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I got into a rather interesting conversation with a friend recently, the gist of which revolved around pinpointing the causes behind the slow but sure drift of the coming generation towards losing the very values and culture that we, as Pakistani Muslims, hold so dear. I had my reasons, but the point he made was that the spread of technology, and the inability to control it, are the factors that are leading to the decline. “You just can not control technology,” he said. His point was understandable, and seems to echo what many people out there seem to be thinking. Technology can corrupt the younger minds; that when everything in the world is so easily available, how can one not be corrupted?

The rather ironic fact here is that many people simply need something to blame, and they blame technology. An interesting analogy can be a core computing adage that many have heard in their lives, “Garbage in, Garbage out”. It’s not that technology can not be controlled; it’s those who use it who need to be responsible.

It’s the parents, the guardians and teachers of the youth who need to have some sort of control over what is being absorbed by their children through the various media. You can’t just blame the tools; you have the blame the users, and those who look over the users. Its all well and good empowering children, but having said that it’s vital for educators do ensure that the young impressionable minds that will run the country tomorrow do not drift away from our values. At the same time, technology should remain at the forefront of the learning that we give to these children, for technology runs the world.

A very good example of controlled technology is Oracle’s Think.com, which is beginning to get recognition in Pakistani schools. The website is a networking site, but with a difference. Only schools can register themselves and their students, and the students have to be of a certain age limit. Each student gets the chance to have his/her own page, and have the opportunity to interact and learn from children his/her age from all over the world, paving the way, hopefully, for a world which revolves around cross cultural understanding, interaction and the subsequent synergy. No need to worry about the uncontrolled technology here.

The other slightly alarming aspect that seems to be getting more and more obvious in Pakistan is the role of the media. I have always believed in giving complete freedom and empowerment to the media, after all, it’s a core human right. But, that also means that those use the media to communicate, should do it responsibly. We are not fanatics, and we are not extremists; but nor are we Indians or Americans. That remains a fact that a large number of broadcasters conveniently forget, lest they lose a little more revenue. Unfortunately, what we seem to be losing, as they gain their precious profits, is our identity.

If you look around the landscape of Pakistan’s media broadcasters, most of the target seems to be the youth. Music channels are a dime a dozen and TV programming lacking in quality is also quite visible. What I’d love to ask these broadcasters is that do they look at Pakistan as a nation made solely of teenagers? What they often forget is that as broadcasters, they can shape the minds of their viewers, and with that shape our future as a nation. There is no quality programming that can entertain and teach the younger viewers at the same time. Why, you ask? Well, education doesn’t sell.

You see, the problem is not about freedom, it never was. I consider myself lucky to be where I am and who I am as a Pakistani. The issue is to strike a balance between the informed entertainment value of technology and media, and their ability to be tools for learning. There have to be sources of entertainment that target not only the youth, but also all other strata of our population.

The responsibility the media has is to stay responsible, and to listen to its conscience. All tools can be controlled; they just need to be used properly.

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