Kodi Wailesi Yakanema Yakusinthani?

“NJIRA yopezera chidziŵitso.” Umo ndimmene wailesi yakanema yalongosoledwera. M’bukhu lakuti Tube of Plenty—The Evolution of American Television, mkonzi Erik Barnouw ananena kuti pofika kuchiyambi kwa ma 1960, “kwa anthu ambiri [wailesi yakanema] inakhala njira yopezera chidziŵitso. Lingaliro limene linapereka inawoneka kukhala ngati dziko lenileni. Iwo anakudalira kuyenerera kwake ndi kukwanira.”

Komabe, chosonyezedwa chimene mumawona pa TV, kuunika, kapena mkhalidwe wa chosonyezedwacho, zimalamuliridwa ndi anthu amene amapanga zisonyezero za TV. Zinthu zoterozo zimaumba malingaliro anu ndi zigamulo ponena za chimene mumayang’ana. Ngakhale nyuzi zoulutsidwa zosasinjirira koposa ziri minkhole ya kachitidwe kameneka, mosasamala kanthu kuti sizochitidwa mwadala.a

Katswiri Wonyenga

Komabe, kaŵirikaŵiri, oyendetsa wailesi yakanema amayesayesa kusonkhezera openyerera. Mwachitsanzo, posatsa malonda, iwo amakhala ndi ufulu wakugwiritsira ntchito machenjera alionse amene angapezeke kwa iwo okunyengererani kukhala ndi chikhumbo chakugula. Mtundu. Nyimbo. Anthu okongola. Zilakolako. Zisonyezero zokongola. Mpambo wake ngwaukulu, ndipo amaugwiritsira ntchito mwaukatswiri.

Yemwe kale anali nduna ya zakusatsa malonda analemba ponena za zaka zake 15 m’ntchitoyo kuti: “Ndinaphunzira kuti nkotheka kulankhula kupyolera mwa kuulutsa [konga TV] mwachindunji m’maganizo a anthu ndiyeno, mofanana ndi wopenduza, kusiyamo zithunzithunzi zimene zimachititsa anthuwo kuchita zimene sakanalingalirapo kuzichita.”

Chenicheni chakuti wailesi yakanema iri ndi mphamvu yowopsa motero chinawoneka kale m’ma 1950. Kampani yopanga lipstick (mafuna ofiiritsa milomo) imene inkapeza $50,000 pachaka inayamba kusatsa malonda pa wailesi yakanema ya ku United States. M’zaka ziŵiri, kugulitsa kunakwera kufika $4,500,000 pachaka! Banki ina inadzazidwa ndi ndalama zosungitsidwa zokwanira $15,000,000 pamene inasatsa mautumiki ake pa programu ya TV yosonyeza kwambiri akazi.

Lerolino, munthu wa ku Amereka wachikatikati amawonerera malonda oposa 32,000 chaka chirichonse. Zilengezozo zimanyengerera malingaliro. Monga momwe Mark Crispin Miller analembera mu Boxed In—The Culture of TV kuti: “Nzowona kuti timasonkhezeredwa ndi zimene timawonerera. Malonda amene amadzala umoyo wamasiku onse amatisonkhezera panthaŵi imodzi.” Chisonkhezero chimenechi, iye anawonjezera motero, “nchaupandu kwenikweni chifukwa chakuti kaŵirikaŵiri nchovuta kuchizindikira, ndipo motero sichimalephera mpaka titaphunzira mochidziŵira.”

Koma wailesi yakanema imagulitsa zoposa lipstick, malingaliro andale zadziko, ndi mwambo. Imagulitsanso makhalidwe abwino—kapena oipa.

TV ndi Makhalidwe

Anthu oŵerengeka okha ndiwo adzadabwa kumva kuti mkhalidwe wa zakugonana umasonyezedwa kaŵirikaŵiri pa TV ya ku Amereka. Kupenda kofalitsidwa mu 1989 mu Journalism Quarterly kunapeza kuti m’maola 66 a kuwonetsa TV kwamadzulo, panali zochitika 722 zonse pamodzi za mkhalidwe wakugonana, kaya kotanthauzidwa, kotchulidwa, kapena kwenikweniko kosonyezedwa. Zitsanzo zinachuluka kuyambira pa kugwiranagwirana kudzutsa chilakolako mpaka pa kugonana, phyotophyoto, kugonana kwa ofanana ziŵalo, ndi kugonana kwa pachibale. Avareji inali zochitika 10.94 pa ola lirilonse!

United States siyapadera konse m’nkhani imeneyi. Makanema a TV a ku Falansa amasonyeza kugonana kwankhalwe kokakamiza. Machitachita ovula zovala amawonetsedwa pa TV ya ku Italiya. TV yausiku ya ku Spanya imawonetsa mafilimu achiwawa ndi odzutsa chilakolako. Ndandandayo ingopitirizabe.

