The strengthening of the media in the current era demonstrates the increasingly apparent connection between us. Yet concurrent to this, our much needed concern for each other is rapidly diminishing. While the media ties us tightly together, the content and messages that it conveys continue to encourage separation between us.

In this time of increasing connectedness, our relationships must also undergo change to support what is now inherent in our globalized world. Toward this goal, imagine a media that regularly produces content that shows us all how important we are to one another, and how good life can be if we change our personal attitude toward others. Imagine media that glorifies mutual reciprocity, unity, and consideration, over greed, selfishness, and exploitation. How will society change and what will it look like if instead of violence and glorified sanctification of the “me,” “me,” “me,” we will be exposed to a mindset of love and mutual assistance? What will happen if investigative journalism turns its methods positively to introduce people who benefit society and contribute to it, and condemns people who build themselves on the ruin of others?

Media can also expand to other venues, such as showing how in Nature, life is sustainable only when there is mutual reciprocity, harmony, and consideration toward other animals and natural systems. It is now time for our children to stop watching things like robot-wars. Children today need to begin viewing positive natural examples that embrace connectedness, such as the way storks collaborate during migration, how they create a V shape in their flight to jointly diminish the resistance of the air, and how at the sight of a weakened stork, other storks immediately leave the covey to help the ailing one. Indeed, examples in Nature abound that illustrate and educate children on sustainability through cooperation and consideration.

Some may argue that Nature is also filled with vicious examples. However, when a lion preys on a zebra, it is not doing so with the intent to harm the zebra. Lions and zebras coexist harmoniously in Nature. The lion preys on the zebra for the simple natural reason that it is hungry. As soon as the lion is satiated, it leaves the prey and continues on its way, allowing a host of other animals to feed on the kill. The more deeply we look into any part of Nature, the more we are able to understand that the fundamental law that runs through it is peaceful harmony and cooperative coexistence. From the systems observed in Nature, we can all learn how social systems throughout humanity can and should operate.

This fundamental change in observational focus is imperative, if not for us, then certainly for our children. After all, it is children who spend the bulk of their time in front of the computer or TV, and this is where they learn their values and future conducts. Psychologists warn that in any given situation, children do not behave rationally. Rather, they unconsciously prowl through their memories, pull out a behavior mode that they saw on the screen, and then act accordingly. Hence, we as parents are responsible for acting on behalf of our children and demanding substantive change in the contents being given to our children through the media.

The greatest minds in the world have already documented that man is an innately social being. Furthermore, many research studies have shown that if a certain societal value is granted broad social support, it is much easier for the most people to adopt it. In fact, through the mechanism provided by majority social support, this adoption of values happens to us naturally, almost automatically. Thus, if the media were to “flood” us with dozens of daily examples of individuals and groups who are considerate of others and that act to benefit society, we, too, would naturally begin to want to do good deeds to others.