Friends Or Mobile Phones?

For the last couple of months, I have rarely posted at IL, and it is a conscious decision to get off iPad, mobile etc. We wonder about it, but the only way we can bring about change is DOING SOMETHING about it - namely log off the FB, IL, Whatsapp and other such "online time sinks" away from real life activities. Feels great to spend time offline in real world, vs online - so I am enjoying this decision I made.

 

Ishita,

What a timely post. The last few days I have tried staying off IL and FB merely for this reason. It's addictive yes, makes you feel good but too much of it takes you away from the real world definitely. But all said and done it does not last very long also, after a while your back . I think it's important to gauge how much of time needs to be invested online.

How much I miss those days of growing up, when this was not in rampant. That life was something else only.

 

Social networking sites are very useful when there is an emergency, during natural calamities, or when you need some immediate help. The same can be said about Internet also- there are scores of you tube videos that teach right from music, yoga to cooking. But, yes, one should not be addicted to Internet or cellphones.
As you have rightly pointed out even in public transport I see people with their ear phones on, and gone are the days when the younger generation used to vacate their seats for the sake of senior citizens or pregnant women.
Even relatives do not like our visits during those times, their favorite serials are telecast.
Once we get over this addiction, I hope we will get back to our good old times!

Agatha83

 

After a long time had the opportunity to put my mobile down for few days and had the pleasure of living in the real world. It's a wonderful feeling! Just like when vacation ends and we are back to our routine it doesn't last long! Anyway I hear you. If only we could communicate and live in the real world we don't need this mobile devices!

 

I see the young generation around me being adamant about having costly, up to date smartphones on their first day of college, well aware that its too much to ask for in a middle class Indian family, when even a simple mobile is just enough to serve the purpose of keeping the family informed about their whereabouts or emergency situations. Their reasons? Social networking applications of course but what is networking if we cannot actually 'network' in person with peers in real world? I think it will fade away with age, age- technologically until something bigger comes and sweeps us all, age- when we age as human beings, when 'being bothered' bothers us and peace is all we care.

 

Quote : "God has created things to use and humans to love, but we are loving things and using humans" this quote suits justify your thread!!

 

Hi Ishta
I read your post and replies from other IL members, even I thought of sharing my views. I felt that anything addicted will trouble us,everything has good and bad,so we have to balance us in using it.I mean spending too much with Internet like FB,Whats up etc etc and talking and spending lot of time with friends will make certain complications, so it's better for us to know the limitations of all things in life,as everything will have its own importance, like example of IL makes us to know many things from so many friends just sitting at one place,like one of our friend said in her reply to your post that we can use social network for promoting any good thought and view and help each other in case any calamities.I feel usage of all things is in our hands.

 

Strange. Talk of coincidences. Was thinking of this very same topic a couple of days ago when replying to 'my time, my space'.

It is exasperating to have the phone ringing all the time. As if it is not enough that sales people, banks, telephone companies keep harassing people by making nuisance calls just when one wants to rest, relatives of domestic help also seem to think we are receptionists for them to call them to the phone every time they call. Not that they don't have mobiles. It is just that they don't want to charge the damn thing. They don't have balance to inform us when they are not coming, they don't have balance for us to call them for any emergency. Why do they have those fancy bits of plastic at all?

Every company, every courier insists on a phone number. They are unwilling to give you your consignment if you refuse to give a phone number.

Set your phone on silent, go off to sleep. Or simply allow the phone to remain uncharged - inadvertently of course. Someone tries to call. You fail to respond - you never got the call, the efficient phone company did not transmit the call to you or transmitted it to someone else who did not respond to an unknown number or you did not hear the phone ringing. See how many misunderstandings are created due to that measly piece of equipment?

So what is the solution? Don't have mobiles. Very tempting that. However, one cannot deny the fact that it is useful in case of an emergency. How reassuring it is to be able to communicate with a child who is late coming home or a spouse who is caught up in traffic or delayed at work. At least some degree of worry is avoided.

As for the internet, for all the bad rap it gets, there is a lot of useful stuff there and plenty of stuff which can be learnt. Give up internet? Sure I would not mind being off the internet on weekends. What do I do then? Everyone else is glued to the internet. I'd end up staring at the walls, pulling out my hair - one at a time and chewing the brains of whoever is in sight, if and when there is anyone in sight. So whatever the case, the internet is my life saver. Shan't say a word against it!