The World of Fantasy used to exist only in science fiction half a century ago. The evolution of Science and Technology has actualised that fiction in the last five decades, triggering psychological distress.

For a long period of time, the global community has been familiar with the concepts of three Worlds: the First World or the Western alliance led by advanced nations, like the US, Britain, Japan and other NATO member-countries; the Second World or the Communist bloc, led by erstwhile Soviet Union, China and signatories of the 1955 Warsaw Pact; and the Third World or Non-aligned developing and underdeveloped nations. Lately, it has been heard that the poorest nations in the world belong to the Fourth World.

Some believe that the Fourth World is basically a comic-world created by Jack Kirby (born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994), an American comic book artist, writer and editor, widely regarded as one of the medium’s major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential creators. In the strange world of exploitation and divide-and-rule, the Information Technology (IT) gave birth to a new disparity, Digital Division, in the 1990s. One of the consequences of digital division is the World of Fantasy. It can be called the Fifth World, where the boundaries between the rich and poor, East and West, NATO and Communists, developed and underdeveloped (or developing) are overshadowed by an illusionary world. It is a dangerous world, indeed, as this world takes one to a delusional state.

When a senior professional of the Digital Media has recently been asked about his life, he has explained problems related to his child in more than 200 words. According to the media professional, the teenagers spend almost all of their spare time on social media or in the virtual reality of the Internet. They do not socialise, do not play with friends, do not fight, and do not get scolded by elders. Accustomed to the world of like-share-comment, they are getting stuck in a sick competition. They, being unable to bear failure, often break down quite easily. Electronic devices, such as smartphones, iPads, etc., which have become an important part of our daily life, have created this situation. The addicted people, especially the new generation, feel strangely helpless without these gadgets.

At the same time, the world of fantasy has also allowed the elderly and differently abled people to experience individual freedom in a different manner. For them, leisurely living has become more and more enjoyable. Canadian Philosopher Herbert Marshall McLuhan‘s (July 21, 1911 – December 31, 1980) Media Theory had revolutionised the innovation and public interest in Mass Media in the 1970s. It may be noted that McLuhan had coined the expression “the Medium is the Message” in the first chapter in his 1964 publication, Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man, and the term Global Village. Now, one can feel that counter-revolution, with adults getting addicted to television. In other words, the Mass Media have fully consumed the adult mind. The harsh, as well as shocking, truth is that the majority of the people have outsourced the password of their social lives.

Psychologists are of the opinion that the world of fantasy would be governed by Metaverse, and it could be called the Sixth World. They have advised people to talk more to each other, as it shall help increase their emotion. For this, one would have to remove her/his headphones first and to read literature.

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Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das