A friend of mine always says, Bro, let’s take a walk and catch the sunset. As I stare through the cotton-candy clouds, I see him searching for every angle to photograph and snap it. I never see him enjoying the view, worried about what others would think about his picture on Whatsapp’s status or Instagram stories. That moment, I realized what this phone and internet have done to us. And that friend is me. I despise myself every time. How dare I! How dare I say, I love sunset when the light of my phone is colorful than the sunset. How dare I say I love flowers when I walk pass by the grass-flowers in the drainage. It’s sad because it’s not pretty enough to be uploaded on my status. How dare I say I love starry nights after watching a romantic scene form a movie. Tell me, how dare me?
People often post on social media, maybe a sunset or a lovely moon or flowers. Of course, with some smoothing music in the background. Maybe it’s our way of showing things we love. Maybe that’s how things become cliché. Sometimes I feel like we should leave them alone. Let it be beautiful the way it is. I think in a way, we’re infecting our grief to such innocent things. Sometimes, I question and scratch my chest for ruining beautiful things like flowers and rainy season. It’s like I blame them for my sorrow and end up writing some sad poetry. Like ‘that day… the rain cried along with me…’
One of the saddest things I’ve realized is that: things like flower and sunset, they’ll still be beautiful without us. I’ve wondered a lot about John Keats’ love over nature. But still no matter how beautiful he wrote poems. Nature didn’t talk back. Nightingale didn’t. It’s still beautiful without him. Quite sad, isn’t it? bleeding your whole heart out and not even hearing nightingale sing a farewell to him.
Every night I go to bed with this one thought: how life would be without smart-phone and 5g-internet. Imagine how crowded the library would be. The librarian would finally be busy and not sip tea and talk about his affairs and family relationship. We’ll see more teenagers looking for books rather than stalking someone on the internet. They’ll stalk on books and not having enough money to buy it or they can’t borrow it due to pending books to return. We need that type of problem again not ‘Baba, phone- recharge khotom hoise…’ Perhaps, there’ll be revival of romance like somebody might find love behind the bookshelves, stealing eyes on a pretty girl. Instead of reading lines and words from the book, you begin to read lines from her smile, the way she open her eyes and close. Instead of noting down information, you’re completely distracted because your hand unknowingly starts to draw her face. You end up laughing and suddenly everyone stares at you. And you finally go home and when your mom ask, son how was your study? What would you say? You might say, Mom, it was okay… but in your diary, Mom… is it okay to go library on Sundays too?
Imagine how children’s park would be. Instead of learning how to scroll on Youtube shorts. They’ll learn how to meet new friends. They’ll learn how to communicate or how to slide down and get hurt realizing they should be more careful. Children will stick to the truck-toys. See them play family-family or fake bank and shopkeeper with non-edible things. I think some adults like us, we’re always fond of seeing kids play in the park. Because we never got to experience that type of facility. It’s quite sad because we hardly see kids anymore and quite embarrassing for an adult like us to play in the park even if we want to. Trust me, God intended us to be innocence at that age, we’re not supposed to be matured and talk about economy of the world. Sadly, today, ask any kid to play that kind of games. They’ll laugh at you. I don’t blame them. I blame phone and internet who gave us everything but also erasing our human-way of life. It brings tears to my eyes when I look at the empty streets, I don’t see kids play anymore. In my eyes, car never made streets look pretty but kids and people do. Even a random light post looks pretty when a kid draws something on it or plays with chalks on the wall. I wonder where all the kids disappeared. If not in the street or playground then where? Where shall I find them?
Imagine, people will begin to read more newspaper, books, and magazines. People will spend more time on diary. Sharing slam books in the classroom or getting caught with love letters. We need to bring back that kind of problem instead of getting caught using phone in the classroom. Or instead of making reels in the proxy class, they’ll beg teacher to share ghost-stories or teach the students to sing and dance.
There are so many consequences of phone and internet. One of them is seeing a bookstore-salesman realizing books and dictionary no longer attracted people. So, they start selling phone-case and accessories.
It’s very unbelieving to observe that some people trying every possible way to squeeze themselves under the introvert tag just because a random American guy said in the reels. Like, I think I’m so introvert koae… I can’t even order food from the menu because I’m so shy. I don’t want to say ‘hi’ or ‘bye’ when an aunty or relative walk pass me on the way. I might even drop the money on the way and if someone call behind, I might not even turn back.
My dear princess, you’re not introvert. It’s called pakala or pakile (Mad person), mannerless and lack of hospitality, taught by our parents and not from the reels. If you want to know what is introvert, please go and google up so that you don’t get brain-washed by random person on the internet. These are symptoms of insecurity caused by your phone. Too much of screen-time leads to isolation, consequently leading you to have that kind of unnecessary fear or anxiety. Suppose, if you think not talking to another person is introverted behavior, you’re wrong. I’m an introvert. I love to spend time alone with my books and diary. However, I do know how to talk with people like any human. I do know how to order food from the menu. I greet relative or friends when I meet them on the way. Yes, of course, there might be personal reason not wanting to talk. But for those who thinks they’re introverts just because they don’t want to talk people. That’s not cool. That’s lack of basic manner and ethics. If we stop these common character traits, everyone would be introverts according to that logic. For instance, I might be having a bad day and when a stranger asks me for direction, I’ll talk to them kindly and show them the way. Instead of saying, I’m shy…. Ummm I don’t talk to people hehehe…type shiiii. Genuinely, some of us are so brainwashed we don’t even know that.
It is now impossible to live without phone and internet. On my personal note, I wish there was some anti-dote like anti-phone injection. If a person is showing the above symptoms or spending too much behind the phone-screen, they should be immediately sent to the hospital and receive the anti-phone injection on the buttock and send them to quarantine for one year. Perhaps, I might be the first patient. And if possible, lure all my friends to the hospital instead of chow-momo shop. Until then, allow me to leave you with this quote: “Use technology… but don’t let it use you” if not, you might become like a Chitti from Bollywood movie.
A very concerned citizen of Earth
Weching T Nekong.
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