Shouting from the roof top

In olden days, if one wanted to be heard by the public, one could only get up to the roof top and shout and there was no other way. Now, it is not necessary for one to strain one’s vocal cords, leave aside having to climb up a ladder to get up to the roof, to broadcast to the world one’s message. There are multiple channels to air-- news, views, pictures, podcasts, vlogs and blogs; to cite a few--emails, Facebook posts, Twitter, Instagram, Messenger, Whatsapp and what have you. Through these channels one can create a vast network of friends and readers with whom to share one’s thoughts, opinions, voice mails, pictures, and videos. This opens a Pandora’s box, leaving one no time to devote for more urgent tasks.

A cellphone often remains glued to the ear or perched on a pedestal which is designed for it. A perpetual stream of messages on it calls for attention and makes one so engrossed in it sometimes that it poses the imminent danger of the dishes in the oven or on the stove getting burnt or the tap running over the sink.

The questions are:

1 Is it necessary to keep these channels of broadcasting open 24/7? 2 Should the cell phone be ubiquitous and incapable of separation from the individual?
3 Aren’t we getting enslaved to these monsters of the modern-day roof top shouters?

Technology can make or break one’s njoyment of life. A self-imposed moderation in its use is the need of the hour.