We seem to have
abandoned the days when weddings and births were announced on the house phone,
and the household huddled around to gather every ounce of the conversation. The
house phone seldom rings anymore, and with that we have almost done away with
such ceremonious revelations. You no longer have to wait to be informed by your
aunt that the pregnant cousin of yours has delivered. A beep on your hand held
device alerts you of the baby's arrival and pictures of the new born are
flashed across the world even before it may have taken the first breath of
life, leaving you wanting to scoop her already into your arms. Kith and kin, or
better still, digital connections of this cousin, receive an on-the-spot update
about how adoringly her husband thanks her for this bundle of joy. And as the
beaming mother swooshes into texting, instant messaging and updating status on
social networking sites, the pangs of labor and child birth thaw by degrees as
she transports herself from meatspace to cyberspace via that indispensable
widget she refuses to part with. Now think of this, some ten years back, when
you brought forth a life no less precious into the world, did your husband
applaud your attainment to that effect? Or, without the testimonials do you now
feel less appreciated? Or, worse still, has the language of love undergone a
transformation? Probably, it all lies in that little device which you appoint
to publicize your privacy, and thereby forfeit those exclusively personal
moments to digital eccentricity. And in the flush of this revolution in
connectivity, does it turn out that our erstwhile existence, bereft of such
trimmings, lay insipid in the confines of a small group of familiar associates?
Not a
totally grim scenario, though. You may be vacationing on the Seychelles Islands
and yet clinch a lucrative stock on SENSEX or get the latest on the NYSE. All
courtesy the minuscule gadget you own. A decade ago, the average person was
probably more diffident about technology. Not anymore. So, as you tweet about
the London Olympics and post videos of the latest Pitbull concert in your town,
you certainly can ask Siri, to guide you to the nearest Italian joint in your
vicinity. It's all about 'biting into the Apple' or latching on to the
'Blackberry'.
While
telecommunication facilities vary from nation to nation, and from region to
region, we quite easily store every bit of information on our mobile devices,
so much, so that this pocket-sized gizmo turns out to be a ubiquitous personal
assistant. So dependent are we on our smart phones, that parting with the same
awhile afflicts us with a disagreeable feeling of incompleteness. All
communication between friends, co-workers and acquaintances living across the
globe, is simply and most effectively contained in our pockets. You have this
sudden urge to say something to your friend, least important it may be, swoop
into a schmooze even while you are swaddled in your duvet! Emotions flow
freely. You may not get yourself to saying things aloud, but typing and tapping
'send' is all too easy. To say 'love you', 'thinking about you' 'missing you'
or 'did you have your pill this morning', is all but a pushover and simple as
ABC? In other words, love, care and concerns are now digitalized. With animated
smileys, you tap the keypad or simply touch the screen at any odd hour and let
your heart open up to your loved one at the other end. It's no more about
sitting at your workstation or embracing your laptop. It doesn't even matter if
you're living in unmatched time zones, if you haven't hibernated for the day,
you're always there to answer a call or acknowledge a text...and then you're on
a roll!
Moreover,
with twitter feeds rolling in every second, a meeting at the workplace no more
palls on you. Tweets let us keep in touch when we are not blah- blahing on the
mobile phone. Facebook updates roll in every minute, and you get to see that
your friend in Oslo is enjoying the spectacular northern lights, while you are
sitting through that draggy, dreary meeting, headed by that acrimonious boss of
yours.
It may lift
our spirits to know that we are in communication, even though we may be tens of
thousands of miles away from each other. Technology has actually made it
possible to dive into one another's life at random moments. With video calling
facilities enabled, you can connect with your mom no matter where you are, and
show her how sassy you look in that outfit she gifted to you on your last
anniversary. Even as, you allow your mind to go wild on the scary possibilities
of this video calling feature, you may just need to box up at times. After all,
would you like to 'facetime' with a friend when you have your face layered with
a cleansing mask, ugh? Well, that may be just one of your many flashes you may
not want to share. Yet, with 3G, 4G and the innumerable Gs evolving, it just
doesn't matter, where you are or what you're up to. All that matters is that
smart pocket device that beeps in harmony with every move you make, reminding
and reassuring you that all those who matter are just a click away. With the
pervasive and unrestricted wireless services, networking is simply at the push
of a button. And, if you possess the gizmo, you have it all there.
The smart
phone virtually has broken barriers, blurred distances and has made information
available literally at one's finger tips. And with that omnipresent ding,
technology has gifted us with a peerless vim. Paradoxically, even as we bemoan
the gluttony of wireless connections, this contraption certainly gets us hooked
as it slides the world into the cozy confines of our pockets, and fills us with
a warm complacency of being connected in a rather disconnected world.
Smartly
yours!
