2020: The year of modern revelations.
By: Aditya Agrawal
Tags: Revelation, Journalism, Thoughts, Thinkpiece, Year In Review

2020 is a year of revelations, bad surprises, saddening news, and extreme feelings. Amongst these, the constant is our extreme feelings. It feels like we all have a personal stake in everything happening around the globe. The pandemic is a gruesome period but it is bestowing immense amount of self — realizations, opening our eyes to see the grey, to criticize and to question. To question and criticize, we need to be triggered, a trigger is something which forces you to flash your eyes on a certain phenomenon and be outright open and honest about correcting and/or making a change in it. The brink of change is not quick but an honest, open, and necessary conversation is where it will all begin.

We have lost thousands of people in the pandemic and losing more daily, we have lost 3 golden actors whose lineage will never be forgotten. These public figures were in the constant eye of the camera and we have seen how pathetic journalism has become. The most recent demise of the young actor is a shock to the country as to how mental health issues are beyond money and fame. Suicidal tendencies do not tend to follow your bank balance, your status, or your public rating; it follows a pattern of how the culmination of all three can push you to the edge.

This came as a huge trigger to everyone in the country and everyone started talking about it. As we are saddened by the news, we are now looking towards the mental wellness of each other. While most of us are not mental health professionals but at some, level acceptance begins from the social circle you cater to. I will be much more open to my friend than to a therapist because of two reasons; comfort and they are not charging me for it. I am not asking you to avoid therapy but to reach somewhere you need to begin as well. A comforting and understanding friend will most likely ask you to get professional help and suggest to you their pick as well.

Now, people are everywhere, posting helpline numbers, asking people to personally message them in case someone needs to be heard and of course, some people who want to criticize them just because they are incapable of being there for someone or they had no one to speak to when they needed to be heard. To all of them, I am sorry! I apologize on behalf of the people who judged you, made fun, and just ignored you at the time when you needed them. But all we can do is to promise, promise to be better and evolve into more accepting and empathetic human beings.

As a student of mass media, I learn journalism and the ethics revolving around it but I see all ethics crumpled and thrown away in the bin every single day. This is the 85th day of the national lockdown and I have seen vibrancy of content on news channels giving away everything but news. Antakshari (Sing-Along), Bollywood gossips, propaganda, misleading information, and downright disgusting ways of journalism are just a few examples that we have come across on “mainstream” news channels. If the news is made for the people, they have a complete right to analyze and criticize.

It is at this moment we shall be united in raising necessary questions, subsiding negativity, and hate to have a better societal structure, rules, and values. Let’s help each other live a little better, unbiased, free of prejudice and free life which goes beyond the caste, race, religion, sect, color, gender, and sexual orientation.

Please acknowledge the person by their ability to think and live vicariously than to constantly judge them because they don’t follow your societal norms which by the way, you have created for yourself. Educate yourself and practice empathy because life does come around in a full circle.