What’s up? Not forwarded as received
Most people are addicted to WhatsApp, the free messaging application on the mobile phone. When it started, I thought it was an amazing tool to stay connected with family, friends, and colleagues. But today I find 90% of the space is taken by forwards.
In a friends’ group, there was an interesting description of home remedies to fight diabetes. The sender’s wife is diabetic. I posed a question to her on the group: “Hey, have you tried this?” Pat came the reply, “I wouldn’t mess with my health, trying out these quackeries!” To make her point, she added an emoji showing disinterest.
The point is not whether the remedies were efficacious or not. The point is that the friend forwarded the message to the group without even checking with his wife. On WhatsApp, most of us behave like traffic policemen, standing at the cross roads and directing stuff from here to there and everywhere, without applying the mind. What is one doing all this for? What’s the purpose?
Birthday greetings were pouring in from all quarters for someone in another group. I too wrote a birthday wish. Not satisfied with just a message, I decided to call him, assuming it to be a good time, for he was acknowledging each birthday greeting immediately. I dialled him. A firm but low voice said, “Hi Priya! Can I call you later? I’m in a board meeting.” Oops! WhatsApping while in a board meeting! Well, well, I guess he was just bored in the board.
Another incident happened on a group where a member posted an elaborate write-up on why the sacred book of her faith was superior to all other religious texts. That day I saw red. I couldn’t stop myself from saying firmly yet courteously, that religion is like a mother. For each one, his or her own mother is the best. All religions are equal and no one becomes superior by putting the others down. Thankfully, she was gracious enough to apologise and say that she had “forwarded as received”.
How much time and energy is being wasted on sending and reading these messages that are practically of no use? Surely 1 out of 100 is good no doubt, but is it worth reading the useless 99 while waiting for it? What about videos? How much space do they occupy in our smart phones? And how much time and mind space do they waste?
Not everyone has time to kill. I asked a friend why she was always on WhatsApp. She said, “Time achha paas ho jaata hai (It’s a good time pass).” I said, “Agar free time ho to phir, shayad theek hai … par free time hota hi kahan hai? (It’s fine if you’ve got free time but when are we free?)” To each his own.
I recently learn to fa new word in the dictionary. It’s called webqoof. A webqoof is one who believes every word or information on the internet and social media is true...and instantly forwards/ reposts to multiple forums, to avail of immediate good luck, or avoid bad luck. I can barely stifle a smile, as I wonder whether the first part of the word was misspelt and ‘webqoof’ is actually ‘bewqoof’!
As I write this, I am thankful for small mercies. My family group is sane. No forwards; no useless stuff; only basic information on where who is, just to keep us all connected with what’s up in each other’s day. It’s a choice we made, and thankfully so.
A WEBQOOF IS ONE WHO BELIEVES EVERY WORD OR INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET AND SOCIAL MEDIA IS TRUE...AND INSTANTLY FORWARDS/ REPOSTS TO MULTIPLE FORUMS TO AVAIL OF IMMEDIATE GOOD LUCK, OR AVOID BAD LUCK