Cellphones - The new addiction for Human Being....

How often do you see someone who keeps on walking and crossing the roads engrossed in their cellphones completely oblivious to their surroundings ???

Well i guess its time to raise the usual disclaimer that I intend not to hurt or criticize anyone. For I do not have even an ioata of right to do so as iam not known for being in such saner minds. But having come across such ppl had invariably and greatly evoked my ire.

I had seen a man this morning on the signal around the place I live and commute to my office daily. An IBMer flaunting his ID card on his waist so proudly and walking hurriedly, the tall man he was also talking on his mobile phone cluching it by one hand. Just when the signal had gone green he came by scrambling to run across and cross still clutching and talking on his phone. He managed quite well on one side but he had hardly seen the other side. He strode quite casually with the whole traffic behind him (the blind side) thatz raring to go. Midway through the other lane a lorry driver had to slam his brakes and was visibly shaken by this man barging-in (Given the fact that lorry drivers hardly do slam their breaks to save someone) and was pumping his horn quite forcibly blaring time and again. This dizzy little guy (compared to the lorry) hardly gave a shit. Not even turned his heads to look around why the whole place is so tensed. And is not even aware that lot many faces are luking at him and it indeed is quite pitiable that he did not even know (even now) he had escaped from a near death possibility and was still walking his way through talking on his phone and smiling.

I felt like chasing and slapping the guy up-front for his ignorance. But was qute appalled and wondering what is it that one would converse so incessantly for hours without being attentive to their surroundings or even feeling a sense of regret for wasting all the priceless time and irrevokable periods of their life. Well, I may not be a Gigolo Joe, but I sure can understand ppl for that matter., As to why men fall in love and are passionate about each other. Yes, i do know that Love has no boundaries... no rules and no fears and all the shitty feelings.... And, no care for others except those who love them and ofcourse the urge to communicate with the not-so-near and dear ones and oflate the unknowns....

Are we deviating from the central theme of this post... Well then here we are back to where we actually were..

This is yet another incident when I was actually riding my passion (Bike) a week-end in my hometown alongside the newly laid golden-Quadrilateral highways. When i was about to detour from the classy roads to enter the city avoiding the by-pass, (its actually a bumpy curve that is poorly taken care of) considering the kindof ppl we are; i'll always pay attention to these pitfalls as im quite used to them much like any average Indian. Which is when i found a poor soul who happened to cruise past me like a breeze, talking over his phone all-along and steering single handedly. The sound of squeaking breaks followed by a loud noise sent shivers inside me as i rushed to help the boofhead. But to my surprise he was still talking in his mobile phone lying on the road alongside his vehicle (I still have that frame in my mind). Even before i reached him there were some good samaritans who helped to get him on his feet and lifted his bike from the ruins. His knees had scratched and he was bleeding a bit with the bruises but hez just fine. But he was not paying attention to any of these and looked rather cool, still talking over the phone and kick-started his engine and went away again riding, clutching the phone by his heads sideways and talking again... "Ya.. i just fell down, ya ya im okay... its just the pits that made me fall again (Again ???), no no i'll do it once i reach home... so what else......."

What in gods name do you call it ???

He did not even bothered to thank those who attended him... Those scrambled from whatever work they were doing a while before to help another reckless Indian who did not even cared a shit to thank. I at that very moment felt my anger gushing again and indeed contemplated beating him to knees down or rocking him again on his bike. But soon sanity prevailed to stop me doing any non-sense.

This is the kind of addiction that im talking about. We are now in the days of obsessive communication. Where we feel the urge to keep communicating with others althrough the walks of our life without even realising the fact that we in-turn are spoiling our own self. Gone are the days when we used to communicate with our family, dear ones etc., through phones booking trunk-calls once in a blue moon. The telegrams that used to Zip around as if like messengers. But now... A call an hour is the order of the day.. and every call lasts an hour atleast.... Beleieve me there are ppl who talk even in rest-rooms, I wonder what they speak from there ???  "Just the fifth drop of scat had fallen.. Ya.. sixth now...". (Well to me tat is the only place a man can be at peace. A place for some introspection. To make some important decisions and at times to read.. :) )

I'd often feel unpleasant when i talk in phones more than 10min. I do not keep calling ppl to tell them every now and then that how I love them or to update them how my day is. They can hardly do anything for im on my own and I'd inevitably had to face the world on my own. I was fortunate for my parents had understood my (read sarcastically) rather odd behaviour when they are surrounded by myriads of ppl who keep telling them about what their son in the states is doing this very moment....

But they satisfy their wishes by talking to my bro. who comes online everyday to talk to my dad-n-mom for atleast about 2-3 solid hrs. (I'd ask him dont u hav anything else to do thr.. ??). See why should one spend so much of his time only in communicating. I wonder how the society which is so conservative and maladaptive to changes that are required for a host of porblems have taken in so graciously and is growing so exponentially every week. Imagine the amount of buisness that had sprung-in and the billions of money worth of market that it has knocked open. I guess Cellphones must've been the most successful product next to the personal computers this century.

The point is we tend to overdo things especially those driven by technology. Considering the large mass of conservative, reckless and comparively poor ppl we are. Which is why rather the internet had picked-up even in places most remote. One can say that almost 80-90% of the average household has Television sets and more so the rising figures of the mobile networks and the customer base that serviece providers are tanking on these days only goes to show the addictive behaviour of indian households.

On the other side it has quite a lot of postitives though. Considering the large numbers of new buisness that had sprung-in because of this invention, parents who could keep in touch with their loved ones just a few numbers away. And with a new host of technology driven products pouring in to tap the market potential, lots and lots more.

But, at the same time i've seen ppl who tend to buy more than one phone at a time merely to flaunt their supremacy. Some had even gone to the extreme of getting loans to replace their old ones with another that has more features. The ones who are always hooked on to the music and the modulated frequency channels are different kind of a story and its better that I reserve it for another post.

The point is addiction. I mean just like people are getting addicted to every sensory pleasures in the world, people are also getting addictive to the need for communication. To some its the divine fluid that goes inside, to some its the rocking insalubrious beats of passion that kinda drives them like hell, to some its women who drives them mad, the virtual games, lotteries, etc., well i can now hear that all-familiar accusation.... Yes, I am a insane rider, I do agree the fact. But there is actually a thrill that it excerts in you. The adrenaline that it pumps in you to go for more of those steep curves and the ecstacy it gives you when you wade through the traffic and blockades like a flocking bird, I mean its breathtakingly awesome experience. (Ofcourse you have to live with those failed attempts and the subsequent consequences). Yeah its kinda addictive too I do agree.

Likewise every damn being is getting addicted to this urge to talk or fiddle incessantly in these pretty little devices if you dont buy the argument yet, try asking any young swot to be calm for a minute after giving him any of these devices. I dont want to sound so out of fashion. For I always make sure that I acquire a considerable amount of knowledge about relatively new products and believe me Im fairly gud at handling any gadget of sorts.

Now, to cut-short my otherwise loooong musing, i'd like to recite the proverb from a parable "all gud things when crossed the limit, most certainly would turn worse than bad". This I guess holds very true for the case i was explaining all the while. Technology is gud as long as you dont tend to fall for it or get addicted to. You can always use the aid of Technology but that in my opinion should not re-define our lives. For WE are human beings made by flesh, blood and bones by nature not some programmed devices.

Cheerz and thanks for the read.