Future of Man

From times immemorial man has longed for the golden age - an age when peace shall reign on earth and contentment dwell in the soul, an age when strife shall cease and culminate in a blossoming of prosperity, learning and art.

Standing on the threshold of the twenty-first century when we survey our world, we are shocked to see what man has made of man. We are terrified by forces which threaten not only man's capacity for self-expression and communal living but the very survival of the species.

Millions of men all over the world are today locked in a battle for survival. Faced by poverty, squalor and even hunger, they are doing their best to keep body and soul together. One estimate shows that some forty thousand people die every day from starvation alone. Then there is the widespread problem of malnutrition which saps the mental and physical health of hundreds of millions more and robs them of a sense of decency and the desire to improve themselves.

Narcotics

One of the most dangerous things which has already the lives of millions of young men all over the world is narcotics. The word narcotics is used for a number of drugs, which it is presumed, make people feel better, albeit temporarily, whereas the reality is quite the reverse. The naked fact is that these drugs, unless, of course, they are taken under a qualified doctor's advice and care, are extremely harmful. That is why almost all governments have declared them illegal. Narcotics are habit forming and one who uses them is known as an addict. He becomes so much dependent on the drug that he will not desist from committing a crime , even a felony, if he cannot get it otherwise.

Narcotics have been given different names in different countries indeed a whole new vocabulary has sprung up, especially in America. The more popular names, which are used for them are "dope" and "drugs". Strictly speaking a narcotics is a drug that produces narcotics a state of numbness, "in which a person loses most or all of his power of feeling and may lose consciousness." He falls into such a deep sleep that he cannot be awakened unless the effects of the drug have evaporated. But there are certain other drugs, they produce quite the contrary effect. A person who uses them cannot sleep, he becomes "more wide awake than ever." These drugs are also called narcotics.

The narcotics pose a big problem for the society. They are now considered an illness. Almost like every other illness, they are curable Arrangements for their treatment have been made in many hospitals of the world. Their victims can be cured in four to six months and they can again lead a normal life provided they keep themselves away from these dangerous drugs.

Science and Technologies

The fruits of science in the shape of technology, inventions and discoveries have fast transformed our way of life. One of the foremost symbols of the march of science is the machine. The twentieth century is indeed a world of machines. More machines have perhaps been invented in the last fifty years than in the entire course of recorded history. They are all around us and help us in a thousand different ways. There is hardly an area which is free from their presence.

  Science has placed at our disposal hundreds of time and labor savings devices. In these days when servants are scare, it has really proved a boon for the working women in particular and the housewife in general. Science cleans the room, washes the clothes, bakes the bread, preserves the eatables, kneads the flour and even washes the dishes. In the office, the work of a hundred men is disposed do by a handful of machines thus saving both time and money. The electric typewriters, the Dictaphone, the intercom, the calculator and the computer perform their tasks with speed, accuracy and neatness.

The Advertising

Advertising has become an integral and essential part of modern society. Whether it is fertilizer for the farmer or a detergent for the urbanity, the message of the advertiser, in one form or another, reaches the consumer in the remotest regions of the country-nay, of the world. Without advertising we should not know the range of products available in any field, to buy or not as we choose. Far from being "an evil thing", the fact that it makes 'notification of choice' freely available ensures a claim that advertising is a cornerstone of any free society.

Advertising is ubiquitous. Until the coming of print the town-crier was the main purveyor of ads to spread tiding of wares, wars, disasters, auctions and wrestling bouts. Even today we come across those relics of a bygone age proclaiming their message to the beat of a drum. So deep and essential is the root-urge to advertise that the first Press advertisements appeared as soon as there were newspapers to print them in.

Mass Media and Society

In popular usage the term "mass media"refers to the role of televisions, radio, newspaper, books and other media in society. they represent modern sophisticated channels of communication. Though the mass media make communication possible over great distances, they are simply technical devices built into the  human communication process.

At one time "journalism" was an adequate term to describe the media of communication. For centuries it was largely through printed matter that common ideals and aspirations were maintained over wide areas. Then the Electronic Revolution of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries brought the motion picture, radio and TV which joined the printed media in spreading information, ideas and proving entertainment.
The media tend to select their audiences and audiences likewise select among and within the media. One of the most distinguishing characteristics of mass communication is that it is mostly one way. It works on the assumption that each individual is completely "passive" and will accept the communication like an injection. Secondly, the media are capable of reaching millions of people at the same time. Thirdly, the media and addressed to a mythical reader, viewer or listener. Fourthly, the media not only influence the social-economic order in which they perform there are likewise influenced by it.
In their role as teacher the media are supplementing the work of home, mosque and school. Keeping within the fold of traditional values, every effort is being made of transform social behavior so that it conforms to the Islamic way of life. The printed and spoken word si being used to eradicated social evils and to propagate democratic behavior.

Pakistan Culture

In popular parlance, the word "culture" evokes a variety of associations. If we speak of a per son as "cultured" we we may perhaps be referring to his scholarship, perceptiveness, good breeding or refinement. As used by social scientists, however, the term culture refers to considerably more than appreciation of classical music or awareness of the secrets of sartorial elegance. At times, it is even difficult to trace the lineaments of a particular culture. The most comprehensive characterization of culture comes to us from E. C. Taylor who identifies it as ""that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society." Viewed in this perspective, culture then consists of commonly accepted ideas, attitudes, values and habits which individuals display in connection with social living.

Culture is probably the greatest determinant of a nation. When the Muslims of the sub-continent realized that they "belonged" to a particular culture group and possessed an ethos distinct from that of the Hindus, they were already on their way to becoming a nation. They possessed the major ingredients that seemed to form the core the of modern nationalism. They had common moral, social, economic institutions, common customs, manners, literature, art, music, folklore, and common religion and history.

Quaid-i-Azam spelled out categorically the culture identity of the Muslims when he proclaimed that Islam and Hinduism were "different and distinct social orders." The Hindus and Muslims belonged to "two different religions, philosophies, social customs and literature", derived their inspiration from "different sources of history and had different epics, different heroes and different episodes." It was ethos which motivated the demand for  a separate homeland where Muslims could develop to the fullest their social-cultural life in consonance with their own ideals.