Remember Tom Hanks in Cast Away? Stranded alone on an Island, without access to food, water or basic means of survival? Well that is exactly what I feel would be the impact of a day without Internet – a feeling of being Stranded!
Once upon a long time ago, the people of the world went about their days without smartphones and no Internet. They couldn’t share their thoughts on Twitter, pictures of their lunch on Instagram or their dental appointment as their “status” on Facebook. They couldn’t even argue with complete strangers in the comment section of an online newspaper or beneath their favourite Youtube videos! They had to settle for simply catching up with old friends, without being able to instantly share the memory with everyone it would matter to, on Whatsapp and Facebook. Their lives, in other words, were barely worth living.
As much as the previous paragraph is an attempt at humour, many of us would almost agree with the sentiment in the final sentence! Some of my younger readers might well have imagined my words read aloud in an almost comical old man voice. If only because, a world such as the one I described must seem barely conceivable to someone who has only known one in which the internet exists.
So let me imagine what a day without the Internet would be like, for me. For starters, my online ‘News Feed’ that accompanies my morning cup of freshly brewed South Indian coffee would have to be replaced with the print edition of a newspaper. Having become so accustomed to instantly accessing news from varied perspectives, I wonder if my cravings would be satisfied by just the one source! I must admit I would feel a little deprived of this simple pleasure, without the Internet. To be honest, if there was a particular developing story I had been following on the internet, I would probably end up looking for a print edition of that newspaper, to satisfy my curiosity. At the same time, I also realize how entitled it is to consider having ‘just one newspaper’ as being deprived!
I suppose the next most obvious thing to look at is our most often used gadget, the Smartphone. The first thought that strikes me is just how much it relies on the Internet to justify the ‘smart’ part of its name. We are so used to Internet access that we never realize that smartphones are eventually just phones, made smart by applications enabled by the Internet! So, a touchscreen and more megapixels in the camera aside, an Aed 5000 smartphone would become just a plain old phone. My smartphone has become an extension of my work-life, with real-time Internet access, anytime, anywhere. Losing that ability would certainly make me feel hampered and limited. Of course, this works both ways. While I can access the world, I can also be reached at any time. So whether I am in office, at home, travelling in a car or watching a movie in a theatre, I am never really exclusively in those places alone. My smartphone, aka mini-computer, ensures I am ‘everywhere and available’! On the whole, I have to admit, I quite like that convenience, despite the few downsides.
Our smartphones have also made us so accustomed to – and dependent upon – multi-tasking. I don’t think I would know what to do with the time on my hands while in the backseat of a car with no Internet to keep me engaged or productive as I travel. Perhaps, looking out of the window, at the sky and street, I would reminisce about a bygone era when car travel in itself was a rare privilege and pleasure! I would like to imagine that I would enjoy that moment of solitude, but I also suspect that too long might easily make me restless or bored. Many years ago when I bought my first car, if I needed to think about something important, I would often go for a slightly long and wandering drive. I would put on my favourite Yesudas or Kishore Da songs and let the inspiration come, to resolve whatever it was that I needed to think through. On the rare occasion when the music was absent, for some reason, this driving meditation was far less effective. In much the same way, multitasking while being driven from one point to another has become an essential part of finding time to organize my day and my thoughts. I think I can safely add not being able to do that, as another tick in the ‘feeling deprived’ column!
I take pleasure in several things that have elements of old world charm, but having to rely on traditional snail-mail delivered by a postman to get work done is not one of them (though I do admit to the enduring and nostalgic charm of receiving perfumed, handwritten personal letters)! It would certainly need more patience to get things done, in this Internet free day that we are in the process of considering. While our workload would be greatly reduced – imagine only having to get through files and documents physically on your desk – I think the lack of access to all the resources and applications which we now take for granted, might well make it feel like twice as much.
I feel that there are two clear and distinct types of reactions people have, when it comes to a day without Internet connectivity. One can either feel completely lost and restless, as if one is being denied a basic right, or one can feel liberated from being constantly available to others, whether one likes it or not. In common with most other people, I have been on both ends of that spectrum. As a father whose child has left the family home in the pursuit of an education, the reassurance of being within easy reach and able to share in adventures and memories – even when I am at a physically remote location – is priceless. On the other hand, there are certainly instances when being constantly available can feel intrusive.
So what does a day without the Internet feel like? Well, clearly it is both limiting and liberating. Losing access to more serious and consequential conveniences aside, it is certainly the case that a short break from the Internet can make one feel relaxed and in the moment. Nevertheless, being able to coordinate with colleagues, communicate with a loved one, make travel plans on an impulse or look up the recipe for a favourite childhood indulgence, at the drop of a hat, is an amazing ability to have at one’s fingertips. I suppose the key is moderation. I know we live in an age in which moderation is old fashioned, but sometimes I find myself hoping that, like the countless recycled trends of yesteryear, it too makes a reappearance in our lives. I am just as hooked to the convenience, inspiration, amusement and distractions that the Internet brings into our lives as the rest of us, but it is probably wise to take the occasional break from being constantly ‘plugged-in’ as well.
