Social Network Sites and its impact on youth
Introduction:
Social Network
sites such as Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, Snapchat, etc. are conventional in
our times. They have stepped into an important role in almost all youths' life,
to an extent where they find it difficult to live without it. Social network
sites have been defined '...as web-based services that allow individuals to (1)
construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, (2)
articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and (3)
View and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the
system'1
Stating that
social networking sites or social media have a huge impact on our lives is
cliched. The internet itself, ironically, is filled with articles on how social
media affects our lives. However, this repetition doesn't make the issue small
in any way. The impact is very real and present and cannot be ignored. To better understand the impact of social
media, it is vital to view it under some historical context- not necessarily
the history of social media per se, but the history of new technology. The the impact is huge and can be better understood under certain contexts, such as its
impact on communication, personal life.
Historical
Context:
Humans,
rather, Homo Sapiens have evolved for a million years, inventing and
reinventing ways of life. The introduction of new technology and its consequent
effect on life is apparent, however, almost always technology has changed the
way we live is never thought of oppositely, i.e., our changing ways have led to
the invention of technology. It was the need for faster, efficient travel that
the wheel was invented, followed by a series of inventions centuries apart,
such as the car, automobiles, trains, airplanes, etc. The same goes for early
tools, paintings, carvings, writing, fighting, and all other aspects of human
life. Necessity creates technology. Humans created new things to meet their
changing needs, but once this new technology was created- it was difficult to
contain it. Technology did not limit itself to the purpose of invention- it tends
to grow and evolve. A better and somewhat recent example would be print. Print
revolutionized the world and has had impacts one can only hope to understand.
Need for more books led to the invention and spread of printing. And then print
itself as an intermediate medium led to revolutions- revolutions that shattered
power hierarchy.
Social
networking sites- which on the outset may seem frivolous - draw some similar
outlines. The invention of mobile phones was due to the rising need for
portable communication in the industry. The mobile phones came into being after
a tedious shift from fixed telephone, to partially mobile car phones to cell
phones, which have further drawn upon technology and grown to be smartphones.
Similarly, social networking sites came into being owing to the need for
increased, efficient, quick, and precise communication. And as with all
technology, it did not limit itself to the basic purpose and has grown
exponentially. It is redundant to think of these sites as independent entities growing
by themselves and having power over their creators, but that is not the case.
Much has changed since the invention of print to these sites. That 'much
change' can be summarized/ oversimplified by the term- ‘Capitalism’.
Print
grew not just owing to increasing demand for reading but also due to the
illusion of need created by the first owners. The capitalists aim to create
profits and they satisfied that aim by making print more accessible and
creating colossal amounts of new content for the masses. Social media has the
same story. Its growth cannot be attributed to societal forces alone, there is
a considerable amount of force exerted by capitalists with money motive. These
sites, on their offset, were for mere communication and now have grown to be an
undeniable part of human life. It has become the primary source of information,
news, communication, entertainment, shopping, business, and recently due to the
pandemic even education and job. Imagining a life without social network sites,
especially now, is neither probable nor possible.
Effects
on Communication:
Communication in
its most basic form is sending and receiving messages- or in more formal terms encoding
and decoding of messages. However, an important component that has been found
to affect the message is the medium; that is the medium through which messages
are sent and received. Research has
found that many aspects such as noise, medium, personal emotions, language,
etc. affect the message. The message wished to be sent in face-to-face
communication and through a text may be the same. however, it gets altered
while passing through the medium. Words spoken or written or typed have
different impacts on the same person. The quick text world of YOLO, LOL, ROFL,
SMH, NGL, GM, GN is now slowly seeping into the spoken language. People no more
just talk in English they talk in the text language'- it's not hard to find
people who often say LOL in a conversation without so much as a smile. The
meaning of LOL- i.e., laughing out loud, is now just limited to words and not
actual expression. The rubric of emotions, which translates into expressions
has changed. Several studies suggest that language affects our thinking. In
other words, we think in a particular language and it affects the way we form
our thoughts.2 So, it isn't just the way we speak that is undergoing
massive change but rather the way we think altogether. Our thoughts are now
encompassing new regions that were never thought of. According to the
questionnaire, a number of youths admit that they feel awkward during real-life
communication and prefer to chat over social media [63%].
