Influence of media, entertainment among youth is on the rise: Minister

The influence of media and entertainment among the youth is on the rise as the world progressed, Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty has said

The influence of media and entertainment among the youth is on the rise as the world progressed, Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty has said.

He was speaking at a function organised by the Kerala State Council for Child Welfare to felicitate child actors who won the State Film Award here on Wednesday.

The Minister said there was a need to understand the influence the entertainment industry could have on children’s development and welfare in future. “We should promote producers and creators who prioritised growth of curiosity and welfare of children,” the Minister said.

Diversity and representation were very important in the entertainment sector. It could help create a generation that had empathy, compassion, and acceptance from a young age, Mr. Sivankutty said.

Children had a huge network in the world of cinema, television, music, and social media. Some of these could be advantageous, others not. As responsible adults, there was need to be alert to the messages and values passed on to children through these mediums. Age-appropriate content should be emphasised. They should be directed towards health and safe content, the Minister said.

Thanmaya and Da Vinci who received the State Film Awards were presented with the child welfare council’s prizes and cash award.

V. Joy, MLA, presided. Council general secretary G.L. Arun Gopi, joint secretary Meera Darshak, and treasurer K. Jayapal spoke.