Media as Informal Curriculum

Media – the word derived from ‘medium’ is often misunderstood by many. We think media

as an entity whose sole purpose is to report. But that’s far from true. The media is a medium

through which society shapes its opinions, laws, culture, etc. And it’s best if students

understand the seriousness of this institution from an early age. Today, learning is no longer

limited to the classroom. This is the age of AI and the internet. And the internet has

revolutionized media education. Every show you stream, every podcast you play, becomes

the structure of your media education.

How cinema shapes career aspirations

The role of cinema has never been limited to entertainment. When Spielberg made

ET, he didn’t just want to excite the audience with his creativity, but also wanted to

educate about the possibility of extraterrestrial life. Similarly, there are thousands of

examples where movies moved minds. If the Titanic hadn’t made, how many of us

would have known about this giant ship that sank in 1912?

For young audiences, films are often the first structured introduction to adulthood —

to careers, ambition, success, and struggle. A single biopic or courtroom drama can

transform an unfamiliar profession into a lifelong aspiration. Why? Because cinema

edits reality. It magnifies the glamour, the applause, the moral victories — and

erases the monotony, the failure, the years of invisible labour. What remains is not

the profession, but its cinematic version. And it is this polished, compressed

narrative that young minds internalise when they begin to imagine their future selves.

However, the flip side is that cinema can distort expectations — underplaying long-term

effort, unstable employment, or the systemic barriers many face. For career guidance, that

distortion matters: students influenced mainly by cinematic narratives may undervalue

incremental learning and practical constraints.

OTT shows and their impact on youth perception of success

Now, let’s talk about the streaming revolution of the 21 st century – the OTT. Ever since

Netflix started networking with its audience, it has shown the world what democracy in

content actually means. Unlike a movie, which goes through the censor board, distribution

distress, and painful promotions, the OTT content has given young talent the freedom to

broadcast without boundaries.

Not just that, unlike two-hour films, multi-season series stretch across years, allowing

characters to evolve slowly and visibly. Careers unfold episode by episode. Failures are

scripted. Comebacks are timed. Growth is dramatised.

This prolonged storytelling makes ambition feel attainable. When a character rises from

intern to founder across three seasons, the journey appears structured, almost guaranteed. But

this is a curated progression. If shortcuts are rewarded in the narrative, they begin to look

acceptable in reality. If risk is glorified without consequence, it reshapes how young viewers

evaluate effort and ethics. Streaming platforms do not merely entertain — they normalise

definitions of success.

Also, OTT platforms are not just about a change in storytelling; they have redefined the

metrics of success. Earlier media often equated achievement with stability — a steady job,

property, family, long-term security. Contemporary series, however, foreground visibility,

personal branding, creative autonomy, and constant reinvention. Success is no longer quiet or

cumulative; it is visible, disruptive, and immediate.

Influencer arcs, start-up narratives, and social media spin-offs repeatedly glorify rapid growth

and high-risk ambition. The message is subtle but powerful: pivot fast, rise fast, be seen. For

impressionable viewers — especially those without structured career guidance — this

reshapes aspiration. Success begins to look like virality, recognition, and headline moments

rather than sustained impact, financial discipline, or vocational depth.