Ancient Bhutan's Encounter with the Electronic Age
It was the last
nation on earth without television. Then, in 1999, by royal
decree from the Dragon King, Bhutan allowed its citizens
to have cable. A country half the size of Indiana, Bhutan
is located in southeastern Asia between China and India.
Until recently, it was known for its traditional lifestyle,
peaceful isolation, and deep devotion to Buddhism. Lately,
it has made headlines for a crime wave that may mark the
beginning of an even larger societal crisis. Many in Bhutan
believe television may be the root of the rift in the country's
centuries-old peaceful values.
Not long after tranquil Bhutan lifted the ban on television,
the country experienced crime that was previously unimaginable
- murder, drug abuse, vandalism, theft, and fraud. Immediately,
experts and elders pointed out that the violent scenes on
the 46 available cable channels (mostly imported from America)
seemed to be replicating in real life. Editorials in the
national newspaper called for censorship and even a ban
on foreign broadcasters. Letters to the editor expressed
concern that television now controls the minds of Bhutan's
citizens, especially its children.
In response to widespread concerns, Bhutan's deputy minister
of communications announced a study to determine TV's impact.
While the study is not yet complete, an independent group
of Bhutanese academics found that cable television was responsible
for "dramatic changes" to society, including rising
crime, corruption, an insatiable appetite for western products,
and different attitudes toward love and relationships. In
addition, the study found that nearly half of Bhutan's children
watch up to 12 hours of TV every day.
In the coming years the full impact of TV on Bhutanese
society should become clearer. Television is contributing
to rapid changes as Bhutan attempts to join the modern world
community. Although TV is not the only cause of Bhutan's
tragic new problems, the people of Bhutan should work fast
to protect children from the harmful effects of the media.
Now that Bhutan has entered the electronic age, it needs
to face the challenges this new age presents.
TV has given Bhutan a valuable new window on the world
- children and adults alike now have unprecedented access
to untold educational and entertainment resources. Unfortunately,
the people of Bhutan will also have an unfettered doorway
to TV's violence and smut.
Bhutan's example is hard to ignore. The clash between "TV
values" and community values occurs everywhere television
is available. Allowing your children to watch whatever they
want whenever they want to watch it is like allowing total
strangers into your home. No sane parent would ever do that.
The key is to set guidelines about how much and what can
be watched. If you use it sensibly, TV can give you a portal
to far-away places and fascinating cultures - a tiny mountain
country, for instance, with a benevolent ruler known as
the Dragon King.
David Walsh, Ph.D. is the president and
founder of the National Institute on Media and the Family
(www.mediafamily.org). He has written seven books and is
a frequent guest on national radio and television.
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