so close yet quite far …
Despite being linked with them through Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter, is there still a disconnect?

“The irony of our age is — we are unaware of even how many candles will they be blowing, and still we rush to wish them just because our smartphones say so. And the scary part is that with times passing by, we are happy to stay away from these minutiae of their lives.”
In this age of social media, we are just a login away, when it comes to fulfilling the responsibilities for the upkeep of our relations and hold a decent position within our social circle. We excel in the art of maintaining punctuality when it comes to wishing birthdays and anniversaries, thanks to WhatsApp and Facebook — sending wishes is now just a two-second task!). We are now just a ‘like’ away to become a part of even the smallest of the life events of not only our relatives but even our distant relatives and our chance acquaintances.
And you know what, we should be thankful to these social networking sites for managing our relationships so well. They are always there to alert us well in advance, the birthdays of even the friends of our friends. We can now take a sigh and feel less burdened, for no more would we have to make an extra effort to by-heart the special days of our close friends and relatives. And we are not just becoming prompt with wishing everyone on time, we are also doing this in a time-efficient manner. No more do we need to do the ‘wishing rituals’ that we used to do a few years back, which now seems like an era away. Where wishing birthday meant secluding time for that special person and calling them to say more than the two words ‘Happy Birthday’. When, wishing birthday brought with it a concerning tête-á- tête to know how the other person is doing and how they feel on turning a year old. The irony of our age is — we are unaware of even how many candles will they be blowing, and still we rush to wish them just because our smartphones say so. And the scary part is that with times passing by, we are happy to stay away from these minutiae of their lives.
The ‘like’ button on Facebook and the ‘thumbs-up’ emoji on WhatsApp are making our lives strikingly easier. They give us the luxury of appreciating the life events of our friends, relatives and also complete strangers even during the busiest days at work. They slash the fortuity of dropping in at homes of kith and kin for a cup of tea, out of the dire anxiety to know all about their international vacation. Those times when photo albums were preserved to display to relatives and friends, by calling them for an evening tea which would turn into a moment full of giggles and fun as the album was rotated from one person to another. With the passing of each era, we are getting more and more access into lives of the people surrounding us, but are losing on the emotional connect that came with casual drop-ins.
If the social media is making us so unsocial with our near and dear ones, I personally feel that there is time for some recalibration. With the rising pressures of the real world, it would certainly be a great relief to be forewarned of the important days of our pals and cousins. And in such times, social media turns out to be a blessing. But let us limit its role till that line, where it serves as a utility. Let’s not allow it to delve into our relationships, by being our face and voice. Let us make small efforts to bring back that personal touch in our relationships without letting Facebook, Twitter or WhatsApp do this job. Maybe then, social media can begin to become genuinely social and relationships might begin to shine with the charm of love and understanding.
