The Ugly Digital Banner Landscape

Akin to the media scenario where bloodied ethics make no news, our public spaces are also marred by the advent of the ugly 'digital' banner landscape. What is 'digital' about their material or reception conditions is yet to be explained or related to. Public display of printed posters was once the exclusive domain of two sectors, the film industry and the political parties. Walls were sought to be booked by political parties months before elections and they were plastered with film posters on a weekly basis by exhibitors. One could see in such posters only the images of political big wigs and film actors. Now the ugly advent of 'digital' banner has democratised such a public sphere to an extent where every citizen' s face is made to show up in some street corner at some point of time or other in villages, towns and cities. The narcissistic potential of the ugly digital banner landscape is very likely to be its element of staying power until a more democratic and uglier narcissistic landscape emerges for the users of 'digital' banners.