Attempt ‘Cell’ break

 

 

 

CONSISTENTLY making a whirring sound, the cell phones kept rotating on the chair. Those were message-notifications descending on the phones from countless social media platforms. More than half of the audience in the hall kept engaging with the phone while fleetingly glancing at the artist on the stage, who was totally steeped into the honeyed vocals of the classic melody. The scene served as a poignant reminder of the times we find ourselves in -- never enjoying the real world, continuously distracted by the virtual world. Here, a man was setting himself free with his soulful rendition, and at the same time clusters of people kept lodging themselves into the ‘Cell’.

 

Things have come to such a pass that remaining away from the on-line world is fast turning into a fear for a majority of mobile phone users. It is an issue of deteriorating mental health, an area which is still neglected for the sake of a false bravado by the society. Indeed, technology is a vital tool in today’s world. The problem is with excessive use of this tool which poses severe risk of triggering mental issues, sooner or later. Constantly being distracted by cell phone shows that at some level, people are always thinking about what’s happening in the on-line world. This FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) is fast assuming the form of a mental ailment for which there seems no remedy. Researchers are warning of a brain drain hypothesis due to excessive use of mobile phones. The negative consequences from overuse of technology are impacting an individual’s behaviour and also cognitive abilities. Brain drain hypothesis essentially shows that people are less likely to rely on their own mental and intellectual resources if information source is readily available at the click of the button.

 

The traditional mental exercise of racking one’s brains for information is fast vanishing because information is instantly available on the search-engines. As the lightning fast data on the cell phones opens all possible explanations of the searched word, there is zero chance of mental stretching, resulting in brain drain. These factors are converging into a major issue of poor mental health. The problem is exacerbating further due to the stigma surrounding mental health. There is always a denial of the problem. There is no open or honest conversation. The answers are then sought from the mobile phone itself. It is a major irony of the times that a problem-creator is trusted for sureshot solutions. Now is indeed a time to move beyond the virtual delights. It is the right time to re-employ cells in the brain for mental peace rather than depending upon the cell phone. Don’t wait anxiously for that “double blue tick” in a message, disable the pop-ups for notifications, don’t let the cell live up to its literal meaning -- the Jail. Because liberation is always a better choice than confinement.n