But are we watching? The answer is obviously a big no. The primary reason being our hand-held device (mobile phone, tablet, etc.) which too is streaming 24x7 and that too as per our choice! We are watching what we like, with a flick of a button. The Universe is streaming, but has no remote. You watch whatever it streams. The streaming is absolutely dynamic, changing every moment with no pause or replay. If we miss a moment, then it is gone forever. But we are so engrossed that we don’t have the time to lift our heads!
How did this happen? At what cost? And how do we deal with it? The present environment crisis, global warming, erratic floods, excessive rain and one Greta Thunberg screaming from the UN podium are all a result of the fact that we have fallen out of love with nature. We are so engrossed with our virtual world, that we have stopped focusing on the real.
How many times do we make the effort of getting up early just to catch the sunrise? But it’s okay if we have to get up to catch a flight. We have forgotten the sheer magic of the dawn with its morning breeze, chirping birds and skies turning red, gold and then blue as the day comes on—which is no less than a miracle that happens every morning. The only time these interest us is when we are on a holiday and have to update our status on social media. Even then we are watching the sunrise through the iPhone lens, without soaking in the sheer beauty of the large canvas that the Universe has spread before us.
Technology is so enabling and mind-blowing. I am not a technology hater. But because of its mindless use, especially by Gen Z, people are missing out on nature as they seldom look up, being perpetually glued to their devices. Today, we have to re-establish our connect with nature—appreciate that the tree that we see outside our window enables our next fresh breath of oxygen. We need to recall and restart the Chipko movement we all read about in school. Let our grandchildren not remember our generation as predators worse than animals who destroyed the planet.
Let’s put down that hand-held device, which has done away with so much—watches, calendars, cameras, books—and more importantly relationships and good health. So guys, strike the Shahrukh Khan pose, open your arms and embrace the Universe. Keep smiling.
Bina Gupta
Email: binagupta147@gmail.com