Instantly Yours
April 15th, 2006
Instantly Yours,
Like it or not but we live in an instant world. Everything has to be done this instant or it’s no good. Don’t believe me? Ok, let me prove it to you.
It’s a Saturday afternoon, you are relaxing at home. Suddenly your cell phone rings, you pick it up. It’s your boss, he needs some information which you provide, case closed. Instant communication!
That reminds you, you have not paid the cell phone bill. And isn’t today the last date for that? Well, no cause for concern, you just pick up your laptop, connect to the internet, go to your bank’s website and make an online payment. Instant money transaction!
That reminds me, why do you have the laptop in the first place? The company gave you the laptop so you could have instant access to all the data or files you need when you go on tours or on client visits. Instant information!
Bhabhiji comes in from the kitchen with a cup of tea for you and a simple request – “Let’s see a movie tomorrow!” Like a good husband, you bow before the supreme commander’s wish and book two tickets immediately. You pick up your cellphone and SMS the first 4 letters of the movie name to a specific number. You receive a confirmation SMS in reply and your tickets are booked. Instant reservation!
You see a news item on television about an Earthquake in Sacramento, California and get worried about your Cousin Vinnie who lives there. You instantly write her an email and get her reply maybe within the day, most likely within the hour. Instant relief!
I could go on and on, there are countless numbers of examples. But I don’t think I need any more. You get the idea, don’t you?
We live in an instant world!
The next question is – is it good or bad?
In my humble opinion, just as everything else this phenomenon also has a good side and a bad side.
The good side is what we have seen. Things get done quickly, easily, painlessly. Information is available at your fingertips and when it’s needed not one minute later.
But there is a bad side. All this instant information and communication takes its toll on human brain, on relationships, on society. We can never really calculate the number of nervous breakdowns, brain malfunctions, heartbreaks and social disorders that originate or propagate because of this phenomenon. But then we cannot really count the number of life-saving surgeries, avoided accidents, prevented crimes, flourished romances either. So, I guess, it kind of balances itself out for the world.
I believe, though, that we need to balance it out in our lives also. There must be a time when you can relax and enjoy things at a slower pace. There must be a determination to connect with oneself and one’s loved ones. In the words of Doug King, “Learn to pause or nothing worthwhile will catch up with you.”
Sincerely yours,
Sunil Goswami
Entry Filed under: General
1 Comment Add your own
1. SyGo | July 1st, 2006 at 10:12 pm
well pointed out.
There is a quote from the movie “before the sunrise” that seems appropriate, Ipara-phrasing it: “computers are supposed to save us time, right? but now computeres are all around and where is that time? are we spending more time at home? no! do we work less hours a day? no! so where is our saved time? did we managed to save time to do more work?”
Here in Portugal they just installed some system that provides us cellular network on the subway. it’s kind of sad…it was our last haven, a dark cave we’d crawl in a few minutes a day to get away from our cell phones. (never thinking of turning it off…we fear that so much, I wonder why!)
The thuth I belive, is that we are addicted to communication, to SMS’s, to instant messaging, blogging, to connection with other human beeings. and that is not necessarly good (like you were so right to question in your post). we are losing out privacy, or “me-time” I’m sure most of us can’t remember the last time we felt anonymous, unreacheable, untraceable.
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