Chiwawa ndicho mtundu wina wa mkhalidwe woipa wa pa TV. Mu United States, wosuliza TV wa magazini a Time posachedwapa anathokoza “kuseketsa kwabwino kowopsa” kokhala m’maprogramu ochititsa mantha kwenikweni. Mpambowo unawonetsa zisonyezero za kudula mutu, kudula miyendo, kukhomera pamtengo, ndi kugwidwa ndi ziŵanda. Ndithudi, chiwawa chochuluka cha pa TV sichowopsa kwambiri—ndipo chimatengedwa mosasamala mosavuta. Pamene wailesi yakanema ya maiko Akumadzulo inasonyezedwa posachedwapa m’mudzi wakutali mu Côte d’Ivoire, Kumadzulo kwa Afirika, mwamuna wina wokalamba anachita mantha ndi kungofunsa kuti: “Kodi nchifukwa ninji azungu nthaŵi zonse amagwazana, kuwomberana mfuti ndi kupandana?”

Ndithudi, yankho nlakuti, opanga maprogramu a wailesi yakanema ndi owalipirira amafuna kupatsa openyerera zimene openyererawo amafuna kuwona. Chiwawa chimakoka openyerera. Kugonana kumateronso. Chotero TV imatumikira mbali ziŵirizo mokwanira—koma osati mopambanitsa mwamsanga, kuwopera kuti openyererawo angaleke. Monga momwe Donna McCrohan ananenera mu Prime Time, Our Time kuti: “Zisonyezero zotchuka zambiri zimanka patali monga momwe zingathere m’chinenero chotukwana, kugonana, chiwawa, kapena nkhani; kenaka, pokhala atafika pamalire, amapitirizabe kupangitsa anthu kuzoloŵera kupitirira malire. Chotsatirapo, anthu amakhala okonzekera kaamba ka choipa chatsopano.”

Mwachitsanzo, nkhani ya kugonana kwa ofanana ziŵalo kale inalingaliridwa kukhala “malire” a zabwino za wailesi yakanema. Koma pamene openyerera anaizoloŵera, anali okonzeka kulandira yoipa kuposapo. Mtola nkhani wa ku Falansa ananenetsa kuti: “Palibe wopanga programu ya wailesi yakanema amene angasonyeze kugonana kwa ofanana ziŵalo monga koipa lerolino . . . Mmalomwake chitaganya chimakulandira ndipo kukuletsa ndiko kosayenera.” Pa wailesi yakanena yansambo ya ku Amereka, ‘mpambo wa mafilimu a kugonana kwa ofanana ziŵalo’ unawonedwa m’mizinda 11 mu 1990. Programuyo inawonetsa zisonyezero za amuna atagona pamodzi pakama. Wopanga chisonyezerocho anauza magazini a Newsweek kuti zisonyezero zoterozo zinalinganizidwa ndi ogonana ofanana ziŵalo “kululuza malingaliro a openyerera kuti anthu azindikire kuti ndife ofanana ndi munthu aliyense.”

Maloto Kusiyana ndi Zenizeni

Akonzi a kupenda kosimbidwa mu Journalism Quarterly anati popeza kuti TV simasonyeza kwenikweni zotulukapo za kugonana koipa, “kupereka kwake maganizo otsitsimula azakugonana kosalekeza” kumakhala ndawala ya chidziŵitso chachinyengo. Iwo anafotokoza kupenda kwina nagamula kuti mpambo wa mafilimu a pa TV umabukitsa uthenga uwu: Kugonana nkwa mabwenzi osakwatirana, ndipo palibe amene amatengamo matenda.

Kodi limeneli ndilo dziko monga momwe mumalidziŵira? Kugonana kwa kunja kwa ukwati popanda mimba za achichepere kapena matenda opatsirana? Kugonana kwa ofanana ziŵalo ndi kwa a ziŵalo zonse popanda upandu wa kutenga AIDS? Chiwawa ndi kuvulaza mwadala kumene kumapangitsa ngwazi kukhala zachipambano ndi olimbana nazo kukhala ochititsidwa manyazi—koma onse aŵiri osavulazika? TV imapeka dziko m’limene machitidwe amakhala osangalatsa opanda zotulukapo. Malamulo a chikumbumtima, a makhalidwe, ndi a kudziletsa amaloŵedwa mmalo ndi lamulo la kudzisangalatsa kwa pomwepo.

Mowonekeratu, wailesi yakanema sindiyo “njira yopezera chidziŵitso”—osati m’dziko lenileni. Kwekweni, bukhu laposachedwapa lonena za wailesi yakanema limatchedwa The Unreality Industry (Indasitale ya Zongopeka). Akonzi ake amanena kuti TV yakhala “imodzi ya mphamvu zosonkhezera koposa m’miyoyo yathu. Chotulukapo nchakuti TV simangolongosola chimene chenicheni chiri, koma chofunika kwambiri ndipo chovutitsa maganizo, nchakuti TV imafafaniza kusiyana kwenikweniko, malire enieniwo, pakati pa chenicheni ndi chongopeka.”

