Socialise with people, not their usernames
Being a mother of two boys in their tweens, I’m a reluctant audience of superhero movies, so watching Cast Away was a welcome change. In the film, Tom Hanks portrayed the protagonist who ends up stranded on a deserted island for four years, with a volleyball named ‘Wilson’ as his only friend.
Man is a social animal and all of us like to stay connected with people around us. We want to be well received among our relations and peers. Isolation is a breeding ground for depression.
Back in the day, socialising wasn’t a very easy affair, especially for women. Gradually, creative ways to join social groups evolved and the kitty
party was one such popular option. Elite and overtly modern ladies joined cards or tambola kitties and covertly modern ones attended kirtan kitties.
The social group of mothers of classmates is a widely explored option nowadays. The genesis of this niche group is in the common issues and areas of interest. It also gives the ever competitive moms an opportunity to keep an eye on the competition.
With the advent of Whatsapp and smart phones in every hand, forming groups is easy. Only naming the group requires creativity. All of us are a part of multiple Whatsapp groups, even my maid has made a group of the houses she works for! Whenever she plans to take a day off or report late, it is duly updated in her “Vakeelan Waali Galli” (Advocate Street) group.
A lot of innovation has come up in providing newer ways to make people accessible to each other. Earlier, matrimonial proposals used to be navigated via the less treacherous route of acquaintances or relatives. Nowadays, sites and apps have assumed the role of “vicholia” (the mediator).
I was so busy raising my children that I didn’t realise when dating made its way from exosphere to the troposphere of socialising. Celebrities are launching and promoting dating apps to encourage people to date. We truly live in the world of super specialisation!
In today’s world, we have a plethora of options to explore but how we manoeuvre our way through the lanes of companionships is a matter of personal choice.
Despite the availability of social platforms to interact, we still lack the feeling of belongingness and the need to be included isn’t satiated. In the name of staying connected, we are forever glued to our smart phones, the new age ‘Wilson’. Isn’t social media feeding a humongous population of Cast Aways?
Going by the basic premise that excess of everything is bad, I earnestly endorse the idea of being a part of a group if individual friendships are difficult to come by.
Our endeavours towards creating a social circle should include our kids as well, so that the value of community is inculcated right from the start. We should come together to provide them a secure platform to build their self esteem, confidence and abilities to form cordial relationships. They should grow up feeling connected to their diverse community and not lurch on the sidelines as cast aways.
WE SHOULD PROVIDE KIDS A SECURE PLATFORM TO BUILD THEIR CONFIDENCE AND ABILITIES TO FORM CORDIAL RELATIONSHIPS