Life has changed drastically in the past decade. The whole world has undergone huge transformation – technologically speaking. From the days of landline phones and STD/ISD booths to video calling apps, the world seems to have gotten a lot closer. We are able to get an update about each and every thing happening in a person’s life – be it a celebrity like priyanka chopra or a common man! From their favourite hang out places, food habbits, mood swings, every things gets posted on social media. Who has gone to the gym, how many kms run one had, who indulged in binge eating, who was busy getting drunk, who is watching what movie, who is getting married, who is animal lover, who is sports freak, whose team won, someone wrote something offending, someone got offended, someone supports the LGBT, someone opposes sabrimala issues, someone is just busy posting memes all the time, someone is obssesed with cute puppy videos, few busy on commenting on political issues, someone busy taking on different ‘challenges’ on social media (ice bucket, ki-ki, 10 year challenge etc), someone is busy posting pics of some reunions, someone busy on promotional updates, some spectating and judging all the others, some gossiping about other’s social media posts! I have seen it all!!!

The moment our eyes open every morning, the first thing most of us do is check our phones! the whatsapp texts, FB feeds etc. Probably even before we have wished good morning to our own family members! The day also starts with our cellphones reminding us the birthday of some long lost friend. instinctively, we post some good GIF of a birthday cake with candles on it and wish the person happy birthday! From the start of the day until the end god knows how many times we check up on our phones. It has become more of an addiction than a necessity these days. Even as we travel, may it be flight or train or bus, all we can see is more than half of the commuters busy in their own cell phones or tablets. While driving too, we follow the path as told by google maps. Gone are those days when people had to explore new roads, ask for directions at few steps, or refer to the highway maps. At reunions too, time is spent more on taking the perfect, adorable, ‘like’ worthy, enviable selfies, with added filters to bring out that glow in you. More than the fun and reminiscing, the warm interaction between each other, we are getting busy updating other ‘friends’ on facebook the pics of the ‘yummy’ chocolate cake waiting in front of us!

We have started losing touch with each other and we are too busy and addicted to realize the slow changes happening around us! When was the last time we made a new friend during a journey? When was the last time we showed up at a friend’s house just because we missed them? when did we have quite family time without checking our phones? When was the last time we enjoyed a sunset rather than spend time in clicking and uploading pictures? When was the last time we read a book rather than reading newsfeeds and watching videos? When was the last time we actually took efforts of memorizing someone’s birthday or phone no?

The ‘social’ media has actually made us a little self centric, lonely, may be even fake! And its going to be a very tough challenge for this generation to control this addiction. Let’s try to introspect at the right time and intervene before it’s too late to change.