Mawu ameneŵa angamveke odabwitsa kwa awo oganiza kuti samayambukiridwa ndi chisonkhezero cha wailesi yakanema. ‘Sindimakhulupirira chirichonse chimene ndimawona,’ amatsutsa tero ena. Mosakaikira, tingawoneke kusakhulupirira TV. Koma akatswiri amachenjeza kuti kuikaikira kumeneku sikungatitetezere ku njira zachinyengo zimene TV imakopera malingaliro athu. Monga momwe wolemba nkhani wina ananenera kuti: “Ena a machenjera a TV ogwira ntchito koposa ndiwo kusadziŵitsa mpang’ono pomwe mmene imayambukirira kalingaliridwe kathu.”

Makina a Chiyambukiro

Mogwirizana ndi 1990 Britannica Book of the Year, anthu a ku Amereka amawonerera wailesi yakanema, pa avareji, kwa maola asanu ndi aŵiri ndi mphindi ziŵiri tsiku lirilonse. Kuŵerengera kwina kosamalitsa kumaika chiŵerengerocho pafupifupi maola aŵiri patsiku, koma zimenezo zimafikabe pa zaka zisanu ndi ziŵiri zopenyerera wailesi yakanema m’moyo wa munthu! Kodi kumwerekera kwa TV koteroko kungalephere motani kukhala ndi chiyambukiro pa anthu?

Sikumawoneka kukhala kodabwitsa konse pamene tiŵerenga za anthu okhala ndi vuto la kusiyanitsa zopeka za TV ndi zenizeni. Kupenda kofalitsidwa m’magazini a ku Briteni akuti Media, Culture and Society kunapeza kuti TV imasonkhezeradi anthu ena kukhala ndi “masomphenya ena a dziko lenileni,” kuwanyenga kulingalira kuti zikhumbo zawo za chenicheni zimakhala chenicheni chimenecho. Kupenda kwina, konga kuja kosonkhanitsidwa ndi U.S. National Institute of Mental Health, kukuwoneka kuchirikiza zopezedwa zimenezi.

Popeza kuti TV imayambukira malingaliro ofala a chenicheni, kodi ingalephere motani kuyambukira miyoyo ya anthu yeniyeniyo ndi machitidwe? Ziri monga momwe Donna McCrohan analembera mu Prime Time, Our Time kuti: “Pamene TV yotchuka iswa ziletso za mwambo kapena ziletso zachinenero, nafenso timadzimva kukhala ndi ufulu wokulirapo wakuziswa. Mofananamo, timayambukiridwa pamene . . . chisembwere chikhala mwambo, kapena munthu wamphamvu afotokoza mmene amagwiritsirira ntchito macondom. M’chochitika chirichonse, TV imachita zinthu—mwapang’onopang’ono—kusonyeza amene tingakhutiritsidwe kufanana naye, ndipo motero kukhala ngati iye.”

Mosakaikira, kukwera kwa nyengo ya TV kwawona kukwera kofananako kwa mikhalidwe yoipa ndi chiwawa. Kodi zachitika mwamalunji? Kutalitali. Kupenda kwina kunasonyeza kuti kukwera kwa upandu ndi chiwawa m’maiko atatu kunawonjezeka kokha pambuyo pa kuyambitsidwa kwa TV m’lirilonse la maikowo. Kumene TV inayambira kuyambitsidwa, nkumenenso upandu unayambira kukwera.

Modabwitsa, TV simakhala nthaŵi yakupuma monga momwe anthu ambiri amaiganizira. Kupenda kochitidwa pa nkhani 1,200 m’nyengo ya zaka 13 kunasonyeza kuti panthaŵi zakupuma zonse, kuwonerera wailesi yakanema ndiko kunali kosapumulitsa anthu kwenikweni. Mmalomwake, kunasiya openyerera ali osapumula kwenikweni ndipo okwinjika maganizo ndi osatha kusumika maganizo. Makamaka nyengo zazitali zakupenyerera zinasiya anthu mumkhalidwe woipa wamaganizo kuposa pamene anayamba kuwonerera. Mosiyana, kuŵerenga, kunasiya anthu ali opuma moposerapo, amaganizo abwinopo, ndi okhoza kusumika maganizo bwinopo!