Furthermore, research has found that the use
of social media does indeed reduce communication skills.3 Making new
friends and maintaining a friendship requires communication skills and a
certain amount of risk-taking. But this risk is eliminated while texting- it is
easier to regulate oneself during such instances, and is less risk-taking as individuals
are not able to see the effect their words have on others. The non-verbal
aspect of communication, which constitutes a major part, is gradually getting
eliminated. As humans we often depend on non-verbal cues, such as gestures,
facial expressions, space, etc., for effective communication; absence of these
may and as evident, it does lead to miscommunication. Thus, creating new
problems in already strained relations.
An average person receives over 128
messages each morning.4 Now, the person may either check all the
messages or choose to ignore some. Although the latter is much rarer. However,
some messages do get ignored voluntarily, or otherwise, get lost in the whole
rubble. If the other person believes that the receiver chose to ignore their
message- it may cause unnecessary disruption between them.
These
social media platforms have presented new ways of socializing. Apps such as
Tinder, Ok cupid, etc have changed the way youths perceive relationships. These
concepts have been heavily criticized for being highly westernized, however,
their impact has been positive in moving away from the problematic notions of
arranged, in-caste, forced marriages. Such communication platforms have indeed
increased communication’s efficiency. Important messages like disaster alerts,
medical emergencies can be easily and quickly communicated to a large number of
people. Undeniably there have been instances of people’s lives being saved
owing to these sites. For instance, as former Director of Monetization at
Facebook and former Pinterest president, Tim Kendall says
in the Docudrama, the social Dilemma ‘…[sites] have reunited people,
found organ donors… meaningful, systematic changes [are] happening around the
world because of these platforms.’5
The
messaging options on Instagram, Facebook, etc. have connected people all over
the world. Small businesses have seen exponential growth in the past years
since the advent of such apps. It has become easier for them to advertise on
media platforms. Small businesses had a difficult time competing with big
brands who had the privilege of billboard advertising, social media has
provided them with a platform where they can customize their target audience
and the area for advertising. This was a
huge impetus for many youths to start their own business. The orders could be
customized and the contact was made easy through social media.
These
platforms have provided people with new perspectives on various social issues
ranging from caste discrimination to the LGBT+ topics. People have a platform
to voice their opinions, and this has given common people especially youths an
agency as never before.
Productivity:
Social
Network sites have a significant impact on our level of productivity. While
working on projects or studying, people often get distracted by a notification.
Once a person hears it, it's difficult to ignore the curiosity to check the
message. These sites/apps have algorithms to keep individuals using the application;
so as to expose them to as many advertisements as possible. ‘When the product
is free, the consumers are the product.’ And rightly so, consumers don't pay
for the apps- and thus it is important to ask who does? And for what? Companies
pay these apps to advertise their products- and these applications sell us -
the users- as their products. Scrolling through these apps a user comes across
several advertisements. And thus, their motive is to get the users to spend
more and more time on the it. Owing to which their algorithms are designed to
show the users 'relatable’ and 'enjoyable' feed. The amount of time spent
looking at a post is calculated and accordingly, further posts are filtered.
Consequently, as one opens the app to check out a message/ notification- hours
may be wasted scrolling through it. This has a huge impact on one's
productivity.
Further,
this phenomenon is not just for studying or working. People have observed a
drastic fall in the time they allocate to their hobbies. Many people look at
these apps for inspirations/ motivations to engage in their preferred
activities. And so, they may spend hours scrolling through rather than actually
performing the activity.
Personal
Life:
The
impact is tremendous on one's social and private life. These sites have aided
in reducing prejudice and have led various campaigns against stereotypes.
