BENGALURU: The television was the original ‘Family Device’. If you grew up in a large family, the television was the device that brought the entire family together. Of course, everybody had their own favourite devices.
The older members of the family loved the easy transportability of the transistor radio. You had to turn a knob, adjust the rudimentary antenna a few inches - and you were transported to the calming world of Vividh Bharati and All India Radio. The elders loved stepping out into the sun and relaxing with the radio next to them. The youngsters in the house were hooked to computers - and played mildly exciting games like Spider Solitaire and Minesweeper - games that actually taught children how to develop patience by not smashing the computer with a cricket bat. While every generation had their own favourite device - it was the television that brought them together.
Meals were had in front of the television set, and a comedy show usually took centre stage during mealtime. When advertisements for condoms or sanitary napkins played, the children knew to dutifully put their head down and focus intently on the ‘meal maker’ curry on their plates. The television was given prime real estate in the hall, and the rest of the furniture was placed accordingly. In that sense, the humble television had beaten the ancient tradition of vastu-shastra. It was an age when consumption of entertainment was a social experience and not an intensely personalised, customised experience. The presence of the hall in the TV worked out well for small towns, as neighbours could drop in to watch a film or a movie.
The importance of the television in an Indian home could also be gauged by the number of threats and fears that revolved around it. We were told that we’d go blind if we sat at a distance less than 8 meters from the television box. The most lethal threat during childhood was that of cable connection being cut off if we misbehaved. The television was the real unifier of the middle-class Indian household.
We purchased a television recently. It’s a flat that has three bachelors - two stand up comedians and one actor. As professionals who have decided to take the plunge in creative arts, we are far removed from home and televisions. The television runs on Android OS, and needs one to log in from their other devices to access various OTT platforms. In a way, it is merely an extension of the smartphone.
Today, the smartphone has well and truly displaced the television as the household’s favourite gadget. Every member of the family has one in their hands, and can be found with their heads slouched - busy on their phones. The opposable thumb - the organ that helped us evolve as human beings - is used in scrolling through their own feeds and chats.
One tap of the phone, and you can change the channel, increase/decrease the volume - and even change what you’re watching on the television. The once mighty television is now used for other purposes - to play music, or to flash pictures of the family. In fact, a recent high-end model of televisions is being sold as artwork. When nothing plays on the television, various artworks flash on the screen - giving one the impression of it being a painting.
Spare a thought for the television, dear reader. The once unbeatable home device is now being made to stand still - like someone forcibly said ‘Statue!!’. The television today is a pale shadow of its former glorious self. After years of referring to it as the ‘idiot’ box, the IDIOT box has finally surrendered to the SMART phone.
Hriday Ranjan