Lately I have come across many articles and videos of how technology has made us addicted, lazy, useless and drifted us apart from our loved ones. How had it not been for technology we could have had real meaningful conversations, made more friends, and not glued to our phones or laptops? I agree excessive use of anything is bad. Addiction to caffeine, smoking, alcohol, television, overeating or as a matter of fact to anything in the world is bad. As they say injurious to health, mind and body. There are always two sides, no matter how thin you slice it.
“Necessity is the mother of all inventions/evil.” I appreciate people behind all these inventions. How they had the foresight to see ahead of their times, is sheer brilliance in all ways! Back in the days a child used to ask his father, “How I wish I had a genie that could fly me across and I never had to walk.” You’ve got airplanes now sunny. :) We as children were fascinated with the stories having crystal magic globe, in which magicians used to see other people. Voice over Internet Phony(VOIP), I say gave life to that dream of owning a magic globe.
Trying to think in my own life how technology has made life simpler.
Mail Van(Make a wish!!)
There was a time when postal services were so dominant. As telephone was a costly mode, people used to write long letters like a short story to their near and dear ones. A post man used to bring a joy unknown and undefined to the doorsteps. People treated him like an angel offering tea and snacks so that their post is delivered promptly by him. :) All communications used to be via post. In fact important admission letters, selection letters so on and so forth were all stamped and waited to be delivered for days peeping out through the letter boxes.
An old friend!
All of this was very cute, but with it also came the frustrations when emergencies could not be communicated in time. My encounter with the post office is just once a year to post Rakhi. All communications are just a click away, from any legal documents to applying for new jobs, getting back confirmation has become such a cake walk. And, as they say, when it’s a cake walk, it loses its value.
Priceless Fixed Telephone Line
A fixed line number is what everyone used to have back then. Calling someone abroad or even STD calls were booked through exchange. It was extremely expensive, a luxury in those days. And the farther you made a call, the louder you had to shout, the connection quality was never so great.
I can quote an incident my parents shared. They met and got married just in ten days, as auspicious dates were not available later for a long span. My mama (maternal uncle) was sailing as he was in merchant navy. There were no satellite phones in that era. Whenever mama reached any port after sailing he used to call to nani (grandmother), to tell about his well being. Nani wrote a letter to mama that mom’s marriage is fixed and by the time he will receive the letter she would be married. Can you believe this? Mama got so emotional when he received the letter, he couldn’t even fly and come for wedding as all ceremonies were over.
Now even wedding invitations are send through e-card or an eloquent wedding website is created. Even if someone for whatever reasons couldn’t attend the wedding, they can see it live through skype. Then, a time came of advent of mobile phones, huge in size and heavy for pockets, just a mini version of cordless phones. Even that was treated as a luxury. It still surprises me when I think that even incoming calls were chargeable. Though people used to carry, but only for emergency calls to inform if stuck. It was such a big revolution.
Facebooking and Whatsapping
Isn’t it good to catch up with long lost friends and reconnect with them? My dad always miss his engineering batch mates from Roorkee. He says the younger generation is so lucky to be connected. And, I can’t agree more. With time they lost contact with each other, maybe moved to different places, some of them who have online presence have reconnected and have so much to share (old stories of professors and girlfriends ;)),but some are still lost in time.
As of us, we are just a click away to catch up with someone, meet them and hang out making new memories. Even before shifting to a new place or a new country you search the list of friends already there, catch up over a cup of coffee. Facebook makes us remember important events in each other’s life! People say because of Facebook they receive less calls on phone now, come on guys that can’t be true, for sure people who love and care about you will always have the time to call. And, if they don’t then don’t blame it to Facebook. :P Plus also value the time someone has taken to wish or congratulate you in your big days. I don’t care it takes few seconds or minutes, but I do value every wish that comes on my birthday and reply back to everyone individually! Thanks to Facebook for making us a small part in each other’s life, though insignificant, but surely worth it.
Earlier we were so confined and limited. Our thoughts, our happiness and even sorrows were only limited to a handful of people we are close to. Now we can give wings to our imagination, write across and knock every door in the world making our voices audible. I have more audience from US reading my blog compared to India. Was that even minutely possible before? Not even in the dreams, it’s a whole new dimension.
GPS
It’s drivers best friend and you’re best travelling partner. Girlfriends are surely secondary. ;) Though sometimes even a GPS can ditch you, but that can happen in any relationship right. :) Jokes apart, life without GPS is unimaginable. Travel lovers can feel the pinch of getting lost in the way, sometimes in the middle of night when there is no one to guide through. Even travelling interstate, language barrier becomes a hindrance. No matter how much sign language you use there can always be goof ups. At some places even the direction boards are in local language.
Bid daddy ‘Google’
Of course not to forget the big daddy Google. :) Name a thing and it’s there! Even if you have a lot of answers, but no question related to it, you can even find that too on Google. :D It pours knowledge to us from all directions in all spheres. Years before, for even a small school project kids had to visit multiple libraries, photocopy the material. Now it’s a different story altogether.
Television and transistor
Concepts like, live telecast were so alien at that time. Before the advent of television, for cricket/hockey commentary, music, news, etc. dependency was completely on transistors. Even after television came into picture, Doordarshan was the only happening thing. :) Now we have plethora of channels, worldwide live telecasts and shows are accessible to us! Though I am not a big fan of TV, I surely love to catch up on sports and movie classics.
And, when it’s so simple it gets ignored. People forget all these things in a jiffy. The basic thumb rule is, don’t use all these inventions as addictions. An obsessive compulsion of overuse will obviously become a problem. A controlled behaviour will surely make you feel blessed, with so many of these wonderful inventions, I certainly feel my life has become better.
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