However, they are also responsible for creating new stereotypes and reinforcing
them. Categorizing people according to their aesthetics is something new-and is
accepted positively. These 'aesthetics' are attractive as a person sees their
interests; likings reflected through them. Social media feed is refreshed
according to one's preferences- and then gradually they start dictating their
tastes and preferences, shaping them to fit in a social mould. So far, it
hasn't shown any negative effect. Although, minor effects can be seen as people
try to abide by their socially constructed aesthetics, going as far as changing
their whole wardrobes, spending on accessories that better fit in particular
aesthetic, overall changing their lifestyle. Such accessories which were
frivolities now seem a necessity owing to their constant appearance as
something people 'like you' or 'people you aspire to be', or your aesthetic
have. So, it creates an illusion of need. This is not only expensive but also
may lead to the complete dismantling of their identity- to construct a new one.
The pressure to 'fit in' one's aesthetic is too great to ignore, which can
cause undue stress. This again circles back to the issue of capitalism and
consumerism. Capitalists use social media as a tool to create a perpetual need
for commodities, which creates an illusion of need.
Social
network sites affect self-perception. Matthew Pittman and Brandon Reich have
found that people can sharpen their own identities when they engage in
intimate, image-oriented social media platforms like Instagram and Pinterest.6
64.3% of the
participants agreed that social media exerts its influence on the private lives
of individuals. Most of them agreed the impact can be both positive and
negative. Communication has drastically changed over the years, it has
connected people over countries, yet some feel they have created a rift among
close relations. But still many believe that even if the impact is tremendous
and has changed the conventional way doesn't necessarily mean it is bad. They
believe in changing with time and are ready to adapt. Safe to say the method of
communication, i.e., the medium affects the message, as pointed out by Marshall
McLuhan. However, people are largely unaware of this fact. 42.9% of people did
agree with this, while 28.6% disagreed and the rest were unsure. Thus, the
medium i.e., the sites, affect the message, which may be misinterpreted. People
have, mostly youths, nevertheless, adapted to the technology and are
comfortable using it [50%].
Studies
have suggested that the rubric of relationships, may it be with parents,
partners, or friends has changed and evolved. There is a constant obsession
with knowing what the other person is doing and where they are. Additionally,
many prefer to spend their time on social media than have a meaningful
conversation which is the basis of a healthy relationship. People hardly have
any private space, it is constantly evaded and violated, ironically people have
given their consent for such evasion. Relationships are portrayed in a certain
way, under a context, on social media, this affects real-life relationships
creating unrealistic expectations, and leads to an unsatisfactory connection.
Real-time relations are replaced by unsolicited, virtual, illusory
relationships.
Lying
under all these issues is one important fact that magnifies these problems, is
that people are unaware of this effect. They are consciously unaware of the
impact of social network sites or choose to voluntarily ignore the fact. 64% of
the participants agreed on its impact while the rest said that social media
does not influence their life. Although the majority of them were aware, the
rest cannot be ignored, especially when all of them use social network sites.
92% actively used Instagram and YouTube. So, comparing both the data- it is
safe to assume that people are largely unaware of the effect, whether positive
or negative.
From
a neurological perspective, social media affects different brain functions in
unique ways. It contains many combinations of stimuli that can trigger
different reactions, and because of this, social media's effects on the brain
appear in a variety of ways.6 According to research, social media
affects the reward system of the brain.7 Likes on such apps fire off
dopamine receptors. Another research showed the effects of 'online exclusion'
on brain activity.8 These studies show that Social Network sites
affect people more than they realize.
Posting on social
media has several psychological reasons, which include the need for
self-actualization, love, belonging, self-esteem, etc.
Another
important factor to consider is the stimulus. Individuals are exposed to a
large number of stimuli and are unable to focus on anyone. The information
overload caused by a variety of information provided on numerous topics can
lead to distress. Such incidents are often linked to a sense of unproductivity
and failure in life when the life outside seems ‘happening’ contrasted to the
stagnancy in one’s life.
Conclusion:
Social Media or
social network sites have huge impact on life, that cannot be simply
categorized as good or bad. Most of the effects are ambiguous and so varied in
nature that defining them becomes a problem. Many studies have ben conducted to
understand the minute impacts it has on various aspects such as, social,
cultural, political, economic, religious, and personal life.
