INFORMATION, COMMUNICATION AND ENTERTAINMENT

Each age has its pin-pointed passions and pursuits. If the eighteenth centur hera!ded
the re"o!utionar #arch to$ards %!i&ert, e'ua!it and fraternit%, the nineteenth and
t$entieth centuries #ade spectacu!ar strides in science and techno!og and $aged a
re!ent!ess $ar against hunger and disease.
The t$entieth centur $itnessed the gradua! de#ise of co!onia!is#, as a!so the sudden
co!!apse of co##unis#, and thus ushered in the da$n of freedo# for #an an Asian
and African countr, a!ong $ith the s$eet-&itter dose of #ar(et econo# or
g!o&a!isation. In order to feed the fires of crass consu#eris# and co##ercia!isation of
concepts, e)cessi"e e)p!oration and e)p!oitation of &oth hu#an and natura! resources
&eca#e the ha!!#ar(s of the c!osing ears of the t$entieth centur. *tanding at the
thresho!d of the ne$ #i!!enniu#, one can foresee the triu#phant trinit-Infor#ation
Techno!og, Co##unication Re"o!ution and Entertain#ent E)tra"agan+a, ca!!ing the
shots and ru!ing the roost.
Fro# pigeons carring #essages or infor#ation to dare-de"i! hu#an couriers, to
te!ephone ,&oth traditiona! and ce!!u!ar-, $ire!ess, hot-!ine to $e&site, internet, e-#ai!,
e-co##erce, so #an e)pressions and inno"ations ha"e not on! .oined our dai!
!e)icon, &ut a!so ha"e ena&!ed #ost of us to ac'uire a!! tpes of infor#ation and
entertain#ent $ithout #a(ing the !east possi&!e &odi! #o"e#ent.
/hen A!fred Marsha!! propounded the inno"ati"e concept of perfect co#petition, near!
a centur ago, he had no (no$!edge of the Internet. /ithout infor#ation, &oth the
&uers and the se!!ers $ere at their $its0 end as to ho$ the cou!d &enefit in the
a&sence of re'uisite infor#ation on prices. No$ a!! that one has to do is to go to the
right $e&-site and co!!ect the infor#ation right on the screen. No dou&t, Internet is a
ne$ techno!og !i(e an other. 1ut it enco#passes the $ho!e econo# and is not
industr specific.
In the entire ga#ut of infor#ation and co##unication, hu#an histor is dotted $ith
successes and set&ac(s. In the do#ain of entertain#ent, #o&i!it of artists and
sophistication of stage and its set-up $ere handicapped & ti#e and space. In the
past, $hene"er natura! ca!a#ities struc( an part of the $or!d, infor#ation a&out the
traged reached the rest of the $or!d #uch !ater.
For $ant of 'uic( co##unication sste#s, re!ief and rescue operations $ere tard and
tedious as a resu!t of $hich #an precious !i"es $ere !ost. /ith sate!!ites or&iting the
p!anet earth, and in so#e cases e"en sate!!ite stations esta&!ished in space, the
i#ages2pictures of happenings an$here and e"er$here in the $or!d sp!ash across in
#o#ents. If sate!!ites ha"e re"o!utionised infor#ation and co##unication, the ha"e
a!so he!ped run T3 channe!s round the c!oc(. /ith infor#ation techno!og gaining
ground e"er #o#ent, and co##unication net$or( o#nipresent, the $or!d of
entertain#ent cou!d not afford to !ag &ehind. In fact, the ouths of toda is as #uch
dependent on infor#ation, co##unication and entertain#ent, as the re! on their
co##on sense, inte!!igence and discretion.
The "aried "istas that infor#ation techno!og, co##unication net$or( and
entertain#ent e)tra"agan+a are going to unfo!d $i!! deter#ine the tone and te#per of
the ti#es that !ie ahead. Though e'ua! partners, et infor#ation ho!ds the (e to
shape and sharpen the paradig#s and para#eters of future trade and co##erce,
education and #anage#ent, space research and hu#an $e!fare.
There is no dening the fact that the road to scinti!!ating successes that the trio is
going to tread in the ears to co#e is &eset $ith pitfa!!s and potho!es as $e!!. The
triu#phs of techno!og a!so carr the ris( of their fa!!ing into e"i! hands of anarchists,
sadists and nihi!ists. *o far, the spread of the $e& has &een predicated on the notion
that g!o&a! connecti"it is a good thing. And perhaps it is. 1ut sure! there is
so#ething serious! $rong $ith an internationa! net$or( that can &e so se"ere!
da#aged, if not para!sed, & a sing!e gee( ,a (no$!edgea&!e and o&sessi"e
enthusiast- sitting in a c&ercaf4 in so#e do$n-#ar(et area of so#e !ess de"e!oped
countr.
In the sa#e "ein, in the co##unication $or!d a!so, the under$or!d dons, drug ped!ars,
narco-terrorists, cri#ina!s and others of si#i!ar &reed, can ho!d the ci"i!i+ed societies
to ranso# & operating fro# .ai!s, their hide-outs and other safe ha"ens. In the na#e
of entertain#ent, pornograph, &!ue fi!#s, indecenc, o&scenit, "io!ence and "u!garit
are so#e of the #ost disastrous distortions that are &eing sho$n, &oth on the &ig and
the s#a!! screens.
Infor#ation Techno!og is a &u++$ord, &oth in conte#porar content and conte)t5 !et%s
not #a(e it a &ad $ord. Co##unication net$or( connects us $ith the rest of the
$or!d5 !et%s not a!!o$ it to fa!! into the hands of cri#ina!s of an hue. Entertain#ent
e)tra"agan+a re!ie"es us fro# e"erda stress and tension5 !et%s not degenerate it into
an a&.ect affair.