s programmes, farmer’s programmes as well as entertainment programmes.

As programmes become commercialized and were allowed to carry advertisements of its sponsors, a shift in
target audience was evident. Entertainment programmes grew and were directed to the urban consuming class.
The advent of color broadcasting during the 1982 Asian Games in Delhi and the rapid expansion of the national
network led to rapid commercialization of television broadcasting. During 1984-85 the number of television
transmitters increased all over India covering a large proportion of the population. It was also the time when
indigenous soap operas like ‘Hum Log’ (1984-85) and ‘Buniyaad’ (1986-87) were aired. They were hugely
popular acclaim and attracted substantial advertising revenue for ‘Doordarshan’ as did the broadcasting of the
epics ‘Ramayan’ (1987-88) and ‘Mahabharat’ (1988-90).14

Print Media

The beginnings of the print media and its role in both the spread of the social reform movement and the
nationalist movement have been noted. After independence, the print media continued to share the general
approach of being a partner in the task of nation building by taking up developmental issues as well as giving
voice to the widest section of people. The gravest challenge that the media faced was with the declaration of
Emergency in 1975 and censorship of the media. Fortunately, the period ended and democracy was restored in
1977. India with its many problems can be justifiably proud of a free media.15

14
(http://ncertbooks.prashanthellina.com/class_12.Sociology.SocialChangeandDevelopmentinIndia/chap7.pdf)
15
‘Mass Media and Communications’; NCERT, Class 12 textbook(Social Change and Development in India)
(http://ncertbooks.prashanthellina.com/class_12.Sociology.SocialChangeandDevelopmentinIndia/chap7.pdf)

17
4.3 GLOBALIZATION AND MASS COMMUNICATION

The media have always had international dimensions – such as the gathering of new stories and the distribution
of primarily western films overseas. However, until the 1970s most media companies operated within specific
domestic markets in accordance with regulations from national governments. The media industry was also
differentiated into distinct sectors – for the most part, cinema, print media, radio and television broadcasting all
operated independently of one another. In the past three decades, however, profound transformations have taken
place within the media industry. National markets have given way to a fluid global market, while new
technologies have led to the fusion of forms of media that were once distinct.

Print Media

We have seen how important newspapers and magazines were for the spread of the freedom movement. It is
often believed that with the growth of the television and the internet the print media would be sidelined.
However, in India we have seen the circulation of newspapers grow. The most significant happening in the last
few decades has been the Indian language newspaper revolution. The beginnings of this growth predated
liberalisation. The top two dailies in India are Dainik Jagran and Dainik Bhaskar with a readership of 21 million
and 17 million, respectively. The fastest growing dailies are the Assamese dailies in urban areas (51.8 per cent
increase) and the Bengali dailies in rural areas (129 per cent). The Eenadu story also exemplifies the success of
the Indian language press. Ramoji Rao the founder of Eenadu, had successfully organised a chit-fund, before
launching the paper in 1974.

By associating with appropriate causes in the rural areas like the Anti-arrack movement in the mid-1980s, the
Telugu newspaper was able to reach into the countryside. This prompted it to launch ‘district dailies’ in 1989.
These were tabloid inserts or sensational features carrying news from particular districts as well as classified
advertisements from villages and small towns of the same. By 1998 Eenadu was being published from ten
towns in Andhra Pradesh and its circulation accounted for 70 per cent of the audited Telugu daily circulation.

From the late 1980s and early 1990s, newspapers have become fully automatic – from reporter’s desk to final
page proof. The use of paper has been completely eliminated with this automated chain. This has become
possible because of two technological changes – networking of personal computers (PCs) through LANs (local
area networks) and use of newsmaking software like Newsmaker and other customized software.

Changing technology has also changed the role and function of a reporter. The basic tools of a news reporter —
a shorthand notebook, pen, typewriter, and plain old telephone has been replaced by new tools — a mini tape
recorder, a laptop or a PC, mobile or satellite phone, and other accessories like modem. All these technological

18
changes in news gathering have increased the speed of news and helped newspaper managements to push their
deadlines to dawn. They are also able to plan a greater number of editions and provide the latest news to the
readers. A number of language newspapers are using the new technologies to bring out separate editions for
each of the districts. While print centers are limited, the number of editions has grown manifold.