Social media has
been a tool for many positive changes that have taken place or are in progress.
It has provided new perspectives, opinions, and brought people closer. These
positive changes were surely not one of the agendas of the companies who own such
platforms. They make sure that people remain online by investing billions to
research what humans are addicted to, this makes the companies huge amounts of
profits but affects humans in unimaginable ways. Thus, the aim of social media,
despite being something else has turned out, more or less, for the better.
Endnotes:
1.
Boyd, Danah, and
Nicole Ellison. “Social Network Sites: Definition, History, and Scholarship.” Journal
of Computer-Mediated Communication, 2008. OnlineLibrary,
doi:10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00393.x.
2.
Benítez-Burraco,
Antonio. “How the Language We Speak Affects the Way We Think.” Psychology
Today, 2 Feb. 2017, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-biolinguistic-turn/201702/how-the-language-we-speak-affects-the-way-we-think.
3. Ehmke, Rachel. “How Using Social Media Affects Teenagers.” Child Mind Institute, 10 Feb. 2021, childmind.org/article/how-using-social-media-affects-teenagers.
4. Burke, Kenneth. “How Many Texts Do People Send Every Day (2018)?” Text Request, 2018, www.textrequest.com/blog/how-many-texts-people-send-per-
5. The Social dilemma. Directed by Jeff Orlowski, Exposure labs, Argent Pictures, The space Program, 2020. Netflix. www.netflix.com/title/81254224?s=a&trkid=13747225&t=cp
6.
“The Psychology of
Social Media.” King University Online, King University, 19 Sept. 2019,
online.king.edu/news/psychology-of-social-media/
7.
Lauren
E Sherman, Leanna M Hernandez, Patricia M Greenfield, Mirella Dapretto, What
the brain ‘Likes’: neural correlates of providing feedback on social media, Social
Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Volume 13, Issue 7, July 2018, Pages
699–707, https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsy051
8.
Crone, Eveline A., and
Elly A. Konijn. “Media Use and Brain Development during Adolescence.” Nature
Communications, vol. 9, no. 1, 2018. Crossref,
doi:10.1038/s41467-018-03126-x.
Bibliography:
1.
“Advantages and
Disadvantages of Internet Communication | EzTalks.” Eztalks, www.eztalks.com/unified-communications/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-internet-communication.html.
Accessed 5 Mar. 2021.
2. “SOCIAL MEDIA.” Plugged In: How Media Attract and Affect Youth, by Patti M. Valkenburg and Jessica Taylor Piotrowski, Yale University Press, New Haven; London, 2017, pp. 218–243. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1n2tvjd.16. Accessed
3. “The Psychology of Social Media.” King University Online, King University, 19 Sept. 2019, online.king.edu/news/psychology-of-social-media/
4. Benítez-Burraco, Antonio. “How the Language We Speak Affects the Way We Think.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 2 Feb. 2017, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-biolinguistic-turn/201702/how-the-language-we-speak-affects-the-way-we-think.
5. Boyd, Danah, and Nicole Ellison. “Social Network Sites: Definition, History, and Scholarship.” Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 2008. OnlineLibrary, doi:10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00393.x.
6. Burke, Kenneth. “How Many Texts Do People Send Every Day (2018)?” Text Request, 2018, www.textrequest.com/blog/how-many-texts-people-send-per-day
7. Crone, Eveline A., and Elly A. Konijn. “Media Use and Brain Development during Adolescence.” Nature Communications, vol. 9, no. 1, 2018. Crossref, doi:10.1038/s41467-018-03126-x.
8. Ehmke, Rachel. “How Using Social Media Affects Teenagers.” Child Mind Institute, 10 Feb. 2021, childmind.org/article/how-using-social-media-affects-teenagers.
