Another word has crept into the English language, courtesy the cell phone: ‘phubbing’, a variant of snubbing—ignoring someone to concentrate on your cell phone.This matter has been researched by psychologists who believe it is a specific form of social exclusion that ignores basic human needs of “belonging, self-esteem and meaningful existence”. A number of us would have had this belittling experience at sometime or other.
People single-mindedly concentrate on their cell phones in the presence of a visitor. They continue to concentrate on their conversation with the person at the other end, but refuse to acknowledge the presence of someone seated in front of them. This happens not only with respect to individuals but even in a drawing-room situation where a number of individuals are devoted to their cell phones unmindful of others—which means everyone is being phubbed by everyone. With the number of cell phones in action there is plenty of ‘cellfusion’ and everybody’s conversation cuts into everybody else’s. Then suddenly you find people scurrying to secure nooks and corners to continue their conversations uninterrupted until of course dinner is announced.
When people are not talking on their phones they are busy checking messages, watching video clips and texting furiously. The pharmacist is busy checking his messages while people are queuing up anxiously for medicines, the vegetable vendor is simultaneously talking and attending to his customers, and responsible people at meetings and gatherings are talking in hushed voices while important matters are being discussed from the podium. Unfortunately social media has taken over our lives and the more we think we are connecting, the more we are disconnecting from one another. Our only travel companions are the ubiquitous cell phones; we are not in communion with those around us thus losing the opportunity to interact and find friends among strangers.
The cell phones that come in improved avatars every day are carried around like status symbols and rob us of physical space and communication. The tragedy is that coming generations may not even conceive of a time this was possible. Cell phones have addictive qualities. The lack of real-life participation leads to a fall in academic standards as well as problems in commitments. It takes discipline not to allow your smartphone to steal your time. You need to be smarter.
Email: sudhadevi_nayak@yahoo.com