When we think of addiction, we normally think of nicotine, alcohol or drug addiction. Of course there are other addictions, too, and to this list, I would like to add a new one that I call mobile phone addiction. The cellphone has become a necessary gadget in our daily life, but an addiction to it can be dangerous. A couple of incidents in the past few weeks made me decide to write about this fast-spreading nuisance.
Delhi had the honour of hosting two concerts by Maestro Zubin Mehta, conducting the Australian World Orchestra. Soprano Greta Bradman, granddaughter of Sir Don Bradman, was singing with the orchestra. There surely was a buzz in the city since the Maestro was performing here after a long time. I too had been looking forward to attending the concert with my son, Ishaan, who is a budding pianist. The hall was packed and I could feel the excitement as orchestra members walked on to the stage followed by the Maestro who received a rousing reception. I was, however, shocked by the lack of etiquettes of certain people in the audience. I was seated next to a young couple who kept talking during the concert. The only time they were quiet was when they were checking for or sending messages on WhatsApp.
This is a typical symptom of the cellphone addiction. What can be so important that you cannot pay attention at the music concert that you made the effort to come all the way to? If you don’t want to listen to music, why come at all? I complained many times to the couple and they eventually left while the show was on. Later, I saw many people do the same—text or take pictures or even worse, make a video of the performance instead of enjoying it. For many people, attending such a concert is a chance to be on page 3 or something to brag about in the next party they attend.
My experience in Spain last week was in complete contrast. I was invited to perform as a soloist with the Bilbao Philharmonic Orchestra. The auditorium was packed with nearly 2,000 people yet there were no phones ringing, calls being loudly answered, camera flashes disrupting the show. People even tried to hold back their cough so as to not disturb the artists. After I finished the concert, the ovation from the audience went on and on, and I had to return five times to take in the applause. As the conductor told me, it was the norm that the audience wanted an encore and it was a matter of pride to be asked to do so. I sat down to play a short raga for them and after tuning the instrument, realised there was no announcement microphone. So I had to address the audience without one but thanks to the absolute silence in the hall, I could do so easily.
The cellphone may be a great invention, but it can be a pain when misused. We need to learn cellphone etiquettes—know when to use and, more importantly, when not to use it. This addiction plagues children as well. Many times, I have seen parents give their phones to kids just to keep them quiet.
I still remember what my Guru told me about addictions when I was in my teens. We were driving to his concert in Mumbai, when he saw this huge billboard on drug abuse. He looked at me and said, “Promise me you will never become addicted to any drugs. Let music be your strongest addiction and you will not need anything else.” His message has stayed with me through life.
sitar@shubhendrarao.com