Newspaper chains like Meerut-based Amar Ujala are using new technology for news gathering as well as for
improving pictorial coverage. The newspaper has a network of nearly a hundred reporters and staffers and an
equal number of photographers, feeding news to all its thirteen editions spread across Uttar Pradesh and
Uttaranchal. All the hundred correspondents are equipped with PCs and modems for news transmission, and the
photographers carry digital cameras with them. Digital images are sent to the central news desk via modems.

Many feared that the rise in electronic media would lead to a decline in the circulation of print media. This has
not happened. Indeed it has expanded. This process has, however, often involved cuts in prices and increasing
dependence on the sponsors of advertisements who in turn have a larger say in the content of newspapers.16

Radio

In 2000, AIR’s programmes could be heard in two-third of all Indian households in 24 languages and 146
dialects, over some 120 million radio sets. The advent of privately owned FM radio stations in 2002 provided a
boost to entertainment programmes over radio. In order to attract audiences these privately run radio stations
sought to provide entertainment to its listeners. As privately run FM channels are not permitted to broadcast any
political news bulletins, many of these channel specialise in ‘particular kinds’ of popular music to retain their
audiences. One such FM channel claims that it broadcasts ‘All hits all day’! Most of the FM channels which are
popular among young urban professionals and students, often belong to media conglomerates. Like ‘Radio
Mirchi’ belongs to the Times of India group,

Red FM is owned by Living Media and Radio City by the Star Network. But independent radio stations
engaged in public broadcastings like National Public Radio (USA) or BBC (UK) are missing from our
broadcasting landscape. In the two films: ‘Rang de Basanti’ and ‘Lage Raho Munnai Bhai’ the radio is used as
an active medium of communication although both the movies are set in the contemporary period. In ‘Rang de
Basanti’, the conscientious, angry college youth, inspired by the legend of Bhagat Singh assassinates a minister
and then captures All India Radio to reach out to the people and disseminate their message. While in ‘Lage

16
‘Mass Media and Communications’; NCERT, Class 12 textbook(Social Change and Development in India)
(http://ncertbooks.prashanthellina.com/class_12.Sociology.SocialChangeandDevelopmentinIndia/chap7.pdf)

19
Raho Munna Bhai’, the heroine is a radio jockey who wakes up the country with her hearty and full-throated
“Good Morning Mumbai!” the hero too takes recourse to the radio station to save a girl’s life.

The potential for using FM channels is enormous. Further privatisation of radio stations and the emergence of
community owned radio stations would lead to the growth of radio stations. The demand for local news is
growing. The number of homes listening to FM in India has also reinforced the worldwide trend of networks
getting replaced by local radio. The box below reveals not only the ingenuity of a village youth but also the
need for catering to local cultures.17

Television

In 1991 there was one state controlled TV channel Doordarshan in India. By 1998 there were almost 70
channels. Privately run satellite channels have multiplied rapidly since the mid-1990s. While Doordarshan
broadcasts over 20 channels there were some 40 private television networks broadcasting in 2000. The
staggering growth of private satellite television has been one of the defining developments of contemporary
India. In 2002, 134 million individuals watched satellite TV on an average every week. This number went up to
190 million in 2005. The number of homes with access to satellite TV has jumped from 40 million in 2002 to 61
million in 2005. Satellite subscription has now penetrated 56 percent of all TV homes.

