And that’s why I said YES to Smart Phones!

Luddites were English workers who destroyed machinery that they believed was threatening their jobs

Luddites evolved and now are people opposing new technology, in simple words, like Mom or Dad, for some. Smart Phones according to them are a bane to human relationships and cultures. It may have given the new generation with access to mountain of information, but robbed the value of personal touch. But isn’t that how evolution works? At a cost!

When there is a revolutionary change there are also greater consequences.

Smart Phones have reduced costs, simplified thousands of complex works and offered several undeniable exotic perks, that we let the consequences didn’t matter much. We eventually live through it. And by habit they also become the new inevitable.

Like for instance,

• Why would I not like the messaging app that helps me share and instantly connect me with people far across the country?
• How have it become so easy to find, follow & learn from global leaders, complete strangers sometimes, their methods & life lessons?
• The WORLD CINEMA is a click away at my fingertips?
• #ThrowbackThursday and #FlashbackFriday are Self-Explanatory

Did quarantine open eyes?

With a balanced lifestyle I have always been a #stayhome #familyloving #responsible guy. Sadly, for the other world, it took a GLOBAL PANDEMIC that forced quarantine, to celebrate family time. These are people who did not value the best thing in their life, THEIR FAMILY, until then.

They are those fools running around saving wealth they may not even enjoy during their lifetime. So it was not very difficult for me to hate what they were all handcuffed to. SMART PHONES, INTERNET & SOCIAL MEDIA. The worst thing is they not realizing their addiction to it.

So wishing for these to die soon was the first on my list, if ever a genie was to appear in front of me.

I may be an oxymoron!

Posts that were shared thousand times! Videos that streamed for over million views and every stupid challenge people nominated each other! What a waste of time? I thought to myself.

Yet there I was, continuing to view, like and share posts and articles that were supporting my point and encouraging simple lifestyles, on those very same platform. In other words, i was constantly engaged on all popular social media, but hating them. Or that’s what I thought?

But very similar to the fools, the pandemic opened gates for me to celebrate what I missed seeing. I pondered over the ease of communication and entertainment they brought to our life. I realised these digital devices might not be as bad as I thought and started collating reasons to celebrate them.

The World in BYTES

It did really shrink the world to bits, or should I call BYTES? Because, I honestly do not have an answer for that screenshot wallpaper on my friend’s laptop that read “Happy Birthday Buddy” from his favorite musician. It was a mere comment on a post of the musician talking about his new pair of sunglasses. Of course in reply to the sheepish comment by my friend begging for a wish, literally, declaring his birthday. But, wouldn’t you agree that there is no faint possibility of such a thing to happen effortlessly in real world?

And then there is knowledge you have gained on the long yearned arts and skills by just following some online tutorials owned by institutions far across oceans from your place. It may have not changed your life altogether, but to some, it definitely has shown a way of living.

The point here is the accessibility that it gave.

It let us learn languages, cultures and even culinary skills of a tribe we do not belong to. It simply made us all ONE. If you scroll down your newsfeed on Facebook, you would agree to me. The diversity of stories you have shared did not belong to your own culture, race or tribe. A Deaf Comedian’s struggle, an Olympic medalist’s failures, a dog that saved an old man and a dead man’s last wish. These are stories that belong to the world and still inspired you.

And that why i said YES

Like evolution, every innovation has cost us some sacrifice of our choice. The phones can get SMARTER, but not WISER. But as their MASTERS, we could be.

So like every romantic comedies, what started as a hatred, will now have a happy ending! And thats why i said YES to the proposal! My relationship with my phone is healthy. If you make phew changes, yours could be too!