9. John Chen, Australian Politics in a Digital Age, ANU E Press, 2013, pp. 69–112.
10. Lauren E Sherman, Leanna M Hernandez, Patricia M Greenfield, Mirella Dapretto, What the brain ‘Likes’: neural correlates of providing feedback on social media, Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Volume 13, Issue 7, July 2018, Pages 699–707, https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsy051
11. Miller, Daniel. Social Media in an English Village, 1st ed., vol. 2, UCL Press, 2016, pp. 92–121.
12. The Social
dilemma. Directed by Jeff Orlowski, Exposure labs, Argent Pictures, The space
Program, 2020. Netflix. www.netflix.com/title/81254224?s=a&trkid=13747225&t=cp
Marxist Analysis of ‘The chrysanthemums’
John Steinbeck was born in a middle-class family with modest means of earning. He went to Stanford University, but left without a degree and then on, took up many small temporary jobs. He got married to Carol in 1930 who has had a great impact on his writing career, especially evident in his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, ‘The grapes of wrath. During the great depression, he and his wife supported themselves by catching fish and crabs and getting vegetables from his farm. Steinbeck did not suffer immensely during the depression but he wasn't a stranger to the plight of people around him. His novel ‘The grapes of Wrath’ dives into the lives of migrant American workers, their poverty, powerlessness, and victimization. 'The chrysanthemums' was written in 1937 where the states were slowly recovering from the depression. A time where money and daily necessities held the highest priority. Reading the chrysanthemums along with the periodical and biographical context helps understand the story and its implication more lucidly. The Chrysanthemums has been called one of the best American short stories and has been critically acclaimed. John Steinbeck said- it is a story that people will read casually and once they reach the end, they’ll feel something profound has happened to them without the knowledge of what or how. The story has been looked at through feminist, Marxist-feminist perspectives by many writers. And rightly so as the story is from Elisa’s perspective, it starts and ends with her. However, many have failed to acknowledge the importance of the unnamed Tinker.
John Steinbeck does not judge the characters or interpret the situations for his audience. He merely reports the incidents in a distant third person, providing no conclusions or justifications of the character’s actions. This leaves the audience to interpret the situations and characters for themselves. As a narrator, he does not empathize with the characters, but through their actions, especially the tinker, he manipulates our emotions. Steinbeck reinforces the ideas of hunger, mobility, and the poor conditions of the tinker throughout the text in various subtle ways. These ideas, at times, are reinforced through the tinker himself, for instance, he states twice that he might go hungry, insinuating his proletariat context and winning Elisa’s sympathy, and inadvertently ours. The Tinker can be perceived to be a marginalized character in the story; he appears in the central part and we see him only through Elisa’s eyes. One may assume he is as intriguing as Elisa sees him, or probably it is her lackluster life that causes her to think so. It is apparent that he was what many call ‘street-smart’. He couldn't spell properly, indicating his lack of formal education yet he tricks Elisa into giving him work. He is kept away from the action; his actions are reported rather than shown. We know he threw away the seeds, which is an important act in the story, but his perspective is never presented. He might have been nonchalant about it or even sad; Steinbeck doesn't provide the readers any insight. Another essential aspect is the contrast between the tinker and Elisa's life. Elisa works in a garden, with the land which can be considered as a very stable, unmoving work. She works not to fulfil any necessity but just to fulfil her passion and for the aesthetic appeal of growing Chrysanthemums. Aesthetics are a luxury the poor cannot afford. The tinker is perpetually mobile, mending utensils for a living, and works to fulfil his daily needs. Elisa can be seen as a privileged woman, who cares for aesthetics and wants something more from the tinker, while he is nonchalant about everything else but what matters- money. These contradictory aspects provide us the context of Elisa’s privileged position as compared to the Tinker. The disparity between the classes becomes immensely clear as Henry and Elisa’s car passes the tinker’s wagon. He is in his dirty clothes, an old wagon, and a mismatched party heading to find work. Whereas she is in her pretty clothes with her husband heading for dinner and having wine- a luxury the tinker could never afford. One might feel a dissent towards the tinker but it's momentary, as there is an understanding communicated in-between the lines. Elisa sees the ‘dark speck’ on the road and mutters that he had to keep the pot; it shows his necessity that the audience, given the depression context, understand.
