The world has a new opioid. If you think opium, codine, heroin or any of the others in the list of addictive drugs, were dangerous in their abiltiy to make addicts out of us, this one is just as bad. Unlike the ones named above, the new drug requires no prescription. There is no ban on it, for no one has yet realised the power it wields: to change perceptions, to lull the senses and create a false sense of well being. It is true though, that in its grip, an entire generation is skimming through life with a devil-may-care attitude. Unlike the recognised dangerous drugs, this comes packaged innocently.
For all intents and purposes it is a phone. A mere means of communication between two or more people who may not be in one another’s immediate vicinity. But the smart instrument also holds an entire universe of information that can be accessed for indefinite periods of time. The fact that it accepts material in varied forms, from text to films and videos balloons its reach, mystifying, enthralling anyone with access. The world is trapped within the confines of this small instrument; minds, eyes, ears fall victim to the addiction of what it can offer.
Ever noticed how on any kind of public transport, entire carriage loads, be they on a bus or train, are blissfully unaware of what is outside the window. Detached from their surroundings, they are each one of them, in a private world that holds them in thrall. By extension they also shut out the rest of the world. Events, news, climate, governance are consumed as short bursts of info; the opiate of soft info is but a touch away.
Misinformation adds spice, and of course every one of us is now empowered to share our opinion, condemn, bully or troll, whosoever we wish. Distance lends us the cloak of anonymity; and anonymity invests us with the courage to attack. If in an earlier time opium lulled the user into apathy, our phones have made us apathetic to everything but ourselves. Our needs, our wants come first; concern for those around us is a dormant if not lost emotion.
But we have also, ironically, learnt patience and forbearance along the way. When the queue is slow and long, or the going gets tough, we delve into our phones and bear the delays, side step the problem. Whether it’s a game, a puzzle, online shopping, or a movie; or yet again a ramble through the photographs of a celebrity event, a click can offer a soothing lullaby to the senses, easing the brow to make life bearable again.
No one with a phone is ever bored. Entertainment, or a conversation is on ready-to-serve mode. But somewhere along the way, life gets left behind. Is there a solution? A way to delink ? Maybe if the next time we idly pick up the phone to surf the net or dally with social media we stop to think if there is something more meaningful, enriching we can do. Worth a try.
