I am considered more ancient than a pack of dinosaurs roaming about in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's 'The Lost World'. The young members of my development team had shaken their heads in collective unison when they learnt that I don't have an account on Facebook and Twitter. I gave them my reasons for not having them and they told me why I need to have them. But neither side was convinced and so we left it at that.
When I recently read about Facebook Home, it further strengthened my resolution to stay away from the social networking sites. Since I was a techie a few years back, I can appreciate the technology behind it, perhaps even the business sense that went into developing it. But as a consumer, I am forced to ask - do we need it? One line in the newspaper article that I read is still fresh in my mind - it can connect you to your social network while you wait in a line. Why do I need to read about what my friends are doing while I wait in the line? Sure, waiting in a line for even 5 minutes can be sheer exasperating. It can make you harbor a few murderous thoughts if you are stuck in a traffic with a stretch of vehicles in the front long enough to last more than one green signal. However, people can do so many things - read a book (not recommended when you are driving a car) or listen to music or look around even if just to figure out who the co-commuters are. But I agree, there is a certain sense of loneliness in these activities. And those of us who stay in the metros are not used to being alone. There is always noise, crowd and stress to accompany us wherever we go. Something you are not used to being with can sure make you uncomfortable. The connection to social networking sites, on the other hand, can create a false sense of being in company - even if it is a virtual one. Is this a good sign?
There are, maybe, other aspects to it. Won't you be in danger of running out of topics if you are connected to your friends 24 x 7? You talk of food, music, work, sports, weather, movies, books (!), mutual friends.....and then what? The other day I got a message from a friend who I had lost touch with since past 2-3 years. 'Inbox me your number. Let's catch up' he said. Then, there was a lone-overdue email from a friend who is criminally lazy about staying in touch. It was pure pleasure to see her long mail in my inbox as I began my day. And the way the mail was structured spoke volumes about how excited she was as she wrote about different things that she has done since she last wrote to me. I wouldn't have experienced all this if I had stayed connected to them on social networking sites, would I?
I am not saying these sites are bad. But technology does have a way of enslaving you. That's a thin line that always tempts you to cross it. It is difficult to put your foot down once you get hooked on to it. And probably needs a strong will power to do so. Do I have it? I don't know. But I don't want to find out the hard way either.
"Have you got internet access for your phone yet?' asked one colleague when he noticed my new phone. 'Nope. And I don't think I will ever get it' I replied. 'I don't like the idea of staying connected to the world 24 x 7' I said. He eyed me as you would a 3-foot, one-eyed creature that has just disembarked from a UFO.
I guess the dinosaurs can breath a little easy now :-)
When I recently read about Facebook Home, it further strengthened my resolution to stay away from the social networking sites. Since I was a techie a few years back, I can appreciate the technology behind it, perhaps even the business sense that went into developing it. But as a consumer, I am forced to ask - do we need it? One line in the newspaper article that I read is still fresh in my mind - it can connect you to your social network while you wait in a line. Why do I need to read about what my friends are doing while I wait in the line? Sure, waiting in a line for even 5 minutes can be sheer exasperating. It can make you harbor a few murderous thoughts if you are stuck in a traffic with a stretch of vehicles in the front long enough to last more than one green signal. However, people can do so many things - read a book (not recommended when you are driving a car) or listen to music or look around even if just to figure out who the co-commuters are. But I agree, there is a certain sense of loneliness in these activities. And those of us who stay in the metros are not used to being alone. There is always noise, crowd and stress to accompany us wherever we go. Something you are not used to being with can sure make you uncomfortable. The connection to social networking sites, on the other hand, can create a false sense of being in company - even if it is a virtual one. Is this a good sign?
There are, maybe, other aspects to it. Won't you be in danger of running out of topics if you are connected to your friends 24 x 7? You talk of food, music, work, sports, weather, movies, books (!), mutual friends.....and then what? The other day I got a message from a friend who I had lost touch with since past 2-3 years. 'Inbox me your number. Let's catch up' he said. Then, there was a lone-overdue email from a friend who is criminally lazy about staying in touch. It was pure pleasure to see her long mail in my inbox as I began my day. And the way the mail was structured spoke volumes about how excited she was as she wrote about different things that she has done since she last wrote to me. I wouldn't have experienced all this if I had stayed connected to them on social networking sites, would I?
I am not saying these sites are bad. But technology does have a way of enslaving you. That's a thin line that always tempts you to cross it. It is difficult to put your foot down once you get hooked on to it. And probably needs a strong will power to do so. Do I have it? I don't know. But I don't want to find out the hard way either.
"Have you got internet access for your phone yet?' asked one colleague when he noticed my new phone. 'Nope. And I don't think I will ever get it' I replied. 'I don't like the idea of staying connected to the world 24 x 7' I said. He eyed me as you would a 3-foot, one-eyed creature that has just disembarked from a UFO.
I guess the dinosaurs can breath a little easy now :-)
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