It’s all about perspective in this fast moving world. Think about The Sims, GTA, or Half Life, or any such interactive first person game. These are not just games people play: they live them. Sitting anywhere in this world, you just need a console and internet to be anywhere, talk to anyone, and do anything you like. Of course within the bounds of the game!
Sometimes I think, is this all because people are afraid to face reality? I wouldn’t dare to stroll around the town or walk in to a bar just to initiate a conversation with a stranger. Fear (of getting beaten up) would be the last thing on my mind. It’s the embarrassment I might face, or the reaction I might get from the other person which worries me. But, with a mask on (virtually), no one would know me. Moreover, the person on the other side will become playful too.
“The fact that all of this was happening in virtual space made no difference. Being virtually killed by virtual laser in virtual space is just as effective as the real thing, because you are as dead as you think you are.” ~ Douglas Adams, Mostly Harmless
Oh no! I’m not against the technology or the advancement. In fact, being associated with so many social platforms myself, I have seen the benefits of it. I have been able to communicate with friends whom I last spoke in high school. I have been able to see what others have been doing (status updates), and share with my friends what’s happening in my life too. The important dates are reminded to me, and I can create social events to be shared with a larger audience. Most of all, I have been able to create a (limited) global presence for myself with a scope beyond my imagination.
But… How long can one continue like that. Perhaps, forever! Maybe not! At some point you would need to fill the void which has been created. People will not know how I speak, how I walk, or what kind of person I am. It’s our body language, our daily interactions, our manners and cultural values, and all our subconscious actions which define us. And, I can’t run away from the fact that behind all the virtual medium I’m hiding the loneliness, the urge to be known.
The darkness, which has stemmed within, can only be cured by rambling under the sun, meeting new people (face-to-face) and speaking your heart out, for a change. The limited light emitted from ‘e’ medium will not lead you anywhere. The inclination towards material world is impermanent. What’s lasting is your senses, your true self. So, go out and meet people, make someone laugh and laugh with them, make a connection, create some spark. But, don’t spark the connection, the relation just by sitting behind electronic media.
As C.G. Jung has said, “The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed.”
Author speaks: I’m not here to change the world; I intend to make an impact on one soul at a time. If you like my work, please press Like, or better yet put a Comment; perhaps a feedback. However, the best appreciation of my work will be to Share this with your friends and your social circles (FB, Twitter, LinkedIn, G+, and others).
Thanks in advance!
Puneet Relan 