Not only do ‘reel’ and ‘real’ have similar pronunciations, they are a pair of homophones that have a symbiotic relationship; they’re deeply intertwined and mutually dependent. The ‘reel’ world has become a profound segment of society that carves a child’s imagination, fosters social connections and influences the ideal outfit for a shopping trip. Likewise, the ‘real’ world sparks the flame of creativity within our books and movies. The two have a delicate relationship that has many positives as well as some inevitable consequences.
The ‘reel’ world relies on society for its content, while society uses media for socialisation, information and modelling its reality. Reel World offers immersive escapism- the deep, voluntary absorption into an alternate world to find relief from reality. Putting it simply, some individuals find solace in movies due to their immersion within a more ideal and fantastical narrative. There are innumerable examples which underscore how this immersive escapism can benefit our reality.
In 1999, Dr. Barbara Rothbaum undertook a landmark case study to test whether Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET) could be a more effective alternative treatment to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as compared to typical imaginal exposure treatment. The case involved a 50-year-old Vietnamese veteran who had lived with PTSD for decades. Over the course of seven weeks that included 14 sessions of 90 minutes each, the veteran showed remarkable improvement. He had a 34% reduction in clinician-rated symptoms and an improvement in major depressive disorders. With the positive results, the case study brought into the limelight the way immersive and controlled technology or the ‘reel world’ could adequately combat ‘real world’ responses.
Additionally, the ‘reel’ world can work as an effective medium to foster social awareness on daunting issues. By amalgamating realistic characters, emotional narratives and cinematic techniques, films work as a counter-narrative to social norms while sparking public cognizance. An example is the 2007 movie ‘Taare Zameen Par’ by Aamir Khan, which channels an eye-opening perception of societal issues related to neuro-divergence. The movie involves a dyslexic boy’s transformation from a self-reluctant individual in a suppressive society to a confident being with pride in his artistic abilities. This poignant film delineated the way the ‘reel world’ can capture the quintessence of a reality that we often overlook. The concept of equality and breaking social prejudices for learning disabilities was seemingly trivial, but the popularity of the film triggered some serious conversations and largely remodelled interactions and support towards individuals with special needs.
Thus, the ‘reel world’ can act as a subversive medium to bring forth ‘real’ life issues and social stigmas. Not only does this symbiotic relationship lead to pragmatic build-ups in social life, but it also fosters social awareness through heartfelt mediums.
It is said- “At a certain point, you can become so enchanted with the symbols, that you entirely confuse them with reality. The menu is not the meal.” This beautiful quote captures the way the media blurs the line between imagination and reality. This makes us question the ‘reel world’ as it distorts an individual’s verity and leads to bizarre consequences. It is a proven fact that actors who play the roles of villains or disliked characters sometimes face the ‘real world’ hostility. Be it Margaret Hamilton who acted as the Wicked Witch in the ‘Wizard of Oz’; the sinister Joker from Batman, Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter or the Trunchbull from Matilda; all these actors have suffered some hostility because people fail to differentiate between fiction and reality.
The blurring of lines between art and life can also become life-threatening as individuals begin to emulate their fictional heroes. In 2010, the Canadian Filmmaker Mark Twitchell became obsessed with the TV show Dexter which features the story of a forensic technician who kills murderers. This caused Mark to create a ‘kill room’ in his garage, and lure a man to his death while documenting his desire to become a real-life Dexter Morgan. This exemplifies the dangers of over indulgence in the ‘reel world’ which leads to the formation of contorted ‘real world’ images.
In conclusion, we can say that the reel and real worlds have a delicate balance that can be both beneficial and detrimental. ‘Reel world’ can help us reframe our perspectives in such a manner that it can lead to constructive actions in the ‘real world’. But it comes with a word of caution- if you value a hero like Superman, don’t buy a suit and look for a fight. Instead, recognise the underlying values like justice and discipline and implement them within your life. To an ignorant being, the two things may sound similar, but there is a fine line between what is presented and what is actually happening.
Writer: Aarna Sharma
Grade : 9 (Year 2026)
Place : Sydney, Australia
