Cell mania
There
was a time when very few people flaunted their newly acquired pocket miracle, others
would stare at this machine and the user with open mouthed wonder and envious
look. It enhanced the status and the tech savvy expertise. Unable to acquire
one of such kind, many would admit their incompetence and inability to afford
one. Such misers should have come to the conclusion that this wonder device was
very expensive. Within a decade what changes have come in! Last week when I had
to bring in a casual labourer to do some odd job around the house, a shabbily
clad middle aged man walked in speaking loudly over his hand set. I had to wait
for ten minutes or so in order to tell him what his job was. And throughout the
day he took ample time off to chat with many of his contacts for which I had to
pay him his wage at the end of the day. I have seen children handling these
with adequate intelligence and rapt attention. Students insist on possessing
one with many incredible features disregarding their parents’ murmur. The awful
ringing tones these devices make many turn their frowning faces here and there.
Parents complain that their sons and daughters smile into their toys turning
deaf ears to their domestic demands. Passengers in public transports are constrained
to entertain themselves with unwelcome noise called music. Many private affairs
become public thanks to the overtly resounding admission of commissions and
omissions. Criminal recreations abound everywhere due to this innocent
invention and they are sometimes brought to light by a few shrewd cops who unearth
technology to bust the motives. Every third commercial complex houses one or
two showrooms who cunningly display their wares to attract more unwary
customers. People cough up hard earned purse to acquire the latest, trendy,
envious, unpocketable and superfluous multitasker. Nobody minds the time killed
by this ubiquitous appendage. When my children proudly gifted me one of this
kind, I eyed it with some apprehension. To this day I handle this with utmost care not to touch any
of those mysterious icons for fear of being
dragged into an unknown world of chaos and ignorance.