Koma mosasamala kanthu za mmene kuŵerenga bukhu labwino kungakhalire kothandiza, TV, mbala ya nthaŵi yonyengerera, ingakankhire kumbuyo mabuku. Pamene wailesi yakanema inayambitsidwa mu New York City, malaibulale aunyinji anasimba kutsika kwa kutengedwa kwa mabuku. Ndithudi, ichi sichimatanthauza konse kuti anthu alipafupi kuleka kuŵerenga. Komabe, zanenedwa kuti anthu lerolino amaŵerenga mosakhazika mtima, kuti chisamaliro chawo chimalekeka mwamsanga ngati sakuwona zithunzithunzi zonyezimira. Kuŵerengera ndi kufufuza mwina sikungachirikize zonenedwa zimenezo. Chikhalirechobe, kodi nchiyani chimene timataikiridwa ponena za kudzisungira kwaumwini kozama ndi kudzilanga, ngati tidalira pa kukanthidwa kosalekeza ndi zosangulutsa za TV, zimene zalinganizidwira kutilanda ngakhale kamphindi kocheperatu ka chisamaliro?

Ana a Bokosilo

Komabe, ndi ponena za ana pamene nkhani ya wailesi yakanema imakhala yofunika mofulumira kwenikweni. Kwakukulukulu, chirichonse chimene TV ingachite kwa akulu, ingachitenso kwa ana—ndipo moposerapo. Ndiiko komwe, ana mwachiwonekere amakhulupirira maiko opeka amene amawawona pa TV. Nyuzipepala ya ku Jeremani Rheinischer Merkur/Christ und Welt inawonetsa kupenda kwaposachedwapa kumene kunapeza kuti ana kaŵirikaŵiri “samatha kusiyanitsa pakati pa moyo weniweni ndi zimene amawona pa wailesi yakanema. Iwo amasamutsa zimene awona m’dziko lopeka kudziloŵetsa m’dziko lenileni.”

Kupenda kwa sayansi koposa 3,000 mkati mwa zaka makumi ambiri za kufufuza kwachirikiza chigamulo chakuti zisonyezero zachiwawa za pa wailesi yakanema ziri ndi ziyambukiro zoipa pa ana ndi achichepere. Mabungwe otchuka oterowo onga American Academy of Pediatrics, National Institute of Mental Health, ndi American Medical Association onse amavomereza kuti chiwawa cha pa wailesi yakanema chimachititsa makhalidwe ankhalwe ndi opanda mayanjano mwa ana.

Kupenda kwasonyeza zotulukapo zina zododometsa. Mwachitsanzo, kunenepa kopambanitsa kwa ana kwagwirizanitsidwa ndi kupenyerera TV kopambanitsa.   Mwachiwonekere pali zifukwa ziŵiri. (1) Maola okhala dwii kutsogolo kwa bokosilo amaloŵa m’malo maola okangalika akuseŵera. (2) Malonda a pa TV amachita ntchito yakugulitsa kwa ana zakudya zamafuta zimene ziribe kwenikweni phindu la thanzi. Kufufuza kwina kwapereka lingaliro lakuti ana amene amawonerera TV mopambanitsa samachita bwino kusukulu. Pamene kuli kwakuti chigamulo nchokaikiritsa kwambiri kuchipanga, magazini a Time posachedwapa anasimba kuti akatswiri ambiri a nthenda zamaganizo ndi aphunzitsi amapatsa TV mlandu wa kutsika kwakukulu kwa maluso a ana akuŵerenga ndi mmene amachitira m’kalasi.

Ndiponso, nthaŵi nayonso nchochititsa china chachikulu. Podzafika pamene mwana wa ku Amereka wachikatikati amaliza sukulu ya sekondale, amakhala atathera maola 17,000 patsogolo pa TV kuyerekezera ndi maola 11,000 amene amathera m’sukulu. Kwa ana ambiri, TV imakhala chochita chawo cha panthaŵi yapadera, ngakhale kukhala chochita chawo chachikulu. Bukhu lakuti The National PTA Talks to Parents: How to Get the Best Education for Your Child limanena kuti theka la ana onse a giledi yachisanu (azaka khumi) amathera mphindi zinayi patsiku akuŵerenga kunyumba, koma mphindi 130 akuwonerera TV.

Pomalizira pake, mwina pali ochepa kwambiri omwe akatsutsa kuti TV simapereka maupandu enieni kwa ana ndi akulu omwe. Koma kodi zimenezo zimatanthauzanji? Kodi makolo ayenera kuletsa ana kuwonerera TV m’nyumba? Kodi anthu mwachisawawa ayenera kudzitetezera iwo okha ku chiyambukiro chake mwakuichotsamo kapena kuikhomera moisungiramo?

[Mawu a M’munsi]

[Mawu Otsindika patsamba 21]

“Kodi nchifukwa ninji azungu nthaŵi zonse amagwa- zana, kuwombe- rana mfuti ndi kupandana?”

[Chithunzi patsamba 23]

Zimani TV, tsegulani mabuku