Transforming the ‘idiot box’

It was therefore an unexpected pleasure to see him this week, physically frail now, but mind and memory still strong. He remembered spending time with my family and I in Tobago, taking us to certain parts of the island, showing us the place through his eyes, through the eyes of a storytelling historian.

The memories of that experience with Michael Anthony led me to think of how much we depend on the creativity and memory of elders like him, Merle Hodge, Sam Selvon, Lynette Commissiong and others to help us construct a more relevant national narrative.

In our 21st century reality, the need for visual documentation of our stories is even more vital.

In the 1970s, the phrase “idiot box” was used to describe the overwhelming amount of foreign content on local television stations.

Almost 50 years later we are still engaged in a battle for young minds, except the “idiot box” outlets have grown in number and strength. From smart phones to cable television and virtual reality games, the people who have money to invest and create visual content, still dominate what our young people and society at large consume. Most of this content is foreign, this, even though TT’s unique history of conquest and settlement provides a rich resource of information that can inform successful multi-media products.

For instance, our First Peoples will celebrate their history and heritage this year using the granting of a national holiday as a platform to educate about their contribution and relevance to this country. They can boast of the legacy of the great Nepuyo chief Hyarima, who in 1637 led other First Nation peoples to successfully attack the Spaniards who had enslaved them. In 1699, there was another uprising, but those who documented the history described it as a massacre because amongst those killed by the First Peoples were several Capuchin monks and a Spanish governor.

We now know that our indigenous ancestors waged constant war against their enslavement and dehumanising treatment, but history portrayed them as savage and bloodthirsty. Hollywood also portrayed First Peoples this way for a very long time.

Films, video games, animation, virtual reality – all these forms of technology must now be used to teach in a way that is more relevant to this generation and to correct historical misinformation. In our work with young people, we encourage them to use technology to support cultural and community activities. So, instead of using the cell phone for endless selfies and pornography, use it to create a generational project connecting elders and young people, or to create community-based histories. Or why not encourage gamers to use their skills in writing code and developing the games, to make our folklore and traditional Carnival characters come alive.

For me, this is where educational funding should now be placed; into delving further into understanding how young people interact with the world and how we may insert a national agenda into their reality.

The ‘Green Days’ film and other local products are an important start, but we have a long way to go before we transform the various manifestations of the “idiot box” from alienating and divisive forces, into viable