Notes to an offline self...
NO SOCIAL MEDIA, NO GADGETS
Sandalwood superstar, Dr Shivarajkumar has refrained from entering social media. The Century Star has seen the rise of this entity that feeds on immediate satiation, “I do not feel the need for it. As an actor too, it is not necessary. We have so much press and TV around. If I feel like sharing or communicating, I can directly reach the concerned. Why convey something and later hide behind social media? I even think, it is not safe.” A thought voiced by many who can see behind this unsuspecting quagmire of social connectivity.
Dubai-based speaker, travel influencer and yogatrippie, RJ Anjaan also prefers a detox, “We have become oblivious to the world around and are so immersed in a digital sphere. Technology is miraculous, but it makes our lives a hectic clockwork that ignores human biology. We are always connected but never with any real connections. Lost in the virtual world, forgetting reality, what has become of our lives? Social media seems to be turning humanity ‘less’ social. I try once a week to have a gadget-free day. It helps me stay connected with who I am.”
Yoga guru Bharat Thakur is concerned about this use of technology. He feels it distances us from our very nature. Some philosophers and sociologists are calling it the dumbing of human society, and according to a new YouGov survey of the UK’s Goodhousekeeping Institute, the youth are finding even small everyday chores hard — not knowing how to change a fuse, make a bed or sew a button. You might retort, does it really matter? Especially when there is a tutorial or app at hand. Yes, says psychologist Sharma affirming this deeper hubris of the obsession with digitally savvy interactions.
Actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is not on social media, neither is Ranbir Kapoor. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie too. The larger disconnect is ensconcing itself into the fabric of society that dwells on likes and shares — where good ol’ hellos are defunct. Yes, AI and technology have aided leaps of progress, but on the flip side lies an ugly and incomprehendable animal whose ability is dictated by swiping left or right, without parlay. The dehumanising of human society is imminent.
Yoga expert Samita Rathore cautions on balance, “Anything and everything can be used constructively or destructively. Technology is a boon but anything in excess is harmful. A balance is essential. If we can be mature about it, and remember that we have been given hands and legs to walk on earth, then it’s not as bad. Dependency, whether on technology or any object, is self-sabotaging.”
Social media seems to be turning humanity ‘less’ social. I try to have a gadget-free day once a week. It helps me stay connected with who I am
— RJ ANJAAN, speaker, travel influencer and yoga trippie