ADDICTED TO THE NET

ADDICTED TO THE NET

 

LT COL NOEL ELLIS

 

04/IV/2022

 

It is the second day without the internet, could be catastrophic for many. For us it has been a time to get on with life. Thank God they haven’t stopped the ‘communication’ part. At least we can make calls and send messages.

 

It was also time to clean galleries of our phones. Thousand plus videos and three thousand plus photos had slowly trickled in. You mean to say I had spent two thousand minutes almost thirty-three hours watching junk if a clip averaging two minutes. If one has spent half a minute reading each pic or good morning quote it would be approximate the same time spent.

 

Time spent ‘reading’ messages on WhatsApp, would consume almost all the time minus the sleeping and eating time. I am not counting the you tube videos and mails received since the phone was last cleaned.

 

Friends & relatives ‘rarely’ call now and neither do I. It is invariably a chat. Probably we are so connected through social media that it is taken for granted that we are in close touch. A “like” on anything posted by a friend on face book is equivalent to a conversation. A smiley conveys feelings. It an equivalent of a postcard of the good old days. A comment is like an inland letter.

 

I like the face book trick too. They ‘suggest’ what should be your reply to a particular kind of post with readymade templates. Most friends click on a ‘pre-served’ choice. Hold your cursor on something, it changes from a smiley to a ‘heart’. Double tap a message, it turns into something else. Conversation takes place thus. You need to understand their feelings & respect their precious time.

 

‘Hearts’ are something more than a ‘like’. It doesn’t matter the hearts are green (with envy), brown as if burnt, even one that beats. Feelings you see. It means that the contents of your posts deserve much more appreciation than a thumbs up.

 

Then they are smileys which have a black round shaped mouth without teeth. Basically meaning “Wow” it looks more like it has shocked the recipient who instead of saying wow is saying ‘Hawww’.

 

There is one more appreciative kind which has two hands near the smiley. I presume it is a ‘hug’. The lady friend would never give you a hug in real life for obvious reasons considering you a ‘thug’ instead.

 

Be that as it may, the absence of internet is being missed. Today everyone on the road is seen walking scrolling his or her mobile phone without the net. This morning a person who constantly keeps looking at his screen while walking even wished me. Will he do so again when the net is restored?

 

There were two ladies a ‘Devrani-Jethani’ team working for us a few days back, addicted to their phones. They would walk in to work with their earphones plugged & leave the same way. Wife had to tap their shoulders to convey something which they did not appreciate.

 

Reminded me of my VIKAS days when ‘buddy’ of yours came in to fix your uniform with a Walkman on, listening to Dire Straits or Pink Floyd. “Pinja” could also polish your shoes and serve you a drink but with his Walkman on.

 

During one of the annual leave, one bought a Walkman as an ‘Afsaran-e-Hind’. Though one did not like buddy wearing headphones, one took a chance with Dad. We were travelling to someone’s house with Dad as the pillion on the bike. One put on headphones and drove on. He didn’t say a word, so I took it that probably he didn’t mind.

 

On our return, the dressing down one got was a lesson for life. “Noel, you come home after ages, when do we get time to talk” he said. He was right. He reminded me of our long chats. As a kid, I used be sitting behind his bi-cycle and blabber non-stop on our way to the river for fishing.  He smiled and said son, there are things which should not be said but understood. It was a sign of discourteousness.

 

Today’s generation has movies & music stored in their phones. They plan their music according to the journey time. Kids switch off from the world till they reach their destination. Then ask, aa gaya kya?

 

Internet is definitely a boon but a bane too. We have got addicted to our mobiles and lost on precious time people could spend with each other. The basic courtesies have been forgotten. Even when people sit together, reading a message is more important than your company, is what one has observed. Phones should be kept aside in gatherings is my view. Is there any de-addiction centre? I wonder!!!!!!!!!!

 

JAI HIND

© NOEL ELLIS