Most television channels are on throughout the day, 24X7. The format for news is lively and informal. News
has been made far more immediate, democratic and intimate. Television has fostered public debate and is
expanding its reach every passing year. This brings us to the question whether serious political and economic
issues are neglected. There are a growing number of news channels in Hindi and English, a large number of
regional channels and an equally large number of reality shows, talk shows, Bollywood shows, family soaps,
interactive shows, game shows and comedy shows. Entertainment television has produced a new cadre of
superstars who have become familiar household names, and their private life, rivalry on sets feed the gossip
columns of popular magazines and newspapers. Reality shows like ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ or ‘Indian Idol’ or
‘Big Boss’ have become increasingly popular. Most of these are modelled along the lines of western
programmes.18

17
‘Mass Media and Communications’; NCERT, Class 12 textbook(Social Change and Development in India)
(http://ncertbooks.prashanthellina.com/class_12.Sociology.SocialChangeandDevelopmentinIndia/chap7.pdf)
18
http://ncertbooks.prashanthellina.com/

20
5. ROLE OF MASS COMMUNICATION AS AN AGENT OF ‘SOCIAL CHANGE’ IN INDIA

5.1 RADIO- ‘Empowering Women’

Community radio is a third tier broadcasting along with public and private radio broadcasting. Community radio
is managed, run, controlled and owned by a community for the benefit of the community and serves the needs,
interests and aspirations of a community. CR (Community Radio) gives marginalized communities where their
voice is not heard earlier, the CR gives them an opportunity to express their views where in the mainstream
media these voices are not provided any space or time. Voluntary organizations, civic groups, NGO’s,
Women’s groups/organizations, etc. are now entering into broadcasting to share, express, empower, give voice,
to many communities to benefit them with the broadcast. CR plays an important role in the lives of women as it
creates awareness, provides information and education, improves their skills and on the whole it promotes
social, cultural, political and economic development or empowerment of women.

Empowering women is a major task. Government, voluntary organization, social activists and others are trying
in their ways for the development of women. From the beginning of the Radio introduced in India, the primary
aim of AIR (All India Radio) was to inform, educate, and entertain the public. AIR major objectives it was
mentioned that radio has to serve the needs of women and it has to promote the welfare and development of
women. During the 2006 when community radio policy guidelines were issued for establishing community
radio stations in the country its primary aim was development of community with the help of community radio.
So community radio is being thought as tool which can promote development of the country, indirectly it will
promote the welfare of women. For example, Namma Dhwani (our voices), is the India’s first cable community
radio station started broadcasting in Karnataka in 2003. It was launched as a partnership effort of the Budhikote
community, and NGOs MYRADA and VOICES. UNESCO has funded equipment and capacity building
support. VOICES is devoted to development communication and capacity building support. All activities
related to production are done in Budhikote. The listeners of community radio are illiterate women, who
otherwise have little access to information. Namma Dhwani is a fully functional Community Multimedia
Centre, with radio, video, and satellite facilities. It is also completely self-sufficient through locally generated
revenue. Namma Dhwani enhanced the participation of women in programme making and created awareness
among the women listeners about health and sanitation, education, food habits and family system and
significant change was happened in the lives of women.19

19
Yalala N,'The Role of Community Radio in Empowering Women in India'(February 28, 2015);
(https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/the-role-of-community-radio-in-empowering-women-in-india-2165-
7912-5-245.php?aid=40288)

21
5.2 TELEVISION- ‘powerful medium of social change in women’s lives in Indian society’

Television has profound impact on our Indian society. It has occupied an important position in Indian
households and therefore it is bound to make an impact on the individual and the society as well. Television in
India is developing fast as the major source of enlightenment, leisure and infotainment. Television has been
strongly influencing the social lives of Indian women since its advent in India. It has strongly affected their
attitudes and emotions. Television has played a vital role in changing the personalities of Indian women by
improving their thinking and understanding abilities. Television as a mass media has created awareness among
Indian women about their privileges and rights. Television has established itself the most powerful medium of
communication both among educated and uneducated women. Though, it has affected the relations within the
family, yet its effective role in molding the personalities of women could not be denied. Thus, television is
playing a vital role in bringing prominent social change in Indian women’s lives.

Amongst all the mass media today, television attracts the largest number of viewers. Its audience is greater in
size than any of the other media audiences. This is because television is able to attract the audiences of all age
groups, literate and illiterate and of all the strata of the society. Television is the most powerful of all the media
of mass communication. It is in fact, a revolution in communication process in a modern society. It has brought
not only the whole world into the homes of the viewers but has earned their confidence in regards of its
reliability. They have become vulnerable to its influence. People are regularly exposed to it.At the present time
television is considered very effective medium of mass communication for women. It is one of the major
sources of information, entertainment and education for them. Television viewing habit has become an integral
part of women’s lives these days.

