There is something pretty ‘forward’ about modern technology which is proactive, and an interfering busybody to boot. Take my phone for example. Last year, round about the time I started playing ‘Farmville’, it had the temerity to suggest that I put the phone down and go do something else. Here I was on the wrong side of sixty, thinking I was free of all forms of control and could do as I very well pleased. Little did I know how wrong I was. My phone who I thought up till then was the aider and abettor to my crimes turned out to be nothing but a boring control freak. I remember though that I had doubled up with laughter at the suggestion. “You wish!” I said under my breath, ignoring it totally and continuing with my game.

Today morning while going through my mail I saw one from Audible, the app I use to listen to books. I was about to pass it by when something caught my eye. ‘We missed you!’ the first line said. Eh? What? Why? How? There are those I wish fervently would tell me those words (and mean it!). ‘We miss you!’ or ‘I miss you!’ But an app for reading is certainly not one of them. Besides, what did it mean by ‘missed’ me! I had opened the app today morning too while on my walk. Curious, I opened the mail and found that it was sent yesterday around 8-30 a.m. Apparently Audible was concerned that I had missed our tryst at 7-30 a.m. when I usually go for my walk. Sad and dejected it had then dashed off the message.

What is the world coming to? Bossed by phones and tracked my apps. Not to mention Firestick which is always trying to make me say, ‘Alexa, open Kshanakshanam’. Good heavens! Kshanakshanam is done and dusted long back. Why must I watch it again? If that is not enough it tries to interest me in asking Alexa to open Wikipedia to know more about Einstein. Not to be outdone Google Assistant joins in, jumping awake without my ever having asked it to (Go back to sleep, Google!) and tries to convince me I’d be better off asking for names of the best restaurants in my city. Now I am waiting for iTunes to tell me off. ‘That’s enough of listening to songs. It is late. Give your ears some rest now!’ Seriously, right now it doesn’t seem too farfetched. 😉

© Shail Mohan 2021