How " Connected" are you?


Image result for wifi jokes



I don’t meant your whats app/linkedin or facebook friends. This is the uncontrollable need to be connected every single second in the digital world. I did not care much about this until I took a step back on a recent holiday to just observe all our behavior. The minute you land in a new destination, what’s your first reaction? Look out of the window be it a bus/plane or car to take in the sights or sounds ? Or do you switch on your phone  to “ connect”? Is there free wi-fi here? Oh my phone isn’t connecting! How can I enjoy this view, if I don’t update this on Instagram?
Get the drift? The degree of connectivity varies but most of us will fall within one or more of the below

1    1.   ON Always
2.       ON Most of the time
3.       ON Sometimes
4.       OFF 

When you travel solo, excuse will be oh I need to know if my family is ok. When you travel as a family, you still need to update your close friends/extended family. When you pretty much have your first circle with you, the six degree of connection has to happen through social media. There is always an excuse to connect.

Image result for wifi jokes

Let’s not go down the path of which is good or bad and what works but more than once you somehow miss out on the present because you are not invested in that moment. We all yearn for that one vacation or time off and then try and connect in that time that you don’t do justice to both. I have always admired the folks who are OFF when required and I think that’s an art. This is not just vacations or time-offs. Even at a simple dinner, can you avoid being connected? Almost impossible and as my daughter quips, whoever sees the phone first pays the bill. Wait till she grows up:-)

I have my versions and usually vary between 2 and 3 and always want to be 4. While I argue and have an excuse saying multi-tasking is easier when you are always 1, the flip slide to the same is also staring at our faces. Just curious to know what your degree of connectivity is?


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Made of Chennai

Image
  The most common adage you hear when you say Chennai is "Madras is an emotion". The metamorphosis of Madras and it's old world charm to the current Chennai of CSK fame is something that only hard-core Chennaites or if you must Madrasis understand. Growing up in the area Mylapore (South Chennai) that is synonymous with filter coffee, temples, classical music and dance scene , I have always had a part of this city in me.  Something as simple as the Vinayagar Chaturthi celebrations in the Warren road pillayar kovil formed the basis of many friendships and cultural exchanges in my life. While the beach made for a simple outing on Sunday evenings with family where the sand meets the sea and the cool breeze drowns away your worries.  The drive in woodlands introduced me to the Bhel puri , Channa Batura and butter naan  that did  tease the palette from it's traditional south indian fare. It's hard to imagine my childhood without the FDFS( First Day First Show) adrenal...
Read more

Say THANK YOU

Image
Farewell and goodbyes are hard. They make you think about the happy times and memories you have created with the people and organization you have been associated with. One thing that got me thinking was this common thread from my high school farewell to my current work one. It was only about the happy moments, the fun, the learning and whatever it is that created an impact. From my school and college farewell I have note books filled with special words outlining the impact I had on others. At work, recently it's been emails and calls with your colleagues and friends and leaders in the organization who definitely will have something nice to say about you. Even if slightly exaggerated it is still a feel good factor. Isn't that what relationships are? Whether it's 12 years or 3 years you have spent, in your own way there is always a positive impact you would have created. Why am I saying this? Because only when there is a goodbye we are able to let go take a step back look at ...
Read more

The curious case of the NECTAR

Image
Confused with the title? Let me take a step back and narrate a story which is familiar to most of us.    The Devas formed an alliance with the Asuras to jointly churn the ocean for the  nectar of immortality  and to share it among themselves.   Now in the modern hiring scenario substitute nectar with candidates who the prospective organizations want and the current employers want to retain. I am not calling out who is the deva and the asura here as its purely relative 😊 The only difference is there isn’t an alliance between the two, but in retrospect this can prove to be useful in getting this nectar faster.  This  elusive candidate or nectar is  being searched by prospective employers and on the other hand being retained by the current employer. Who wins in this modern day scene?   The gods and demons gathered on the shores of the milky ocean and performed Vedic rituals to ensure their success. They made offerings into a sac...
Read more