MUSINGS

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

It Tugs, I Twitch, It Beeps, I Peek

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!