Content Vs. Culture: The Crossroad

A country that once cherished Malgudi Days

and Hum Log, where families gathered around the television to enjoy cherished storytelling, has now come full circle.

Over the years, this ‘my-time entertainment’ evolved into being just ‘content’.

Let’s do a flashback.

During the 1980s –1990s, simple narratives rooted in family values and respectful dialogues (barring a few censored ones) defined entertainment in India. Bollywood, at that time, featured masculine heroes without curse words, as creative freedom had its limits.

In the early 2000s, globalisation exposed entertainment creators to International shows like Friends, Baywatch and The Simpsons. We developed a taste for humour served Western-style, with sarcasm slowly creeping in. Slowly, informal language made its way into our screens. Soon after, TV became more “real” with some popular reality shows like Big Boss, Indian Idol and Splitsvilla.

Though, I am not sure how reality led to demotion of language and being insensitive.  

Around 2015, the digital boom took over. YouTube content and Podcasts became the new thing. Suddenly, our screens were flooded with content. We were given more choices than we could handle. No wonder, our attention spans got shorter.

Long-format, simple narratives made way for fast-paced web series. Streaming platforms screamed through their rising subscriptions and binge-watching soon became a trend. By such time, ‘Reality’ had found a buddy in ‘dark humour’. Censorship became redundant because we were deeply influenced by concepts that were not so Indian.

Content creators, overwhelmed by their earnings and eager to boost them further, ran the race of being different. The whole ‘pseudo being-cool’ attitude polished the content layers. Since content creation required no qualifications or adherence to any rules, short clips loaded with slang went viral. Anything that people could repeat all day and gave instant gratification was labelled ‘cool.’ More often than not, it was just modern-day slang repackaged as entertainment, normalising slang and expletives.

As a result, storytelling took a back seat, and dramatization became the norm. Emotions were exaggerated through forceful language, and with constant exposure, this style became the new normal or rather the new “cool”.

In 2024, Connected TV (CTV) emerged as a game-changer, further evolving the screen viewing habits and entertainment in India.

From family-evenings to screen time that parents now fear, Indian entertainment has undergone a cultural shift, heavily influenced by new trends and digital freedom.

This is quite how we got here.

Now the question is, what does it mean for the next generation and how do we deal with it?

Social media and YouTube are here to stay, but they shouldn’t replace parental influence. When parents actively shape their child’s values, communication, and worldview, no YouTuber, foul-mouthed or otherwise, can beat that influence. As parents, we need to be present for our children, empowering them to become independent thinkers who are equipped to make informed choices.

It’s not just children.

Today’s content is so well-polished that even adults struggle to differentiate between journalism and content. Originally meant to reflect authenticity and uphold ethical boundaries, content lost its way to views and subscriptions. 

The next generation needs media literacy to critically analyse content and avoid being swayed away by extreme narratives. We must empower young minds to balance evolving entertainment with meaningful storytelling, allowing traditional narratives to coexist with new-age formats.

While India debates a legal framework for regulating social content, sparked by the recently highlighted by the Ranveer Allahbadia aka BeerBiceps controversy, true change starts at home. This is not about an individual content creator but a wake-up call for parents to take a more active role in shaping their children’s digital content consumption and critical thinking.

Parents must encourage self-regulation, teaching children to manage their emotions and reactions instead of turning to the internet as a constant distraction.

It’s time to redefine ‘cool’, moving back to storytelling that entertains, nay enriches.

We need to slow down, with ourselves and with our children. Traditional Indian storytelling, rich in is nuance and metaphor, has taken a backseat in this age of instant gratification.

This is how we nurture a generation that honours its culture, values its community, and thinks independently and does not mindlessly chase trends packaged as ‘cool’ beyond our borders.

Let us reintroduce real-life role models and authentic storytelling into our children’s lives and see the magic happen.

Let’s help our children draw the line between passing trends and a culture that lasts.