The extraordinary reach of television is available to every section of women and thus television is doing the
work of reshaping the opinion and attitude of Indian women. It has greatly influenced the thinking and
understanding level of Indian women, thus, widening their mental horizons. Television has also helped in
developing the logical thing ability of women. Its widespread influence can be clearly seen in social lives of
Indian women. Television has helped the women to take their first step towards modernization. Television has
such an impact in the lives of Indian women that it has become a prime medium by which women get
information about the outside world. It is used by women as a medium to relax themselves from closed and
monotonous living conditions.

Television as a mass media has motivated Indian women to get equal opportunities as equal to women.
Television programmes have helped in reducing prevalent atrocities on Indian women by motivating them, so
that they can stand up and fight for the wrong against them. These programmes have also helped in changing

22
the attitude of men towards women. Women centric programmes like ‘Udaan’, ‘Balika vadhu’ have greatly
motivated Indian women to stand up on their own feet and become self-sufficient. Television as a mass medium
has helped in creating awareness among Indian women various health related schemes run by government for
their welfare. These women-centric programmes are changing family ideologies that affect the women and thus
creating the most liberal society that could benefit women. Television viewing habit of Indian women has
reduced the social interaction of Indian women with their family members and friends to some extent. They
have started spending long hours in front of television set and creating their virtual world of imaginary
television characters. Although, these fictional characters are motivating most of the time but they always do
not seem real.20

5.3 NEWSPAPER AND OTHER PRINT MEDIA-

Print media have been the first form of mass communication, since the first journals after the invention of
typography by Gutenberg (in 1447) and monopolized the field until the mass production of the radio in 1920s.
In the next 90 years, first the television and then the Internet have claimed their own share of the media
audience. Despite the technological advancements which allow us wireless access to the Internet from pocket-
size devices, the special attributes of print media still render them an important source of information, as the
World Association of Newspapers suggests, pointing out that one billion people in the world read a newspaper
every day.

Educating the Public : Since the mass circulation of the first journals, illiteracy rates in developed countries
have dropped massively and played a significant role in this change. It's no surprise that the rise of newspapers'
circulation coincide with rising literacy rates, with the latest example being India, as the Wall Street Journal
reported in March 2011. From helping with basic reading skills to providing information on political, economic,
cultural and sports topics, the ever-changing contents of newspapers offer the world's knowledge on a daily
basis.

News on the Move : Modern bustling cities are composed of busy professionals who have little time to spare
and who only have time to learn the news as they commute to their job or back home. Modern technology has
made it possible to connect to the Internet from a mobile device, such as a smart phone and read the news from

20
Nidhi Bhandari,'Television as an Agent of Social Change among Indian Women:
An Analytical Study'Volume 22, Issue 9, Ver. 4 (September. 2017);
(http://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-jhss/papers/Vol.%2022%20Issue9/Version-4/H2209045358.pdf)

23
digital sources. However, wireless connection is not available everywhere (on the underground for example),
while newspapers are cheaper and a more practical way to read the news on the move.

Democratic Media : According to United States Resolution 59(I), adopted in 1946, "Freedom of information is
a fundamental human right." Freedom of information requires all citizens of a country to be able to find
information through official or independent sources, including the mass media. However, not everyone has the
ability to use new age media, due to the lack of infrastructure, financial resources or the knowledge to operate
them. In this case, print media act as a guarantee for the public's right to information.

