The mobile phone has appeared everywhere now and reaches the hands and pockets of the common man even in towns and villages. Communication network also has spread everywhere. Let me begin with a small incident.
My cousin was narrating a funny incident that happened when the mobile phone had made its entry into their house a couple of years back in the small town of Krishnaraja Pete
One day her children and other cousins had gathered there informally. On the floor they were all sitting and having a chat. During a short lull, the mobile which was beside my cousin and aunt, began to dance with a buzz on the smooth mosaic floor. My aunt did not know then that it was on ‘vibration mode’. She got frightened and suddenly began reacting, praying with folded hands and leaning away from it, “leave me alone… leave me alone… do not give me trouble like this…” One of the cousins put some fuel to the fire to see the fun, supported by the other cousins. That increased my aunt’s fear and forced her to repeat those ‘prayers’! It appears that she had really seriously thought that a ghost was making the mobile instrument to dance!! This is what TV serials and gossip can bring about! Superstition!!
After everybody had a hearty laugh, they told her why that was dancing. She then realized how she got herself fooled, being an ignoramus!
Now let us see some of what this mobile phone is doing esp. to the younger generation that is afflicted by the ‘mobile mania’. As soon as they get promoted to college, the first thing they demand is the mobile, which has to be a fine model. Next is a powerful mobike [boys] or an attractive scooter [girls].
The mobile has to be with them wherever they go, whatever they do. It is also made to sleep beside their pillow! They are anxious expecting calls or contemplating whom to call. The beauty of ‘silence’ inward and outward is never explored! They never relax one moment and fail to realize how stressful it could become, even though they seem to ‘enjoy’ and get ‘entertained’ by the mobile! It even comes with a camera now. They are pressing more buttons, yet doing nothing fruitful. They are talking more, communicating more, “SMS-ing” more, listening more [FM radio and built-in music], but achieving next to nothing[?]. They are spending more time with the mobiles and also keeping others at the opposite end busy. Not for nothing the advertisers target the younger generation! And not for nothing the college authorities ban its use in the campuses.
This modern technology is more abused than used. There is one innovative farmer who can operate his pumpset in the farm through this mobile even when he is away! He has customized another mobile instrument at the pump to switch on or off automatically by just ringing that number! And of course we hear of numerous nasty and harmful tricks played by mischief mongers with the help of this technology. Earlier, burglars used to cut the ‘phone cable’ before entering the houses to loot, but things have changed now!
We are renowned to misuse the goodies. Look at the Idiot Box. Look at the Internet. If anybody asks me to list the three most useful and three most misused things that have been invented in recent times, I’d like to list these three for both categories: TV, Internet and Mobile phone.
Everybody is mobile these days, always ‘on the move’. And they also inform others at the other end their whereabouts and what they are doing. Because it costs them just a few paise! Very cheap you know! So why keep quiet?
It has been saving lots of time and trouble to many, no doubt. It is a boon, in fact, but only for those that are using this wonderful mode of communication properly and judiciously.
The image [received recently from a friend by e-mail] on top of this post is so very apt!
1 comment:
Sometimes, you know, people just want one to show off. That's pretty illogical, if you ask me. Some don;t even require one! I don;t have a mobile and I'm a teenager. That's simply because I don't require one. All by things are looked after for me. I have a phone at home to talk to friends. Some are surprised that I don't have one. Even schoolchildren have one these days. There are just a handful of teenagers out there who still believe in written words, and clear speech. Ah well. I guess I've been cultured in such a way that I do not see logic in misuing the mobile and I do have to agree, although umcomfortably that we are misusing the mobiles a lot, for no apparent reason excpet to while away time. I remember a girl in tution last year spent the entire 1 and half hour of class sms'ing people. And they do it so craftily. They smile at the teacher when their hand will be rapidly moving, sms'ing someone, and one can hardly make out!
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