I remember those Sunday mornings when the whole family would sit around the TV. Incense smell everywhere, streets quiet because everyone was waiting for Mahabharat to start. We were all cross legged on the floor, just watching that one screen.
If the picture got fuzzy, someone ran up to the roof to fix the antenna. Another person shouted from the window, like thoda left, no wapas right. It was all about that moment, you had to catch it live.
Back then, TV was appointment viewing. You watched whatever was on, right when it aired. Miss Chitrahaar, and that was it, no way to see it again. Our world felt limited like that.
Now my daughter grabs an iPad and swipes through stuff so fast. If a video does not grab her in seconds, its gone. She has endless choices, everything on demand, no waiting at all.
It makes me think about how different our minds work. My generation, the ones who grew up with Doordarshan, versus my Gen Alpha kids. Its not only tech, but how it shapes who we become, I suppose.
We had scarcity, not much to do or watch. They have abundance, screens filling every second.
That scarcity brought boredom, and boredom was good in a way. Hours with nothing, so we stared at fans spinning, read shampoo labels, made up games with sticks in the street. Imagination grew from that, because fun was not handed to us by some app.
Today, boredom does not exist anymore. Any quiet moment, and a screen jumps in. What if the part of us that creates never gets to work on its own? It seems like that muscle might weaken.
Connections were different too. To play, you just went to a friends house, rang the bell, hoped they were around. No planning ahead or invites. Now its all online, like in Roblox lobbies or whatever Discord is. Safer maybe, but does it feel as real? Some say yes, others not so much.
I am not claiming old days were perfect. Nostalgia tricks you. I like having info in my pocket, no need to bike to the library.
Still, I wonder if we traded away small things that mattered. Waiting a week for one show taught patience. Street games with scraped knees built toughness. Nothing to do sparked ideas that we would not have otherwise.
Maybe we should not fight the digital stuff, but connect the worlds. Show kids why unplugging helps sometimes, and let them teach us to keep up with the pace.
For now, I think I will switch off my phone, sit and look at a wall. Just to remember how it felt.
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