A DIGITAL MISSION

C. T. Bibin

The greatest challenge in the society is to find ‘What is true?’ and “What is really
true?” because of high yielding of fake news above the real one. We need a plausible
attention to live in the truth. Fake news travels very quickly. We need to have filter in our
mind to realize the true message and we have to question everything, which comes in
Media. People who are not questioning believe what is said in it - whether it is false or
true.

Online courses paved a way to acquire knowledge through virtual Media. It has led to
the closure of many universities and schools throughout the world. Because of the
indirect communication of today’s world the culture has been transformed. This cultural
transformation leads to fundamental change. This will lead to an impersonal society.
Even though the media is a gift of God, we are not able to understand it. The major
problem is that we are living in ‘I’ zone. While appearing to connect people, there is also
a disconnect and isolation.

Our communication has tremendously changed. Face to face communication has

become a rarity. Because of the development of media from every nook and corner,
faceless communication prevails. We do not know with whom we are interacting. God
created human beings to have a face to face communication, but somewhere we have lost
it. The sender does not know who receives the message. We say something and the other
thinks something. There are eight factors of communication: - Source, Message,
Transmitter, Signal, Channel, Noise, Receiver and Destination.

Mass media is a one to many communications. Now we have lost privacy. We have
access to anything and everything at a moment. Everything has to go into a change. From
mass communication we have reached mass networking. Creating value, communicating
value, delivering value to a target group at a profit is the present mode of networking.
Socializing in handheld device is Social Media. Fake news is a world in journalists
clothing.

Now we are living in a media saturated society. So we need to be awake and critically
look at the media. On account of the media, there are many bad impacts we see in
students: poor academic performance, living far away from realities in adequate steer,
and friendship with strangers, etc. Through media we need to engage and encourage,
educate and entertain, emote and enlarge.
 Why we use social media is a thing to explore. We use social media according to our
taste. People are watching because they have the need. We have the choice of thinking.
Some needs which are identified are surveillance, curiosity needs (what is happening),
relaxation and entertainment, identity needs, associationist and need for status. The media
extracts all the messages that you send. It is a broken agent. It is selling youth to the
media. Thereby, the thought of youth becomes false consciousness. How to overcome is a
question for us.

Media also plays a vital role in family life. Family is a typical symbol of culture of
India. Because of socialization nuclear family came into being and the relationship of the
family members has become loosened. Now media connects the family members
especially for instant communication (WhatsApp). But we can find a lot of people
addicted to it - a sort of artificial relationship - virtual relationship has evolved. For them
day is like night and vice-versa.

Media is essential for Church in this modern era. Because of the negative effect of
addiction, bad is over reflected and the good goes unnoticed. By watching unpleasant
things, there sets an unhealthy mind. Media addiction leads to sexual abuse of children
which is a major issue today. People of God will be shocked when they hear that even
their pastors are involved. Advertisements are to attract audiences. An advertisement of a
junk food leads to unhealthy life style. So, watch good programs, which leads to healthy
activities.

Media helps us to be updated with the world. Without the fourth estate, democracy
would not exist. Newspapers and televisions give us current affairs. But, the media has
become a mouthpiece of political institutions. Through media political parties gain
power. Media which speaks the truth are vanished away. The news being reported and the
outcome are of profit motive by corporate. Therefore Media is an exploitative mix not
myth. Social media has to take part in the concerns of the society. A good media should
be sensitive about three things: secure information, preserve copies and prohibit
anonymous views. Media is a double-edged sword. Media can make or take the life of a
leader. It has to be related to social transformation.

Development is an inevitable process. Media can play a vital role in it. It can
communicate to people. Communication plays the function as a catalyst, equalizer,
motivator or legitimates. Media plays a crucial role in it. Media has its own ethics. It is
another arm of business class. Business houses control the media. These houses have
abandoned the poor. So we have to re-create media. We should be media transformers.
Take a stand. We can see social transformation. We all can be journalists. We can write
blogs, post on Facebook, Twitter, etc. For this we need to switch from the selfie mode to
rear camera mode and focus on the poor man.
 Media can be a messenger. Media includes provider and receiver. Media itself is
neither good nor bad. Great evil and great good comes from the usage of media. Because
of the political interference, our institutions have less public faces in the society where
we are shrinking in. The Church needs to make space and time. We are to be relevant to
the millennium. We need strong pastoral presence. Reconnect with one another. It is not
just efficiency but affection by connectedness with people.

Media controls our mind. Many values we can take on. The use of media directs
towards the ethical aspect and integral development of common person and common
good of ordinary people. Ethical theological paradigm is the one which helps us to
achieve this goal. Ethical framework is accountability in relation to being someone who
is just anonymous. There must be truth in all our tasks. It should be connected to the
commonness. We are in a changing world related to media. Church now needs to find a
new face to carry forward the mission of Christ. The digital world is the Church’s New
Mission Territory.