Youth and Cinema: Direction or Destruction?

Cinema today is no longer just a screen-based form of entertainment; it has become one of the most influential mediums impacting societal thinking and especially the minds of youth. Unfortunately, this influence is not always constructive. Instead of nurturing the emotional and intellectual development of young viewers, modern cinema often chooses to exploit their vulnerability. It offers them a world filled with superficial romance, fake relationships, attraction in place of respect, and shortcuts in place of real struggle - all packed in an attractive, marketable form.

In youth, emotions run deep. This phase is marked by the search for identity, values, and inspiration. When cinema repeatedly presents characters who achieve everything without effort, who lie in love, who indulge in drugs, and still are hailed as “heroes”, it sends the wrong signals. These portrayals become ideologies for some, and mimicry for others - slowly turning into expectations and disappointments.

If we look at global cinema, we find films based on science, technology, space, human rights, philosophy, and social justice. These films aim to entertain while also igniting curiosity, debate, and growth. In contrast, Indian mainstream cinema - especially Bollywood - continues to repeat themes around breakups, affairs, crime, and superficial relationships. Not only are these themes limited in depth, but the way they are presented lacks emotional maturity.

Most of the commercial films in India now promote vulgarity, crime, and materialistic ideas of love. Film producers and streaming platforms know that controversy, glamour, and sex sell well. So they push content that is loud, sensational, and often shallow. Do they stop to wonder what a 16 or 18-year-old might feel after watching this? Do they care if their film is inspiring a young mind, or corrupting it?

The question arises - who is benefiting from these films? Producers are making money. Stars are gaining followers. Streaming apps are getting clicks. But is society really benefitting? Are parents feeling proud that their children are learning something meaningful? Are educators seeing a change in students driven by cinema?

The answer is often disappointing. When a young person, influenced by films, starts living in illusions, faces heartbreak, falls into addiction, or grows disillusioned with real life, no filmmaker takes responsibility. They hide behind the shield of "it’s just entertainment." But this kind of entertainment is no longer harmless - it is shaping minds, distorting reality, and weakening emotional resilience.

Our youth is not directionless by nature. They are simply being led astray by an industry that prioritizes profits over purpose. Where once cinema was a torchbearer of truth, history, struggle, and values, today it is largely reduced to a tool for exploiting emotions and earning money. Feelings are no longer respected; they are commercialized.

The time has come to look at cinema critically. We must go beyond the glamour and understand its deep-rooted impact. We must promote alternate cinema that tells real stories, celebrates authentic emotions, and guides the audience towards introspection. We must teach young people to evaluate content wisely, to ask themselves, “Is this movie enriching my mind or manipulating my emotions?”

If we succeed in doing so, cinema can again become a medium of social transformation. But if we continue to be silent spectators, these films will slowly hollow out the soul of our youth - glittering on the outside, empty on the inside.

©® Payal laxmi Soni