Mahatma Gandhi once said – “A man is a product of his thoughts, what he thinks, he becomes.”
Today there is a lot of mass media awareness, which can be harnessed to bring about good change in the world; at the same time it could also be misused.
As can be seen from the graph given here, the mass media source with maximum and growing influence is Social Media. Direct sources are a close second, however the percentage influence in old and young alike is gradually reducing. The percentage of men and women in the age group of 15-49 yrs. who, at least once a week, read newspaper/magazine, listen to radio and watch TV is 31.8% (men) and 24.4% (women). As per National Family Health Survey 2019-2021, the current trend shows that the habit of reading newspapers and magazines, has drastically decreased.
With the Gen Z (mid to late 1990s as starting birth years and the early 2010s as ending birth years), mobile based communication and social media is the main source of influence, accounting for more than 50% of information source.
The Church recognizes that these media, if properly utilized, can be of great service to mankind, since they greatly contribute to youth entertainment and instruction as well as to the spread and support of the Kingdom of God. The potential of mass communication in the work of evangelization; came to the surface in the ability of the Church to stay connected to the parish by means of online mass both locally and internationally, while at home as well as when in isolation at locations other than your home. All that was needed was mobile data and Viola! You can hear the mass and even catechism (as was being done in Singapore). Local TV channels in Goa are also instrumental in making the Holy Mass, among other regional news, available to all the faithful.
Even when it comes to government departments & process, most applications from AADHAAR to Bank Account to payment of utility bills, everything is now possible online. Government offices are increasingly working towards systems less dependent on manual.
From the findings in this research report, the researcher can rightly conclude that modern means of communication are indispensable in the work of evangelization in the Church world over. This is due to the fact that they quickly disseminate news and information over a wider area.
Mass media is an agent of change; influencing individuals towards positive living and also to ensure a successful apostolate through evangelization. But also because the Christian faithful, particularly among the youth, the wave of technological shift has been observed in the field of mass communication. Finally, for successful youth apostolate the role mass media plays today should be embraced by all who are involved in youth apostolate.
Louella Dias