Detailed Accounts : Despite the fast pace of modern societies, people need detailed coverage of serious topics,
such as wars or natural catastrophes. Comprehensive articles are essential for the public's understanding of a
delicate issue. Contrary to the radio and television, print media segments are not as severely constrained by
time. In addition, Internet articles must be published as soon as an issue arises, potentially leading to
inaccuracies on the initial draft, while print media are given the luxury of time.21

Newspaper contains news, advertisements and articles on various subjects. Newspapers play an important role
in a democracy. They act as bridge between the government and the governed. Everybody, except a few read
the newspaper every day. Different people read it for different purposes. Newspapers keep the people aware of
the activities of the government. They mobilize public opinion. They play an important role in fighting the
menace of corruption. In a democracy, there should be an efficient and fearless press. Press is he mirror of the
society. The first newspaper published in India was the Bengal Gazette. Information is fed to newspapers by a
number of amenities like PTI, UNI etc. Newspapers should concentrate on giving only the true picture of the
society. Everybody except a few read the newspaper every day. One reads it with exciting curiosity every
morning. Different people read the newspaper for different purposes. Young graduates scan the job-
advertisement pages. Lottery addicts pour over the lottery results. The school boy looks about the detailed
happenings in cricket and other sports. The head of the household reads about government matters and other
events. Business entrepreneurs go thought the business news. Housewives look for topics like cookery, health
and beauty care tips etc. Casual readers look for sensational topics like loot, murder, kidnapping etc. Others go
through the daily predictions of the zodiac. There are others who are interested in the articles and the letters to
the editor. Those who love the glamour world read the pages on fashion, movies and film stars.

India is a developing country. Most of the people are poor and illiterate. For democracy to be successful, all the
citizens should be illiterate. Politicians with selfish motive deceive the poor and illiterate with false promises.
Newspapers help in spreading public opinion. They keep the people aware of the activities of the government.
21
Tasos Vossos, 'The Role of Print Media in Society'; (https://classroom.synonym.com/role-print-media-society-
8219489.html)

24
In a democracy, there should be an efficient and fearless press. Press refers to newspapers, magazines, the news
section of radio and television, and the journalists who work for them. Press is the mirror of the society. It acts
as a watchdog of democracy. It is the duty of the press to watch the activities of the government. Its duty is to
highlight the failure of the policies of the government and pinpoint its lapses.

Newspaper gives us the latest information on local, national and international events. They serve as a platform
for discussion on public issues. Newspapers focus on social and political evils prevailing in the society. Some of
these evils are unsociability, dowry, drinking, gambling, drug addiction etc. Newspapers can exhort the people
to root out these evils. Newspapers make people aware of every field of society. Once in every week, every
newspaper publishes vacancies in all fields. Job seekers get much benefited thought this. A weekly matrimonial
supplement is also published with almost every newspaper and its related news and events. Newspapers also
contain the schedules of Television and theaters. It helps people to plan their day accordingly. News related to
sports becomes very important nowadays as it fetches large amount of revenue. So, almost all the newspapers
publish the sports-news with elaborate pictures and charts. People get informed about weather forecast, railway
and airport time table. In the present age, corruption is present in all walks of life. Newspapers play an
important role in fighting against the menace of corruption. The people can be made aware of the corrupt
practices prevalent in various departments of Government and other agencies.

Newspapers act as a link between the government and the people. They make the people aware of the policies,
programmes and activities of the government. They also make the government aware of the problems, being
faced by the people. Information is fed to the newspapers by a number of agencies. The Press Information
Bureau gives information to the Press on the government’s policies, programmes and activities. It receives
feedback from the people. India has four major news agencies – Press Trust of India (PTI), United News of
India (UNI), ‘Samachar Bharit’ and ‘Hindustan Samachar’. The newspapers are published in English, Hindi and
other regional languages. Newspaper could make a great impact on its readers.22

22
(https://www.quora.com/in/What-is-the-role-of-newspapers-in-society)

25
5.4 MOBILE PHONES

Mobile phones have become the most important and integral part of today’s lifestyle and mobile handset has
become a widely recognized consumer artifact. Where the mobile phones have great and huge merits there are
also demerits as well. There are also gender differences in mobile phone usage.

In this Era, mobile phone has become fashionable to everybody since it is very handy; with a mobile phone in
our hand we can solve many issues and keep most of information around the world. Mobile phones assist us to
the lot of business such as, make schedule of working, and keep in touch with their customers. Initially, when
they first came out, mobile phones were only useful for communicating; now they are of multiple uses by them.
With the arrival of sophisticated mobile phone it can be used for entertainment purposes also. Mobile Phone can
be used as an effective the leisure time tool to convert human mind from stress level to free level. Although
mobile phones are perceived as devices that directly serve the individuals who own them, they are also social
artifacts. As a communications technology, they support coordination with others.

