If someone were to ask me "Pramod, why did you name your blog Let's Not Go There", they would get in reply my very snappy retort along the line's of "My bloody wish" followed by an expletive, depending on who asks. Now, however, this particular story that I choose to write would in fact show that I did choose to go there. I somehow felt that it was a topic though discussed various times around the world by many people who have a better depth in the subject then plain old me, I had to give it my own shot.
A few days ago, more precisely on Friday morning, I was on the way to the bus stand (Yes, I do take public transport, No I don't have a choice.) in the car with my aunt and the radio was playing. Typical morning scene, slightly predictable, but it was what the deejays (whom I have a personal grudge against, FYI) were discussing on their show that day was what got my idea to write this story lit. Internet. Could we survive without it? Yes, I can almost see everyone rolling their eyes at me going "Mate, of course we can't, go write about something else will you? Something interesting, like syphilis maybe." Yes, go on, I know that's what you're thinking. You terrible people you.
So. What is it about this topic that got me so interested that I HAD to like totally blog about it man (dumb bimbo stating a fact expression inserted here). Well, a decade ago, we did not have the freedom that we enjoy on the net that is become almost a norm to the 21st century. When I say decade I mean along the timeline of like 1990-2005? From, the most basic mode of the computer we now have the iPhone, the iPad, the tablet gizmo's, Satnav that comes standard with most cars, paying bills online. Basically, what this shows is that we are at all time's connected to each other through the net.
Now. Don't get me wrong. I don't hate the idea of being in touch with my family all the time if I was to say go study in England or something and my mom and dad were still here in Malaysia. It's fine. I am even prepared to admit I am a bit of a mama's boy who want's to grow up to be a carbon copy (personality wise) like his dad. But as one person that called up the radio station to agree with the statement, I found myself agreeing as well. Everything has it's pro's and con's. Especially the net that MAY seem to have many more pro's than con's at this moment. But I think not.
Let's take what that guy said for example. He said that communication is not the same anymore. Bloody hell if it was. I could talk to anyone, probably a Kalahari Bushman in the bush taking a crap in the morning through Facebook's chat if he had a handphone with internet, had a Facebook profile and knew English.
Let's just say that he is that disgusting enough to chat with someone while taking a crap and satisfies all those criteria's then the statement is confirmed. Communication is not as what it was back in the day. The world has become much more smaller and is continuing to become so that the size of the world could be compared to Lindsay Lohan's brain size. Not big is it??
However, this only proves the case in favour of the internet. What my man on the net was trying to say is that with the world getting smaller, communication has lost it's charm, shall we say. When we couldn't make call's to people oversea's at a free price thanks to Viber, my mother would once in a year get a card to make call's with. Sorta like a prepaid card and call her sisters in India. Then she would have like about an hour or more to talk to the two aunts of mine. Not enough with the range of topic's they had to discuss. "Who's getting hitched, who sold the family home, which family member is still an ass," and knowing the topic range that my mother can come up with, an hour seem's like a second. But my point is that, these calls that she made meant something to her. She could look forward to calling her sisters and catching up with them. Not that her sister mean anything less to her now, but the charm that I mentioned, it is sort of diminished.
Birthday's were a time that I looked forward to when people would send me presents and cards. Anything from the mail was a silent pleasure to anyone on the face of the earth. Unless you are all alone, miserable and a social misfit like the Real Housewives cast. Also, my friends sending me texts or calling me up made the day feel more worth the while. Now, all they do is bloody spam my Facebook wall and do it for nothing. Cheapskates. I mean nothing say's someone means something to you like spending a few cents to actually call the bugger up on his birthday to see how he's doing, right? Well, wrong apparently. I loved to collect any cards that were sent to me and keep them for years. Now I HAVE to get rid of them or they take up space in my inbox.
