Lost in a House of Mirrors

  •   Thu, Mar 26 2026
  •   By Glaxson D'Lima

March 26, 2026

If you are a 90s kid and a fan of WWF (now known as WWE), you might remember how you were constantly reminded by adults that nothing about it was real: the fights, the conflicts, all of it was fake; whereas, you were encouraged to watch televised news or debate shows to keep up with the current events. It’s a pity, the same can’t be said today about the televised prime-time news.

The exaggeration, the theatrics of the news anchors and the confidence with which misinformation is presented is very telling. It is not the idea that is disseminated that matters but the way it is consumed, shared and accepted.

Podcasts, for instance, once conceived as platforms for thoughtful exchange, have lately become a mouthpiece of misinformation, newspeak and drivel. Many hosts and their guests, often unqualified beyond their ability to speak persuasively, venture into presenting misinformation and quackery in form of facts on nearly every topic under the sun ranging from disease to divinity. The issue is not just malice, but unchecked authority of information passed though such ecosystem which is not an isolated case.

Podcasts are just little boxes in the treasure trove of platforms that are available at the disposal of the those who hold the power to influence in this day and age, with movies, TV shows, high-decibel prime-time news, subliminal advertising messages, reality shows, social media content, and celebrity thumbs-ups, to name a few. There is so much information that is being consumed by the viewer that it becomes nearly impossible to tell the purpose of the newspeak, a product, an endorsement, or a belief being sold.

With the proliferation of multimedia platforms and internet access, the last couple of decades, humanity has been ushered into an age of information–or rather overwhelmingly abundance of it. The dangers of AI-generated content, blurring the line between fake and real, are only a tip of the iceberg. What we are facing today is not only the concern of content and the unchecked objective but the lack of individual discernment.

So, where all of this is leading us to and what’s going on?

The world is currently lost in a house of mirrors, so to speak. Individuals, groups and entities with the power to influence masses are able to sway opinions and beliefs simply by having access to a mic, a camera, confidence, an appealing story and a large reach.

If an individual fosters a certain predisposed belief about something or someone, then a deftly crafted content, be it a movie, advertisement, news debates or a controversy, can validate the “Aha!” moment for the biased individual to cement their hatred. The biased viewer is one such individual who is lost in this house of mirrors. He ignores the real mirror that reflects the true goal of the content fed to him – which is minting money by grabbing his attention – and instead focuses on the fake mirrors that show distorted image.

Age, class, profession and experience of the recipient are not impregnable to the system designed to reinforce existing beliefs. The ecosystem of content presented today, no matter how persuasive, is cleverly curated algorithmically to ensure that the individual bias is validated and satisfied.  

If we collectively look at the world with a bird’s eye view, we will see that that it has almost reached its boiling point. Global warming, climate change, looming new pandemic threats, geo-political tensions are making the world increasing volatile. The barrage of misinformation being diffused is not helping the cause. What people truly need today is clarity, knowledge and unbiased information – but that would exist only in an ideal world. In our real world, sensationalism sells as long as it can amplify your consternation, fear and bias as long as you are willing to lend your attention, because that is where the top prize is.

If you ask what does one have to gain capturing your attention, then you are on the right track. Discerning and sparing a quick thought who is gaining in every content fed to you becomes essential? Why would a celebrity endorse unhealthy junk food or a soft drinks while they themselves avoid it and live on organic, healthy diets? Why do war-mongers advocate conflict while they themselves remain ensconced in the safety of air-conditioned rooms? Why would public figures encourage you to live ascetically to save the planet while they themselves engage in excess?

Overall, the thought here is not to house conspiracy theories, but to encourage judgement and become a carping critic – to tell the difference between information and misinformation, fact and fiction, entertainment and education, opinion and truth.

If you have the will to identify creative peak detailing in a movie that has captured public discourse, then you also have the will to go beyond and ask: does it truly possess credibility or is it simply meant to be compelling to get the cash registers ringing?

The antidote to misinformation is not simply more information, but better judgement; because the house of mirrors reveals the distortions and ultimately the way out only if you are willing to look closely.

 

 

 

 
By Glaxson D'Lima
Glaxson D'Lima is from Santhekatte. He is currently working for a firm based in Doha-Qatar.
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