BLURRING THE LINES BETWEEN THE REAL & THE VIRTUAL

We live in a world which is bursting at its seems with means of communication. We are constantly communicating with people across the globe. From strangers to kith & kin we are in touch with all. We truly belong to a connected world.

But in this era of convergence & communication there is a paradoxical dichotomy that is emerging. We might be communicating with one and all but we are connecting with them in the virtual world. We are connecting through a device could be a PC, handheld, Skype. We are creating a world wherein every connection we make is ‘make believe.’ We can only feel the presence of the other person while he / she is not present in person – in flesh & blood.

With technology engulfing our lives, are we responsible for creating a world full of loners? People who are connected through devices and gadgets are actually syncing up with people who are not physically present. The virtual world that is being created is giving way to erstwhile concept of meeting with people.

This dichotomy started with the evolution of the landline phone. As technology advanced it is steadily started creeping down our lives in the form of personal computers, mobile phones and the most recent video conferencing.

We are somewhere trivializing the relationships we build and the value we attach to them. With teenagers getting hooked to second life, gaming and online dating they are jeopardizing their self esteem and building an aura around them which is imaginary. It is these young impressionable minds that will never be able to come to terms with the truth about relationships and the experience of having one in the real world.

I am in no way against the use of technology, but somewhere I think it is adding to the loneliness of people. We are getting consumed by the virtual world that we create.
We are feeding on it and as a consequence moving away from reality.

As it is true for every virtue and sin committed in the world, every milestone in this world comes with its pros and cons associated with it. While extreme of anything is said to be bad, we need to strike a balance and derive an equitable co relation between connecting in the real and in the virtual world.

To simply put it, the use of technology where it is important, fruitful and helps us connect most effectively is progressive. At the same time one must not lose the gravity associated with the significance of relationships in the real world where meeting people face to face and in flesh and blood truly made man a social animal.