Conclusion, we are hooked on the internet. It's a drug that has serious side effects. Life is changing because of it and it is not for the better in my opinion. Something's are better when they are done with a serious effort. Like the cards and the calling up someone. It make's the other person feel more worth wile with that slightly-harder-than-the-internet version that-really isn't- that- hard. So go on. Send a card. Through snail mail.
A few days ago, more precisely on Friday morning, I was on the way to the bus stand (Yes, I do take public transport, No I don't have a choice.) in the car with my aunt and the radio was playing. Typical morning scene, slightly predictable, but it was what the deejays (whom I have a personal grudge against, FYI) were discussing on their show that day was what got my idea to write this story lit. Internet. Could we survive without it? Yes, I can almost see everyone rolling their eyes at me going "Mate, of course we can't, go write about something else will you? Something interesting, like syphilis maybe." Yes, go on, I know that's what you're thinking. You terrible people you.
So. What is it about this topic that got me so interested that I HAD to like totally blog about it man (dumb bimbo stating a fact expression inserted here). Well, a decade ago, we did not have the freedom that we enjoy on the net that is become almost a norm to the 21st century. When I say decade I mean along the timeline of like 1990-2005? From, the most basic mode of the computer we now have the iPhone, the iPad, the tablet gizmo's, Satnav that comes standard with most cars, paying bills online. Basically, what this shows is that we are at all time's connected to each other through the net.
Now. Don't get me wrong. I don't hate the idea of being in touch with my family all the time if I was to say go study in England or something and my mom and dad were still here in Malaysia. It's fine. I am even prepared to admit I am a bit of a mama's boy who want's to grow up to be a carbon copy (personality wise) like his dad. But as one person that called up the radio station to agree with the statement, I found myself agreeing as well. Everything has it's pro's and con's. Especially the net that MAY seem to have many more pro's than con's at this moment. But I think not.
Let's take what that guy said for example. He said that communication is not the same anymore. Bloody hell if it was. I could talk to anyone, probably a Kalahari Bushman in the bush taking a crap in the morning through Facebook's chat if he had a handphone with internet, had a Facebook profile and knew English.
Let's just say that he is that disgusting enough to chat with someone while taking a crap and satisfies all those criteria's then the statement is confirmed. Communication is not as what it was back in the day. The world has become much more smaller and is continuing to become so that the size of the world could be compared to Lindsay Lohan's brain size. Not big is it??
However, this only proves the case in favour of the internet. What my man on the net was trying to say is that with the world getting smaller, communication has lost it's charm, shall we say. When we couldn't make call's to people oversea's at a free price thanks to Viber, my mother would once in a year get a card to make call's with. Sorta like a prepaid card and call her sisters in India. Then she would have like about an hour or more to talk to the two aunts of mine. Not enough with the range of topic's they had to discuss. "Who's getting hitched, who sold the family home, which family member is still an ass," and knowing the topic range that my mother can come up with, an hour seem's like a second. But my point is that, these calls that she made meant something to her. She could look forward to calling her sisters and catching up with them. Not that her sister mean anything less to her now, but the charm that I mentioned, it is sort of diminished.
Birthday's were a time that I looked forward to when people would send me presents and cards. Anything from the mail was a silent pleasure to anyone on the face of the earth. Unless you are all alone, miserable and a social misfit like the Real Housewives cast. Also, my friends sending me texts or calling me up made the day feel more worth the while. Now, all they do is bloody spam my Facebook wall and do it for nothing. Cheapskates. I mean nothing say's someone means something to you like spending a few cents to actually call the bugger up on his birthday to see how he's doing, right? Well, wrong apparently. I loved to collect any cards that were sent to me and keep them for years. Now I HAVE to get rid of them or they take up space in my inbox.
Conclusion, we are hooked on the internet. It's a drug that has serious side effects. Life is changing because of it and it is not for the better in my opinion. Something's are better when they are done with a serious effort. Like the cards and the calling up someone. It make's the other person feel more worth wile with that slightly-harder-than-the-internet version that-really isn't- that- hard. So go on. Send a card. Through snail mail.
