One of my first blogs was how media can make or break an institution.
Today, I would like to extend this to individuals. Every morning when we wake up, the first thing we read is the headlines from our local daily. Does it determine our mood, our outlook for that day?
Take for instance, a sample of gloomy headlines that fill our newspaper these days:
- Recession reports: 1300 firms file for bankruptcy
- Asian stocks go for a free fall
- Industrial output fells sharply
- Consumer confidence at a decade low
- A NY broker commits suicide because of losses
How does it make you feel? Even though your job might be perfectly fine, your company might be doing very well, your personal life is in full balance; yet somehow these news creates a negative impression in your mind and we all know negativity creates a vicious cycle taking you further down.
Just last week, I came across a forward email in which a person has a small lunch takeaway in the heart of Wall Street. His business is going great (after all whatever be the market condition; every one is going to have a quick bite at lunch). Suddenly his educated son appears and advises his father to reduce his production as there is recession in market. His father does so; Now the takeaway shop runs out of food earlier and lot of customers have to return hungry. The word spreads and people start refraining from going to the shop fearing they might not get lunch. This reduces demand and the father reduces production further thus creating a cycle. In the end… demand is low and lower is the supply (Impact of recession????)
Well the story might not have any linkage to what I started blogging about; but the bottomline message is same and very clear. Simple things like your daily newspaper; your dinnertime news channel influences how your day shapes up. Though its good to know the facts and whats happening in the world; its even more important to project them in a balanced manner; An individual should assimilate information to the extent he is impacted by the same…
No comments:
Post a Comment