Elisa is depicted as a strong woman, her ‘masculine attire may signify the boredom of her interpellated work and her wish of venturing into the ‘man’s world’. She sees her chance of exploration in the tinker. The tinker’s arrival makes Elisa accept her femininity and sexuality, though when she sees the discarded seeds on the road, in an attempt to get away from her feminine identity she talks of fights, something that can be perceived as ‘masculine’. The contrast of Elisa and Tinker's labour along with Henry illuminates Elisa's subservient context. Henry works in the field, and his labour is for economic purposes. Talking to Elisa about chrysanthemums he states that he wished she’d work out in the orchard and grow apples. He is shown to be a practical man, whereas Elisa is shown to be a passionate woman with an appreciation of the aesthetic. The Salinas Valley is compared to a ‘closed pot’ which may represent the trapped feeling of Elisa. The fence can be argued to be a boundary that Elisa cannot cross, or is hegemonically told not to cross. It can also be seen as her separation from the world in terms of opportunity and sexuality. Her marriage with Henry is not one of passion, it may be described as one of mutual respect and companionship. Elisa craves passion. The chrysanthemums may represent a site for Elisa’s sexual energy and passion, and when the tinker shows a small amount of interest in it, her passion for chrysanthemums reflects on him. While talking to the tinker, she feels as if her love for chrysanthemums was reflected on her through the Tinker.
The story cannot be interpreted in any one particular way. It is possible to look upon the story from several perspectives, and one struggles to answer the question ‘what does Steinbeck wish to communicate?’. The proletarian context of the story is very apparent due to its setting and John Steinbeck’s life. The tinker plays a major role in the story and yet is marginalized as a character. Elisa’s complexity is magnified through the Tinker and the story can be regarded as a journey of her femininity. Comparing the work of all the characters in the story, and their economic and aesthetic value provides a vital insight. The environmental setting of the story is highly symbolic and represents the story’s essence.
The photo doesn't belong to me. All rights belong to the respective owner.
Food in Medieval England
What is an interesting topic relating to medieval times?
My English professor had an answer ready
FOOD In Medieval England!!
I mean, it's food and medieval England with Noble, chivalrous knights, and rugged peasants.
So here we go!
In medieval England, a variety of food was consumed by people which varied in different aspects. Food consumption depended upon one’s rank in the social order. Grains were the most commonly consumed food which included wheat, barley, rye, oats, millet, and rice were consumed in large quantities especially by the workers. The bread was present in all medieval diets. The bread made by wheat was exclusively consumed by the royals and nobles and was known as ‘paindemaigne’ meaning ‘bread of the lord’. The common folk consumed dark bread which was made of either rye or barley, was coarse and dense and considered suitable for the stomach of manual labour. Porridge was mainly a lower-class meal, peasants simply mixed everything they had such as grains and vegetables, boiled them in a pot, and then drank it. After the black death due to the sudden decrease in the population, food and drinks became relatively cheap. The ale was associated with manual labour and played an insignificant role in the diet of the nobles. Interestingly, ale was brewed mostly by female brewsters in the 1300s, later as it became more prestigious the process was dominated by men. Drinks such as beer and ale were consumed by all, even children had beer for breakfast. Beer became popular in England in the 1500s and was criticized by physicians for being cold and more intoxicating than wine. The wine was closely related to Christianity and was considered a prestigious drink, consumed by the nobles. Water was shunned by the upper class as it wasn’t prestigious and due to concerns over its purity. Hence most of the water consumption was through fruit juices, ale, beer, and mead. Water was drunk by the poorest of the poor as a beverage.
The peasants ate breakfast before sunrise, mostly a small portion of rye bread and ale. Dark bread and cheese were the ideal lunch eaten before noon with meat if it was available. After sunset, once the work was done porridge was eaten with ale. The nobles and royals had their breakfast late in the morning, it consisted of white bread, several fish and meat dishes with wine as a drink. The royal lunch had three main courses with further divisions of five. They included meat and fish with either wine or ale. Most of the food here wasn’t consumed and later thrown away. Pigeon pie, woodcock, etc. were eaten in the evening along with the same course as lunch. The knights especially ate a lot of meat for strength.
