With umpteen programs on dozens of television channels, you are spoilt for choice but chances are there may not be a single program worth watching. You switch on a news channel, but within minutes the high decibel debate starts getting on your nerves. The anchors and panelists shout each other down, drowning the debate in din. In disgust you start surfing for a decent serial on various entertainment channels but there is absolutely none to watch. Heavily decked-up women in serials, absurd story-line, silly situations and over-stretched episodes are downright disgusting. In the name of comedy what you may get is crass, cheap humour.
In this scenario when the ‘idiot box’ is turning into a real idiot, I am seeking refuge in social networking site – to be precise WhatsApp. From being averse to WhatsApp, in not so distant a past, now I am getting hooked to it. What a big source of infotainment Whatsapp messages are! You get everything from bits of news, views, and sermons to entertainment. While some messages may be dismissed as downright silly, there are many that are brilliant – satirical, crisp and thought provoking. There are witty one-liners to bring smile on your face and jokes to amuse you. You burst into laughter when you watch a funny video but the next message may turn out to be a tear jerker. Also, there are audios and videos of old melodies to mesmerize. The speed at which you get the bits of news is indeed amazing. Even before the breaking news is flashed on your television screen, you find someone has already posted the information, many a times with the image. You feel a light tremor but are not sure if it’s an earth quake and the next moment you open your chat-box and get its validation. Someone has already posted an image or a message confirming your doubt.
There is no dearth of thought-provoking preachy messages on WhatsApp. You get your daily dose of positivity, or I may say over-dose on WhatsApp chats right in the morning. There are ‘good morning’ greetings complete with the beautiful images to keep you upbeat all through the day. As if the daily inflow of cheery messages is not enough, your mailbox is flooded with greetings on festivals. So far as I am concerned, I don’t mind reveling the ‘passed on’ messages but my poor ‘smart phone’ is not smart enough to handle the deluge of posts on special occasions. It often freezes giving me jitters. There begins the arduous task of deleting the messages to restore the functional health of my phone.
After Lohri, while I was on the job of unclogging the system, there was a crisp one-liner on WhatsApp , ‘In this season I haven’t eaten so many groundnuts as many as I have deleted.’ This is the beauty of whatsApp messages! There is always something to engage, interest and entertain you. No wonder, I am hooked on to WhatsApp and loving it.
Published in Hindustan Times( Middle) on Feb. 23, 2017
From Techno-Unsavvy to Loving Whatsapp.. You have come a long way Ma!!
Interesting ! Teaching mamma!
Hi Rama unique way of rediscovering the merits of WhatsApp. I think I will have to renew and reinject my enthusiasm with which I go through my messages. Suddenly I feel guilty for not treating it with the respect it deserves.
Thank you so much , Ranjana ji for reading and commenting on the articles . Indeed an honour for me !
Regarding the WhatsApp messages, I feel these are rejuvenating at times but, too many messages definitely start getting on your nerves.
Rama dear your article on What’s app is very interesting and real thing. I feel that all of us who share what’s app messages feel the same and are in the predicament whether to delete them without reading or go through all of them. Depends on time in your hand. Thanks.
It is a matter of immense joy and satisfaction to me that you found the article realistic and interesting.