Additionally, mobile telephony communicative practice is influenced by the social contexts in which the phones
are used. Communicative practice is also influenced by attributes of the owner’s lifestyle, including their social
networks. Furthermore, because they are devices that are now present in a variety of contexts, and can be
remotely and unpredictably activated, mobile phones are subject to social scrutiny and play a role in the social
world. They are surrounded by a system of actors who wittingly or unwittingly play a role in mobile phone
conversation. Mobile phones solve problems and provide new channels of communication. We can access the
entire world's information no matter where we are, just by using a device small enough to fit into one hand. The
growing number of people using mobile phones has led to optimism and speculation regarding its effect on
economic and social development.

According to Adela Rodrigo, mobile phones can play a part in social change, however not in the sense of
creating new spaces for economic growth but that mobile phones actually can play a part in creating a space for
youths to engage in issues that affect their lives. This will lead to empowerment. In this regard organizations
can trigger social change.

Mobile phones are already reshaping social and economic relations and have already delivered remarkable
benefits in poor countries, in terms of economic growth and personal empowerment and may even enable poor
countries to leapfrog some of the traditional stages of the development process.23

23
Subhrajit Chatterjee, 'A Sociological Outlook of Mobile Phone Use in Society'( 2014, Vol 1, No.6);
(http://www.ijims.com/uploads/7f312a1489818ee30d4fz8.pdf)

26
The adoption of the mobile phone by young people has been a global phenomenon in recent years. It is now an
integral part of adolescents’ daily lives and is for the majority, the most popular form of electronic
communication. In fact, the mobile phone has turned from a technological tool to a social tool. This paper
explores the impact of the mobile phone on youth peer relationships, on family relationships and on the
institution of the school. Young people use the mobile phone in positive ways to organize and maintain their
social networks. However, there are also negative impacts on young peoples’ peer relationships. These can
include ostracism and cyber bullying. Similarly, the mobile phone has led to changed dynamics in the family,
with issues of safety and surveillance from a parental perspective leading to negotiated changing freedoms for
young people. While functional coordination can be beneficial for the family, other problems can arise such as
financial difficulties, non-custodial parent access, as well as over reliance on the mobile phone for safety issues
and intrusion into young people lives. The impact of the mobile phone on the school as an institution has not
however, received as much research. Disruptions to lessons, incidences of cheating and bullying are some of the
negative impacts, while texting parents of truants seems to be the only positive for the school. Further research
is needed into the consequences of mobile phone use in schools.24

5.5 INTERNET

Internet availability is not limited to computers or laptops now a days. Even mobile phones with internet facility
are available at affordable process helping indirectly the internet to reach maximum number of users. In the
recent years everything is related or trying to relate to internet. A simple case study shows how fast internet had
grown. Television took more than 25 years to reach 10 million users whereas computers took more than 10
years to reach the same number. But internet took less than 5 years to reach the same number. Recent studies
show that even in the developing countries like India more than 40% of people are using internet and the
purposes of internet usage is diverse. People are using internet for social networking, to know news instantly, to
listen to music, to search or know something etc.25

Internet has greatly influenced the way individuals socialize, create and exploit economic opportunities and
knowledge resources. However, it is not clear what aspects of socialization, economic benefits and knowledge
contribute to the perceived impact of Internet on individuals.

24 th
(https://eprints.qut.edu.au/3492/), last accessed on 15 April, 2018.
25 th
(http://mydailyalerts.com/impact-internet-society-positive-negative), last accessed on 15 April, 2018.

