From Gully Cricket to 5G Scroll: Have We Traded Joy for Convenience?
Do you ever find yourself scrolling endlessly through your phone, a sense of emptiness gnawing at the edges of your day? I often do, especially when memories of a seemingly simpler time flood my mind of 2010.
Life back then, even without the lightning-fast internet that now fits snugly in our pockets, felt… full. College days bled into evening cricket matches with friends in the neighborhood. The lack of constant digital stimulation meant we actually talked, strategized our bowling attacks, and celebrated every sixer with genuine high-fives.
Evenings were spent huddled around the television, the latest Bollywood hits playing on channels like 9XM becoming the soundtrack of our friendships. Visiting a friend’s PG meant spontaneous chai breaks and endless banter. A bike ride with friends wasn’t about capturing the perfect Instagram story but about the wind in our hair and shared laughter.
Fast forward to 2025, life has undeniably become easier. A 5G-enabled phone grants us access to an unimaginable amount of information and entertainment. Groceries, clothes, even a late-night snack are just a few taps away, delivered to our doorstep by the ever-efficient e-commerce companies. OTT platforms offer a universe of content, tailored to our every whim. On the surface, life is a breeze.
Yet, beneath this veneer of convenience, a certain hollowness seems to have crept in. The spontaneous cricket matches have been replaced by virtual games with unseen players. Meeting friends often requires scheduling weeks in advance, and even then, our phones often act as silent barriers between us. The joy of discovering new music together on a shared TV screen has been replaced by personalized algorithms feeding us endless streams of curated content, often in isolation.
Technology, without a doubt, has revolutionized our lives for the better in countless ways. It has connected us to the world, provided unparalleled access to knowledge, and streamlined countless daily tasks. But the question that constantly lingers is: have we inadvertently traded genuine human connection and simple joys for this ease of living? Are we becoming increasingly isolated in our hyper-connected world?
The nostalgia for the “good old days” isn’t just sentimental yearning. It’s a recognition of the value of those face-to-face interactions, the unfiltered laughter, the shared experiences in the real world that formed the bedrock of our happiness. While 2025 offers unparalleled convenience, it sometimes feels like we’re living in individual bubbles, our screens acting as both windows to the world and walls between us.
Perhaps the answer lies in finding a balance. Embracing the benefits of technology while consciously carving out time for real-world interactions, for those impromptu chai breaks and cricket matches. Maybe it’s time to look up from our screens and rediscover the simple joy of human connection, the kind that doesn’t need a fast internet connection to feel truly fulfilling. The ease of modern life is a gift, but let’s ensure it doesn’t come at the cost of our collective happiness and genuine human bonds.