Short films with social messages will now be screened at Metro stations in the capital to spread awareness about civic sense, security and other do’s and don’ts on the Delhi Metro. While the officials are upbeat about the move expecting that the films will spread awareness among the masses, will the move really be fruitful?
Not many think that docu-films or posters in public spaces really leave an impact on the public. Psychology student Ruchi Gupta says that the attention span of a person at a public space is not stationary. “A person doesn’t pay attention to anything and everything that comes his way. Often messages on posters or videos on roads don’t register. To really make an impact with these films, officials will have to ensure that these are catchy,” says Richa.
Some think that such efforts always lead to no results, for people don’t wish to pay attention. Media professional Shweta Dhyani says that to spread awareness, officials will need to engage the public in the campaigns. “Nobody stops and spends a minute or two in watching a film or reading the message written on a poster or in a video. But if one is engaged in the campaign at nay level, he would have an idea about the message,” she says.
Jyotsna Singh, management graduate and active member of social campaigns, says involving a person in an activity yields much better result than letting him be just an audience. “The lack of personal connect doesn’t influence a person. Many boys in my college didn’t pay attention to campaigns on safety of girls but after they joined in, they understood the seriousness,” says Jyotsna.