Minus Them Lifelines

So, here’s the thing…our lives have been largely consumed by technology. We are able to work, stay connected, and stay entertained – thanks to the internet and smartphones. Now, let’s assume, hypothetically, phones and internet seize to exist from tomorrow. Scary isn’t it? What could be the repercussions? Here are some of them from random angles:

 

Television

Kids would watch whatever cartoon runs on TV, adults would watch either cricket or news, whatever comes on TV. There would be absolutely no preference or something like Netflix and Prime that used to exist -watch on your whims and fancies. Burn in hell!!

 

Food

You would cook whatever you know, or learn (like not to burn the roti) eventually. No step by step recipes to read or watch and try out. No home delivery of food, get your ass to the restaurant and get takeaway, you would rather have your food there, right?

 

Parenting

You would not be able to feed the kid by playing the SAME effing video that works (makes the kid EAT). You will have to try showing the moon to distract, or OMG, tell a story? Wow! Do parents still have that much creativity left in them?

 

Couples

Less screen time means more together –time. What would happen if you would actually start having interesting conversations, debate, or actually have fun talking to each other? Oh sweet lord, that almost sounds so surreal to be happening.

 

Tasks

No internet would mean you will have to be present physically to pay your bills. Spend every week in long queues paying the bills, visit the banks, visit the markets, and visit the stores to buy everything – from clothes to groceries. Keep planning the plans and executing, and bam, you are old!

 

Peace

Let’s coin a term for it, the IS era (internet & smartphone era). In the IS-era, there was one corner of your brain reserved for social media shit. I need to take a picture to post this on insta, why do I have only so many likes? I can make this a story, this a feed and that a DP. One part of your brain never rested. Now, it will be the BE-era (bonding & engagement era). Although you will have to make efforts in BE-era, but it is more peaceful (your brain will be happier).

 

Circle

You would be able to count your close social circle in less than a minute. No social media to keep in touch with many people whom you would not meet otherwise too. You will actually meet people in person, try to interact and have healthy conversations, tada – learn communication skills! And suddenly you would laugh in real, not sending ROFL emojis (where in reality there wasn’t even a smile on your effing face, such show-offs we were in the IS-era!).

 

Bees & birds

In the BE-era, the bees are happier as their suddenly, their world is a better place and they are not harmed by manmade signals and frequency shit. Also, in the BE-era, birds are the real bosses! Writing letters will be a thing again, who knew? Bird couriers to the rescue. More love stories will have ‘kabootar jaa jaa jaa’.

 

Roots

In BE-era we will tend to go back to our roots – being social human beings. We will play more indoor and outdoor games. We will talk to our kids more. Our life would not need any validation from unimportant outer circle anymore, we would not compare ourselves or our lives with others. We would treasure memories in BE-era, unlike how you would capture and share before actually living the memory in IS-era.

 

Value

And suddenly, you have more time on your plate and 24 hours per day seem reasonable. You have time for your work, family, wellbeing and pampering yourself a little every day. You would build the habit of reading books to gather information, because only your own knowledge or talking to others will give answers, not some naïve thing called google search that we believe gave answers to every problem in IS-era, hah, so funny, right?!