The medieval diet was hierarchical in nature just as a society. The social order dictated the food and drink consumption of a person. In medieval England, food wasn’t consumed as a necessity but rather as a marker of one’s social class. The poor hardly received minimum nutrition while the rich wasted food in abundance. The medieval diet was highly influenced by various social, cultural, and economic changes such as the black death, an increase in travel and export, and Christianity.
References:
Qin, Wenda. “Food Composition and Production in Medieval England and Their Mutual Influences.” Boston University, 2017.
Adamson, Melitta Weiss. “Foodstuffs.” Food in Medieval Times, Greenwood Press, 2004, pp. 1–48.
Strong, Whitni. “Medieval Social Classes and Their Foods.” Prezi, 28 Apr. 2018, prezi.com/_j9fshrd_fea/medieval-social-classes-and-their-foods/.
Jervis, Ben. “Pottery, Food and Status in Medieval England.” Academia.edu, Nov. 2010, www.academia.edu/1677974/Pottery_Food_and_Status_in_Medieval_England.
The Battala Books, which refer to the books printed at small presses in Battala, were produced simultaneously with the establishment of strong print culture in Bengal owing to the Serampore printing press and the British college.1 These events, in turn, led to the standardization of Bengali which was based on strict Sanskrit grammar rules and classics. On average the annual production of presses in Battala ranged from eight to 47,000 copies depending on the size of the press. In 1857, there were 46 such presses which accounted for 5,71,670 books.2 These numbers actively illustrate that the Battala books played a crucial role in the development of literature and print in Bengal and thus India. This demand can be attributed to various reasons. One major cause is the relatively affordable prices of these books owing to cheap quality paper. Also, as these books were written in colloquial Bengali, many semi-literate middle-class people could read them as well as they could be understood by the locals to whom they were readout. The demand for these books has been attributed to people who wished for cheap thrills and scandals. However, this point of view can hardly be the whole reason. Battala books consisted of age-old mythological tales, traditional moral tales, and popular versions of puranic myths. These resonated with the common folk.
Print being a rather new medium of communication, it wasn’t truly and completely accepted. Thus took place the remarkable phenomenon that is, integration of various forms of Art. Several traditions of oral culture and other art forms blended in with printed books. Books included sung narratives, pictorial depictions, and were read aloud to a group of people.1 Notably this ‘integration of forms’ took place particularly in Battala books as the refined, high-class books were resistant to this change. Battala books have been defined along the lines of being cheap, obscene, sensational or sexual, and so on. An important aspect that is often overlooked, is that battala books also acted as a site for underprivileged voices. Sumanta Banerjee states, ‘They [Battala books] constitute a literary genre which records the efforts of the underprivileged people to use this newly introduced print media to register their voices’.3 This registration of voices often took the form of jabs or satire on education and high-classes, and ‘obscenity’ which was perceived as a threat. Consequently, Battala books can be seen as a site for the underprivileged to resist the dominant ideology. However, this does not illustrate that the battala publishers were conscious reformists, against dominance. Anindita Ghosh calls them ‘opportunists’ who ‘cashed in on themes of social concern, lacing them with concern’.2 Despite the reasons, it did spark controversy, and people felt drawn towards the scandal. Battala books also contributed to the survival of traditional folk tales and various versions of puranic myths.
Owing to the increased demand for Battala books, and the subsequent supply, print secured a strong position in the daily lives of people and helped in the popularity and spread of print culture in India.
References:
Ghosh, Anindita. “An Uncertain ‘Coming of the Book’: Early Print Cultures in Colonial India.” Book History, vol. 6, 2003, pp. 23–55. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/30227341. Accessed 21 Oct. 2020.
Anindita Ghosh. “Revisiting the 'Bengal Renaissance': Literary Bengali and Low-Life Print in Colonial Calcutta.” Economic and Political Weekly, vol. 37, no. 42, 2002, pp. 4329–4338. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/4412747. Accessed 2 Nov. 2020.
Banerjee, Sumanta. “The Story of 'Battala'.” Economic and Political Weekly, vol. 43, no. 15, 2008, pp. 44–46. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40277337. Accessed 2 Nov. 2020
