Curtain of Communication

Modern Communication, what revelations it brought.
As the slogan of Nokia goes, modern technology is about connecting people. (by the way, I’m penning this down with a Nokia mobile phone.)

The inventors of modern communication would never have thought of all the social implications that had risen, especially in the case of mobile phones.

People are being brought closer together than ever before.
Wherever you are, someone else is simply one touch away.
One touch of a phone pad that is.

In fact, as you are reading this article, a worried parent in London might even be tracking down their children via their mobile phone using the latest service offered by Disney Mobile.
Communication in this case, does not even require verbal exchange. One touch on their phone, and mom or dad would feel at ease.

As all things goes, nothing is perfect, whatever brings a pro brings a con.
Modern people, if I may call us by this name, uses and owns technology as ancient people invented fashion. Tools of communication transformed from a luxury item to an emotional cringe on.

Modern people, feel insecure without the assurance of the person at the other end.
We too, draw a curtain of communication, when our surrounding is not appealing to us.
We start to send short messages to our friends, we start calling our family over the phone, we plug into the built-in radio, we log onto the internet, we play the newly downloaded game, or well, we start downloading the new game…etc

How often do we see a person connecting to their mobile phone?
How often do you, draw up your curtain of communication to dissipate yourself in a crowd?

I, for one, draw my curtain whenever I can, wherever I can.
I become a modern hermit hidden in my shell of technology, in the form of a mobile phone.
Whenever I am feeling uncomfortable at a public function, I would even pretend to type a short message on my phone, just so that I become detached from my environment and start to look busy. This in turn, simply allows me to retreat deeper in my own self-fullness. There goes my social skills development.
Somehow, I do not think I am the only person whom is doing that.
One would only have to get on board a public transport, and the evidences are plentiful.
When you have a chance, count the number of people detaching themselves with their mobile phone while on a train.
I am sure your ten fingers would not do the job.

“So what does this matter to me?” I heard you said.
Well, for one, there is no warmth in public places. Everyone is simply too busy on their mobile phone, or trying to make themselves busy by retreating into their private space.
This lack of interactive with a stranger will be something that we would be missing out.
When we indulge in shutting off, this causes us to lose a chance to brighten up our day. Can you recall the last time you had said “Hi” to a stranger when your eyes meet, or even bring a causal smile to a weary face? It did not happen to someone else, and it probably would not happen to us too.
We had grown so accustomed to minding our own business

As the warmth that keeps our positive humanity gets devoured by the technology invented by us within such a short time, what about our future generations that grow up with it?
Are we prepared for a future of connectivity, fueled solely by electronic networks that seek to take over our lives?

It is beyond the possibility of return, like a horse that tasted sugar would never be satisfied with plain old hay. We would not even talk about the pony that grew up with sugared water for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Children of this generation grow up a lot faster than we can imagine. They also grow up in a generation where the western powers set up examples of violence over peace being the right way of life. They would either miraculously understand the implications of violence, shrouded behind the curtain of communication to close off the rest of the world with their fantasy of becoming an idol, or, they would grow up to be advocates against peace, buried in their distorted righteousness where the fist rules over words.

It is time to relearn the value of doing to others with what you want others to do to you and draw back that curtain of communication.
The people of today would need to show a valid reason for our children of the world, that a balance needs to be struck between the connectivity and real humanity.

Do your part; smile the next time your eyes meet that of a passerby, you would never know if that will re-sow the seed of simple humanity.