Live real life, not a virtual one

Let’s start our talk about the old days when we used to be in our teens. The time was once when the children of family lived together having limited playing gadgets, and listening to fairy tales from grandparents. That was not only giving the fair knowledge about our culture, and heritage. The love within the family was strong, and among neighbors, relatives and friends also. But then technology changed the scenario.

There are people still struggling for one time food, and a single toy to have for their children. But there are some families where technology has taken it all over; hearts and brains are all into it. We totally depend on technology in respect of internet surfing, dependence on social media, and virtual gadgets.

Not only young generation but our elderly people are also screen dependent and following social media, listening old songs on Youtube, or searching for new entertainment gaming and applications. This was not bad if we used it in a limit.

We are limited to texting each other, and have no time for our beloved ones. The text has no emotions.

Different NGOs and Government bodies should come forward to provide the awareness among people about being dependent on technology, and how it adversely affects love, care and even physical activity.

Technology doesn’t just mean internet connectivity, or having smart gadgets . It has gone beyond that. We are operating our household things using a Wifi remote, sitting at our place. That breeds health issues. We lack physical activities and it give rise to mental health issues.

There was a time when kept a note of a birthdate, a holiday, or some other societal celebration, to ensure that we met on those occasions. Now we even get the information about demise of our beloved ones over social media.

We don’t have much affection towards each other now, all we now have is to show emotion through a smiley. People don’t have supporting shoulder to cry on, may be the reason behind the facebook recently adding CARE reaction to our status updates.

We may, in coming days need no mirrors at home. We have selfies and great filters to it. But those filters may hide our scar on face but not in heart which has been created by being apart from each other.

Technology is a blessing , but we should use it in right ways to right ends. Medical sciences have already warned us about the same, but we are not taking things seriously, till we are hit by severe problems.  Eye problems, mental issues, and stress are major diseases found in young people, and one of the reasons for that is screen addiction.

A single discussion in presence of each other is worth thousands of meetings performed online. Life is limited and we should protect the real human interactions. We should take measures to come out of this virtual world for some time and experience the real nature and world.

True love can be seen in the eyes of a mother whose son is living afar in some other country. Ask her if the video call is enough for her? Surely, the answer will be NO.

Khalid Mustafa is IT & Management Expert, Presently Manager IT-Operations at HK Nissan