Vijay Hashia
In the early and mid 20th century, communication wasn’t about mere tapping and swiping but a journey imbued with the charm of epic poetry. Carrying letters is seen as primitive in this advanced technology and the allure of expressive emojis. Making a phone call required walking miles to a friend’s landline or the post office to send a telegram. Post cards and inland letters meandered through the postal system at a tortoise pace.
The 60s, 70s, and 80s were the analog era. Dialing a number on a rotary phone involved spinning a small wheel, each turn feeling like winding the clock of destiny with forefingers. A single misdial meant starting over, a Sisyphean task that tested one’s patience. By the 1970s brightly coloured rotary phones added vibrancy to homes, but the design was as heavy and clunky as a Soviet tank.
Then, the Dutch button phones heralding a leap forward in convenience like a knight trading bulky armour for flexible chainmail. By the late 80s and 90s, the Motorola handset emerged, featuring push buttons, a marvel of modernity that felt as revolutionary as having a personal robot at service. These devices were not just tools; they were milestones in the evolving communication then.
During that period, communication channels were primarily dominated by Post and Telegraphs Department (P&T), now Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL). Connectivity was scarce, and acquiring a landline often meant enduring long waiting periods rendering telephones a luxury rather than a necessity. With a little advancement, obtaining a local landline connection became easier but securing an STD (Subscriber Trunk Dialing) connection for long distance calls was still a privilege of the elite. Talking to a friend or relative in another city, be it from Srinagar to Solan (HP) or Jammu to Jaipur or Mumbai, meant either walking to the telephone exchange or waiting turn in a booth to make a heavily charged STD call.
Fast forward, a few years later, the mobile phone revolution descended like a deus ex machine, transforming communication overnight. Suddenly, the world shrank. The day of anxiously pacing by a payphone or deciphering cryptic messages in exchanges was gone. By the 1990s, Nokia and Motorola emerged as pioneers of the era, introducing sturdy handsets that were as robust as bricks. With their basic texting features, these devices heralded the dawn of a transformative age in communication.
Nowadays, the mobile phone has woven into every aspect of our lives, becoming as indispensable as soap and water. From the kitchen counter, where it sits silently waiting for its next task, to the bathroom where it’s almost treated like royalty, it accompanies us on every necessary at every moment. Whether it’s catching up on social media, answering emails or indulging in a quick scroll mid task, the mobile phone has transformed every corner of our homes into a potential hub for work or entertainment.
Text messages initially preserved a touch of linguistic dignity, but soon, language began to devolve. “How are you” morphed into “hru” and “okay” shrank to a mere “k.” Conversations compressed into cryptic abbreviations, with phrases like “Oh my God” becoming “OMG” and “Let me know” transforming into “LMK,” as if we were all spies exchanging coded messages.
Mobile phones have become extensions of human appendages, a veritable fifth limb. WhatsApp groups sprout like mushrooms. There are groups for everyone, each with its own unique flavor and flair. For the ladies, the groups are, “Lipstick Mafia,” “Girl Gang Goals,” “Caffeine Queens,” and “Laughter Therapy Gang”. The gentlemen aren’t left behind, with “Suits, Ties, and High Fives,” “Macho Men” and Mimosas,” and “Battle Buddies.” For lighter moments, there is “Meme Team or “Kitchen Funnies”. For curious, niche groups like “The Art of Medicinal Mushrooms” or “Wisdom Warriors,” “Troll dreamers,” so on and so forth offer deeper engagements from casual chats to niche interests.
Every morning begins with a deluge of good-morning images featuring sunrises, flowers, and sometimes oddly photoshopped deities. The messages reflect humanity’s quirks, a heartfelt poem from one friend and dubious health tips about usages of turmeric and ghee from another. Messages, photos and videos are shared multiple times leading amusements and rage. Once a friend texted, “Let’s have a fu. at the resort.” Puzzled, I asked, “What’s a fu.” He clarified, “Fun!” I chuckled; realizing vowels had become an endangered species. Even our social interactions are tinged with absurdity. Receiving a message from another friend said, “We lost our fry.” Bewildered, if he misplaced a potato snack, only to realize later, he meant “friend.”
The modern mobile phone is no longer just a device, it’s a carnival. Videos, many of them doctored, disseminate faster than wildfire. One day, you’re watching a motivational speech; the next, you’re accidentally knee-deep in a conspiracy theory about alien cucumbers. Memes, GIFs, and viral challenges bombard us, turning our attention into confetti.
And yet, for all its marvels, modern communication often feels paradoxically disconnected. We send a dozen messages a day but rarely pause to ask someone how they truly are. We are preoccupied with curating the perfect selfie or debating the merits of pineapple on pizza in a WhatsApp group.
So, the next time your phone pings with a WhatsApp message, take a moment to appreciate the ridiculous beauty of it all. After all, we’ve come a long way, from walking miles for a chat to carrying the world in our pockets. And who knows? Perhaps the future holds even more fantastical forms of communication, telepathic texts, anyone? Until then, keep texting, keep laughing, and, above all, keep connecting by silent conversations and wild screens.
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