27
It is expected that citizens in developing countries, in contrast to those in developed countries will perceive the
impact of Internet differentially. Poorer Internet penetration rates in developing countries and low levels of
developments of institutional infrastructure such as schools, libraries (as sources of knowledge), hospital, and
emergency services are some of the factors that contribute to this. Within developing countries, a similar logic
holds for the differential perceived impact between urban and rural areas. In India, this has implications for
several of the initiatives of the government, such as Digital India, in proliferating Internet, especially in rural
areas. Digital India Initiative was launched on July 1, 2015. It aims to provide access to 60 million households
in 250,000 village administrative units, through specially developed applications on the Internet to the rural
areas, with the hope that the fruits of development are shared by everyone, no matter what their gender, caste,
economic and social status, or religion is. The success of this program depends not only on the government
policies for proliferating infrastructure and content but also on how citizens perceive how such applications
impact their life.

In particular, rural areas do not have educational, communication, and transportation facilities. Job opportunities
are not many; information on job opportunities in other locations is not easily available. In emergencies like
epidemic breaks or floods it is difficult to contact other organizations for help. Even commerce takes place at a
primitive level. Therefore certain aspects of Internet appreciated by urbanites are not needed by rural folk and
vice versa. The effect of ‘Empowerment’ on ‘Perceived Impact’ is significant and positive. For the rural user,
the highest impact of the Internet is through ‘Empowerment’. This aspect shows that for an individual rural
user, the Internet’s ability to bridge the poor physical and institutional infrastructure in rural areas is very
important. The items that relate to Empowerment refer to the transport and information infrastructure,
emergency services, and ability to maintain social ties. For these users, there was significant perceived impact
owing to the Internet’s ability to overcome vulnerabilities on these dimensions.26

26
Daily Alert, ‘Impact of Internet On Society: Positive And Negative’; (http://mydailyalerts.com/impact-internet-
th
society-positive-negative), last accessed on 15 April, 2018.

28
7. CONCLUSION

Media is one of the most powerful tools of communication in the developing countries, as well as in the
developed countries. It can aid in promoting the right things at a right point of time, or can make use of any
situation to create disturbance around the people or in the society. Media helps to provide a strong message to
the world about what is right or wrong. The world is making a steady progress towards a better future every
day. But still, people are bound by the social problems and issues directly or indirectly are” affected by the
people, of the people and for the people. “No one can deny the blessings of media in today’s world. The mass
media helps people to remain informed and updated about the various news, events, social activities, lifestyle,
entertainment, and advertisements irrespective of the geographical barriers.

This project studies the role played by media communication in the Indian society, with a sociological
perspective keeping in mind, the possible variations of advantages and disadvantages. It can be concluded that
there are communication gaps between media and society. What is more important is bringing awareness at
different level. India requires communication on more coequal basis is ethically correct and practically more
relevant and useful.”

Thus there are many challenges for bringing social change in India. At present mass media is not properly
useful for promoting sustainable rural development. Hence the future perspectives can be more progressive if
media’s power is properly harnessed. It has been rightly observed that the social capital be built by forming
self-groups for collective action under the guidance of NGOs and that the presence of social capital is crucial
for the successful functioning of participatory programs.”

Thus all these aspects are significant wherein mass media can promote more participatory development on
different levels. Media can involve large number of people in social change. It can persuade progressive values
and finally it can transform Indian society from tradition to modern by developing it as information community
which means rich in information and advanced in technology. Information automation and use of mass media
only can be way for future change.

29
BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books:
 NCERT, Class 12 textbook ‘Social Change and Development in India’

Articles:

 Awatade, Mr. Milind; 'Media And Social Change: Current Trends In India'
 Chowdhury, Rahul; ‘Role of Mass Communications in Achieving Social Change’
 Yalala, N, 'The Role of Community Radio in Empowering Women in India'(February 28, 2015)
 Chatterjee, Subhrajit; 'A Sociological Outlook of Mobile Phone Use in Society'

Website references:

 http://mydailyalerts.com/impact-internet-society-positive-negative
 http://ncertbooks.prashanthellina.com/class_12.Sociology.SocialChangeandDevelopmentinIndia/chap7.pdf
 https://eprints.qut.edu.au/3492/
 http://esolz.net/mass-media-plays-a-crucial-role-in-influencing-peoples-mind/
 http://www.sociologygroup.com/relationship-sociology-mass-media/
 https://www.cliffsnotes.com/study-guides/sociology/contemporary-mass-media/the-role-and-influence-of-
mass-media

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