The other day, while on a road trip, we missed the way. I directed the driver to ask some local about the right road. Instead, he hesitated and immediately reached for his cellphone.
“Why ask when we I can Google?” He replied with a glint in the eye.
Such is life nowadays, overtaken completely by technology. We would rather live by ourselves surrounded by our gadgets, which provide you the convenience of bringing the world to your doorstep anonymously. So much so that we do not want to reach out to people. Or even interact with them casually in person.
While social media may have connected you to your friends and acquaintances the world over, shrinking the boundaries of distance, but in effect such connections remain virtual and ‘fibre optical only’ with no real person to person intermingling. At the end of the conversation, what is left is an inanimate gadget and you, feeling lonelier than ever.
As time progressed, we advanced, technologically. From community living, we moved to nuclear families. Such words like individual privacy, personal aspirations gained importance. From a community, we shrunk ourselves to our own persona. ‘I, me and mine’ – this is what life is all about today. Free time is confined to the world of television and internet. Interpersonal relations are not based on the time spent together in each others’ company, but are guided by the profit derived. Man today is lost in the maze of the World Wide Web. More technology and the more the mankind stretches its limits of exploration and efficiency, making us superhuman robots. Each person today strives to be a self sufficient island with the help of technology. Simple, rustic, technology-devoid life is looked down upon as non urbane and coarse. 🤷♂️🤷♂️
Pre-television days, we, as kids, relaxed by playing with other kids. We were raring to be with them after finishing our daily chores. Our parents interacted with my friends’ parents and the whole colony was like a large community living together, sharing happiness and sorrows, gossiping etc. Such interaction had its ups and downs but no matter what, it was fun.
As time progressed, we advanced, technologically. From community living, we moved to nuclear families. Such words like individual privacy, personal aspirations gained importance. From a community, we shrunk ourselves to our own persona. ‘I, me and mine’ – this is what life is all about today. Free time is confined to the world of television and internet. Interpersonal relations are not based on the time spent together in each others’ company, but are guided by the profit derived. Man today is lost in the maze of the World Wide Web. More technology and the more the mankind stretches its limits of exploration and efficiency, making us superhuman robots. Each person today strives to be a self sufficient island with the help of technology. Simple, rustic, technology-devoid life is looked down upon as non urbane and coarse.
But, technology has its limitations. It can in no way replace the touch of fellow human being, the compassion for the underprivileged, the simple joy of being with family and friends. With time and excess of technology, a person is seen to yearn for a more worldly life with interpersonal interactions. He craves for the personal touch and not the artificial intelligence. Unfortunately, after so many years of islandic life, he feels he has lost the power of communication with human beings. He hesitates in reaching out to others, thus confining him to his own dreary soul, leading to depression and life crisis. After all, his social animal instincts needed to be honed on a regular basis to enable him to mingle with people around him.
The encompassing sea of humanity is like a cushion for your own well being. So, before you overwhelm yourself with hi-fi gadgets and technology, try to soak in the civilization around you. 💞
Believe me, you will feel more refreshed and tranquil, away from the beeps and led lights of technology. ✌✌