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We live in a digitized world, a world we are all connected with. But are we connected with the people we live with? Here's what the writer thinks.
We live in a digitized world, a world we are all connected with. But are we connected to the people we live with? Here’s what the writer thinks.
Does being addicted to digital apps steal away the best moments from your life? Does it make you a stranger to the person you are living with? Of course it does! I love being connected, everyone does, but have you ever thought of being connected to the people you live with?
I was out on a solo sojourn the other day. I was happily munching my way through a chicken salad when a lovely couple, out for a candle light dinner caught my attention. The scene looked perfect as each went through the menu card deciding on a drink, main course and a sweet dish for later. ‘Sigh’ was my instant reaction when the man helped his lady to the costliest drink. But all my fantasy of a happily ever after vaporised when out came two mobile phones and each got engrossed into their own phone.
I watched flabbergasted and almost mouthing my thoughts! Aren’t you guys here to be together with each other? Where is the conversation?
I call this phenomenon the missing conversation. This missing conversation is the heart of many failed relationships. I will tell you why!
It is a very common sight that we see today. A family is spending time together. Yes, they are physically present in the same room but each person is engrossed with someone else on the phone or Internet. It gets all the more dangerous, yes dangerous because you do not know who the other is connecting with. Who is the person you share a home with so connected to all the time? A family get-together in the days when I was a child meant a picnic, a game of badminton in the lawn, or maybe everyone watching a live magic show or circus. All got involved and this did not end there. We came back with memories of the time well spent. Today’s family get-together feels like nothing but a forced formality.
Distance replaces the warmth that should have existed between families and you become a stranger to the person you live with. The other day, a friend of mine who was having a problem in her marriage realised that her husband loves snorkelling. She came to know of it the day she announced her plans to go snorkelling with her friends. Each were too busy to talk to each other. So, they missed out on the one thing that they could have bonded on. This is just the first consequence of being connected.
‘What do you do on a free day?’ I asked a friend. She is a working mom with two kids and a very charming husband. ‘Watch TV’ was her reply. The whole day? I asked. She affirmed it. She watches shows she likes, her husband watches sports, one kid plays games on the computer while the youngest one watches cartoons on a laptop. A free day to me means playing games outdoors with your kids, getting all sweaty after a fun game or having a barbecue dinner and bonding with family and friends. Am I the only one with such ‘now so primitive’ ideas?
I was jolted back to the present when my plate was empty and I was presented the bill. On my way out I saw a family on another table. The mom, dad and kids were laughing over some family joke. The grandmother too had a wide smile while wiping away tears of happiness from her eyes. A little while later I eavesdropped on them and realised that they were there for no reason. Just to celebrate life as it is! And yes, as I passed by their table I saw that even the grandma had a sleek mobile near her bag. The difference is that they all knew what to prioritize in life. Life itself!
I walked out of the restaurant with the thought that yes, there is still hope in this world. I looked back at the elite couple with the candles still lit, the expensive drink fizzing in their glasses and the phones still in their hands. I blessed them hoping they would one day see the happiness of being connected to the people they share their present with.
Couple on phone image via Shutterstock
A Social Media Content Writer by profession. A writer by heart. A genuine foodie. Simple by nature. Love to read, create paintings and cook. Have impossible dreams. At the moment, engaged in making those dreams read more...
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The plight of Indian women's mental health often goes unnoticed. Co-founders Vivek Satya Mitram and Pooja Priyamvada conceived the idea of the Bharat Dialogues Women & Mental Health Summit to address this.
Trigger Warning: This contains descriptions of mental health trauma and suicide, and may be triggering for survivors.
Author’s note: The language and phraseology used are not the author’s words but the terms and narrative popularly used for people living with mental illnesses, and may feel non-inclusive. It is merely for putting our point across better.
I have seen how horrifying was the treatment given to those with mental illness.
People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
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