“Come back to your own island.”
Announces an advertisement for a premium apartment.
“The world connected to you on your computer.”
Claims a ‘social’ networking website.
“Build your own dream team and take on the world.”
Urges EA Sports’ FIFA 10.
“All that you want to know about the world around you. On your computer screen.”
Declares one ‘virtual’ encyclopaedia.
How wonderful the world has become! We return not to our ‘homes’ but our own protected spaces, our own ‘gated’ communities. We network ‘socially’ on our computers, in perfect isolation. We beat Chelsea in Stamford Bridge whenever we want with the flick of the finger on the ‘enter’ key. We get to know more and more about less and less, without any need of debating and sharing amongst individuals.
We have software, programmes and ‘apps’ to empower us to rule the world. Technology, once an enabler has now become the controller.
Gone are the days when we actually played a good game of soccer on a rugged field. Or sat on a bench in the evening and debated issues out, ending with sharing a cup of tea. Or when we planned to save money to fly in for the alumni dinner. Or insisted that once a month it would be your turn to have guests in your condominium home for the Sunday lunch.
Here are the days when we happily register into yet another social networking site. Insist on having 24-hour security and video surveillance to keep the unwanted out. Have our children do projects by downloading information from the net, cut-copy-paste and take colour printouts. Get to know everything about ice hockey and its nuances without even getting out of the house.
What exactly are we selling?
A house or a home?
A game or an experience?
A piece of information or knowledge?
A network or a community?
I am afraid, we are selling “isolation”.
Where living alone is being together!
