WHAT’S UP?

Oxford dictionary defines revolution as “a forcible overthrow of a government or social order, in favor of a new system” another definition is “a dramatic and wide-reaching change in conditions, attitudes, or operation”. History has witnessed bloody revolutions, white revolution, green revolutions, and now it is witnessing a silent revolution. Bloody revolutions were about gaining power, white revolution was about making milk availability, green revolution was about afforestation (planting trees) and silent revolution is about mobile phones.

From a simple talking and messaging machine it has become a smart machine providing a horde of services; supporting these services are numerous application of which the most popular one WhatsApp Messenger is a proprietary, cross-platform instant messaging application for smartphones. In addition to text messaging, users can send each other images, video, and audio media messages.

My daughter once told me about an incident that happened in her friend’s house. The family has four members and all four have smart phones. Though they live under the same roof, they prefer messaging over talking. Once it happened that the son left his socks lying on the bed. The mother who noticed them, pictured and messaged, “Put them in the right place” The son was quick to reply, why only me? Have a look at this; what do you say? The son had pictured his father who was lying flat on the sofa. The twit from his wife made the annoyed husband move to his bedroom leaving the TV on; fifteen minutes later his deep sleep was interrupted by a message “Who will switch off the TV?” He replied “The maid”

Human voice has tone and inflexion which can work wonders but we prefer machine touch over human touch. Youngsters are very much fond of music. With mobile in the pocket and handset in their ears, they get lost. Hardly can they hear you and it can be one of the causes of strained relation between the parent and the child.

Go anywhere, you find almost everyone lost in his mobile machine. While passing through the security check, the security personnel is busy messaging, children are busy gaming, youngster are busy chatting, salesman busy ordering, stock traders are busy transacting, and housewife with gossiping.

Historic invasions fade away but scientific invasions grip us cascadingly. Einstein introduced time and space uniquely. Mobile is working on it uniquely; every second of yours and every inch you have is being transgressed stealthily by this machine. One can be away from his boyfriend/girlfriend but being away from it is not an affordable proposition. We are closely bonded with this machine. It doesn’t spare you even in your washroom and at your bed side. It is mandatory for some to be connected 24 x 7, many feel it necessary to be connected 24 x 7 and the remaining will feel the need to be connected 24 x 7.    

Ali, my neighbor’s sons who has just learned walking wants his dad’s iPhone to play with. Waiting at the Delhi airport, on my way to Vadodara; I spotted an elderly person in his seventies trying to learn the intricacy of iPhone from his daughter in law. 

Decades before children used to play marbles, adults used to play chess and elders used to play with rosary. 

So, what's up? Time has changed and now we all play with mobiles.