In the new age of instant communication one thing that is very popular is cell phones. I don't think a single reader of this post doesn't have a cell phone. Since the time it was invented, we have made it a habit to use cell phones on the go and that is not the limitation. We found out a lot many things associated with cell phones - sms, games, diary, calendar, clock, calculator etc are some of the additions that have been there from almost the start of this revolution. As time passed and technology grew we had many more things - internet surfing, email, music, videos, feed readers etc and now even instant messengers.
Apart from so many applications we also discovered some hidden usage (in fact sms was also discovered by chance). We also had some significant changes in our lifestyle some good some bad, like dependence on "always on" communication, lieing where we are etc. One particular lifestyle change that is the center of discussion in this post is COMMUNIFAKING.
Communifaking is the term we have assigned for a behaviour by cell phone users according to which they "fake" a communication. To put it simply when a person pretends to "talk" on cellphone, he/she is communifaking. According to a recent survey, the number of cellphone users who communifake outnumbers those that don't. The research by British mobile operator 3 has found out that 74% of people from 18 to 24 age group admitted to communifaking. The reasons mostly told by communifakers are either they want to avoid someone nearby or they find it useful when waiting for someone.
The psychologists have more reasons though. According to Patricia Wallace, a psychologist at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth, following are important reasons :
Demonstrating Connections: If we are sitting lonely at a place like a pub, we communifake in order to show we are not alone.
Show off: Many of us show off our handsets just to impress others. Mostly boys do this to impress girls.
In my personal experience, I saw few cases when someone communifaking was caught red faced when in the middle of "conversation" actual bell rang and exposed the communifake. Even I have communifaked few times and I admit sometimes it was just the feeling of insecurity. I remember an occasion when I had to "do" it just because I had nothing else to do and it was a place full of strangers.
If you are one of those who communifake or feel the need for it, there is nothing wrong as long as you don't use it for show off. Communifaking when you are waiting can be an innocent behaviour and you should not feel guilty if you do it for this reason. However, I would like to utilize "any" spare time like waiting to do something creative.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
Giving Away To Others
We humans are thought to be an intelligent species which has the best of brain enabling us to perceive things like none other. Gradually through evolution we have developed sense of "giving" something to our loved ones. And, we do not stop there, we not only have this "give away something" for our loved ones but also many of us are philanthropic and give away to unknowns.
Charity, donations are good part of modern day world despite the inter-human competition getting bigger. I do not mean it is "only a modern" phenomenon but I mean even in today's world of cut-throat competition, there are good stories of people donating their money and resources to the needy. Its our relationship of a very different kind, where a feeling of pleasure emerges from inside and directs us to help others who we don't even know.
A person ready to sacrifice his / her life for the cause of his / her society is understandable but there can be incidents where someone does this for totally unknowns. However, such incidents are rare and general attitude of a common person is being selfish.
Even a terrorist who has been brainwashed into doing "anything" for a "cause" might get into the act of laying his life. He may be doing a foolish act which is in fact against civilization but in his understanding he does it for "his" people's cause.
The sacrifice for the cause of one's own people is not limited to humans and their are examples from animal world which tell us that this characteristic is prevalent in as mundane a species as an aunt! The Brazilian ant Forelius pusillus is one of that kind. The ants need to seal off the entrances of their nest with sand after sunset and in order to do that, some of them have to remain outside to complete the job. Scientists have found out that they do this willingly. They sacrifice their lives for their society !
Charity, donations are good part of modern day world despite the inter-human competition getting bigger. I do not mean it is "only a modern" phenomenon but I mean even in today's world of cut-throat competition, there are good stories of people donating their money and resources to the needy. Its our relationship of a very different kind, where a feeling of pleasure emerges from inside and directs us to help others who we don't even know.
A person ready to sacrifice his / her life for the cause of his / her society is understandable but there can be incidents where someone does this for totally unknowns. However, such incidents are rare and general attitude of a common person is being selfish.
Even a terrorist who has been brainwashed into doing "anything" for a "cause" might get into the act of laying his life. He may be doing a foolish act which is in fact against civilization but in his understanding he does it for "his" people's cause.
The sacrifice for the cause of one's own people is not limited to humans and their are examples from animal world which tell us that this characteristic is prevalent in as mundane a species as an aunt! The Brazilian ant Forelius pusillus is one of that kind. The ants need to seal off the entrances of their nest with sand after sunset and in order to do that, some of them have to remain outside to complete the job. Scientists have found out that they do this willingly. They sacrifice their lives for their society !
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Long Live Gandhiji
The 2nd October, Great Gandhiji's Birthday. I know people may ask the relevance of Gandhiji in today's world but then he wasn't relevant in his contemporary times either, if such a logic is considered. But if sanity is to prevail, Gandhiji was relevant and is still relevant today.
Gandhiji, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, was a person who defied general logic of armed confrontation and revolts and put forward the concept of NON-VIOLENCE. He not only proved it was right, he also proved it could be effective and much more than violent means. Gandhiji was a leader above leaders. When he used to walk on street, people would just come behind and follow him. Millions of people who followed him were ready to face bullets all without any weapon. He was in a sense above humanity, a person who left all luxury and lived life of a "poor Indian" all his life. He belonged to rich family and could chose to remain a lawyer which was his profession before he jumped into freedom struggle. A person who could afford to live in luxury spent all his life wearing only a dhoti, just because he once saw poor farmers wearing only a dhoti in a south India rally and then pledged to remain in one piece of cloth till the time all Indians afford to have cloths.
There have been great leaders but Gandhiji was greatest, beyond comparison. He might have lapsed in some policies as many argue, but no one can be perfect.
Let me recite following lines which are from an Indian movie song, in his memory:
De di humen aazadi bina khadga bina dhaal,
Saabarmati ke sant tune kar diya kamal,
Aandhi me bhi jalti rahi Gandhi teri mashal,
Saabarmati ke sant tune kar diya kamal.
(you brought us freedom without using any weapon,
The Saint of Saabarmati - you did magic!,
your torch had fire even in storm,
The Saint of Saabarmati - you did magic!)
Gandhiji Amar rahen (Long Live Gandhiji)
Gandhiji, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, was a person who defied general logic of armed confrontation and revolts and put forward the concept of NON-VIOLENCE. He not only proved it was right, he also proved it could be effective and much more than violent means. Gandhiji was a leader above leaders. When he used to walk on street, people would just come behind and follow him. Millions of people who followed him were ready to face bullets all without any weapon. He was in a sense above humanity, a person who left all luxury and lived life of a "poor Indian" all his life. He belonged to rich family and could chose to remain a lawyer which was his profession before he jumped into freedom struggle. A person who could afford to live in luxury spent all his life wearing only a dhoti, just because he once saw poor farmers wearing only a dhoti in a south India rally and then pledged to remain in one piece of cloth till the time all Indians afford to have cloths.
There have been great leaders but Gandhiji was greatest, beyond comparison. He might have lapsed in some policies as many argue, but no one can be perfect.
Let me recite following lines which are from an Indian movie song, in his memory:
De di humen aazadi bina khadga bina dhaal,
Saabarmati ke sant tune kar diya kamal,
Aandhi me bhi jalti rahi Gandhi teri mashal,
Saabarmati ke sant tune kar diya kamal.
(you brought us freedom without using any weapon,
The Saint of Saabarmati - you did magic!,
your torch had fire even in storm,
The Saint of Saabarmati - you did magic!)
Gandhiji Amar rahen (Long Live Gandhiji)
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