Surfing Attitude

Before the telecom revolution in India,not so long ago,when almost every human being in this country didn’t own a cellphone,one would come across the occasional freak who’d declare loudly that he’d never succumb to such a shockingly intrusive device. That time,mercifully,has long past.

In the US,a cellphone company conducted a quick poll on their website: “If you had to be stranded on a desert island,what would you want with you?” The cellphone trounced the other options,“matches/lighter” or “another person”. (Cellphones provide light with the screen and you can always BBM for company.) We’ve adjusted this ubiquitous technology into normal,everyday living,like we have the other great evils of wasting time — Facebook and Twitter. I find it strange when people,especially those in the media,say that they think social networking has nothing to offer. I want to tell them unless you have Iyer’s writing skills,you better look sharp or you’re going to be outdated very soon.

Sure,internet and wireless technology have changed our behaviour. But unless you were leaning towards misanthropy to begin with,it’s unlikely that the internet or the cellphone will disconnect you further,socially,as some doomsdayers claim they will. Nor will it cause you to miss deadlines. Would you be more brilliant and profound without it? It’s unlikely. Social networking is also constantly evolving; now you can subscribe to posts and choose exactly how many updates you’d like to see. This option wasn’t there even three months ago. Like with every other addictive substance,it’s up to you to self- regulate and switch off. There can be a happy medium. And since many of us live in big anonymous cities,stuck in offices or commuting,our spontaneous encounters with people from our pasts,such as old classmates,ex-colleagues and even relatives,have moved online. Sure beats not having it at all.

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