I don't think I can ever become comfortable with a desktop, laptop, Netbook, iPad, Akash, iPhone.
I am an octogenarian enjoying my daily issue of The Hindu. Yes, I am one of those whom your writers accuse of being in their “dotage” and not even familiar with Facebook.
I have several confessions to make. The first is that as my grandchildren inform me, I am not at all tech-savvy. The email ID you see was set up by them to enable my wife to communicate with our kin abroad.
I have not bothered to find out what Google can do for me though my daughter has told me that she has “googled” me and been impressed with the results. ‘Yahoo!' to me is a ‘Junglee' scream let out by Shammi Kapoor; and, last but not least is that I read the “print” copy of my favourite newspaper.
I'm told I should refer to it as hard copy. Be that as it may, I enjoy turning the pages; I enjoy the familiarity of a place for everything and everything in its place. And, I certainly enjoy not having to point or click to find something!
I don't think I can ever become comfortable with a desktop, laptop, Netbook, iPad, Akash, iPhone, at least not enough to start surfing or replacing my newspaper. I think back and conclude that I have lived a very productive life without the help of any of these accoutrements. I feel these products will only complicate my life.
This brings me to Professor Ganapathy's article, “The Doctor in your Pocket.”(Open Page, The Hindu, January 1, 2012.) I don't own a mobile phone — smart or dumb — so I presume I'm not a candidate for mHealth. However, I have been a diabetic for 35 years and I do have a doctor in my pocket. This is the visiting card of my trusted physician. Frankly, I do not know whether he has a computer record of my file, or if he can interpret the notes in my ‘book' in a jiffy, or, as I like to think, knows me and my case so well that the moment he sees me he is able to assess my condition. We chat briefly about various things and I leave the room feeling much improved! Try duplicating that with mHealth, Dr. Ganapathy!!
Speaking of mHealth and mobile phones, I agree with the UK Post Office study mentioned in the Open Page article “Gutenberg to Zuckerberg,” (January 1, 2012) about the condition referred to as ‘nomophobia.' I see my grandchildren exhibiting this phenomenon almost continuously. Their cellphone seems to be an appendage and mere extension of their persona. Their concentration is non-existent unless they are texting their friends. (I learned recently that texting has nothing to do with text-books.) I am appalled that they see nothing wrong in interrupting anything they're doing to attend to their phones.
Having said all this, I must admit that it is very same grandchildren who make all arrangements for us to travel either online or by using their cellphones. They have managed to smuggle a mobile phone into our household by educating their ‘tech-savvy' grandmother on its basic uses. This enables them and their parents to keep us informed of anything we need to know at all times and spares us a lot of anxiety.
Indeed, there has been a quantum leap from Gutenberg to Zuckerberg but fortunately for us Gutenbergians in India we are able to lead life on our own terms – at least for now.
(The writer's email ID is: achal.ranganathan@gmail. com)
Dear Mr. Ranganathan: I really enjoyed reading your article 'A proud Gutenbergian' on the Open page of the Hindu dated January 21, 2012! I am 51 years old. A lot of technological advances and developments have taken place during my lifetime. On one hand they are extremely useful in that they have made life very easy. But on the other hand, it has taken away the charm of reading newspapers (or as we call it 'hard' copy) in print! I lived in the US for 21 years. On returning back to India, I now notice mobiles on everyone's hands starting from the maidservant! Many of them have no sanitation facilities but they do have a cell! We do live in a very strange world.
None of us can make do without a mobile these days. They are extremely useful and make our lives comfortable. But I still have not got down to owning IPads or IPhones. I see 5 year old children so proficient with these contraptions. I think they are completely spoilt!
Nice article Mr. Ranganathan .... i enjoyed reading it. I am not octogenarian but a s/w engg. between 20-30s. The article truly depict the involvement of complex tech savvy instrument in our life, which has mechanized our living , which has added tools and utilities but also made our life easier and luxurious which was once a need and now become a addiction. We are getting information from every corner of the world but losing our intelligence on
how to use them properly (leaving a few who got the idea)
its time to go green and a balance between our oldies and the gen X.. for a better and happy life .
When LPG was introduced many housewives were scared of exploson.Later when Pressure cooker was marketed the same women folk made a hue & cry. Now both are household names. We can safely conclude days are not far when old & young will read daily news papers online and will become a common sight a senior citizen /octogenarian carry a laptop when they go for a sojourn to their village ! And it will not be a surprise if old generation will switch on to a "Note Book" or its advanced version to read daily news! They will discuss about world affairs quoting from New York Times or Washington Post They will spend their past time on the laptop ( much against the counsels that too much reading online will affect the eyes!) Slowly they will be carrying a GPS to locate a street in their own native village which has undergone a sea change with new shopping malls & high rise buildings. Steadily but slowly they will realize "Change alone is permanent" I take it AR will also change his mind soon
The article is superb and true.My husband feels that its better to call than messaging,he is of same opinion as the author.My opinion about hard copy is same as the author.You enjoy the book only when you read it by turning the pages...not so interesting when read in i pad.
A very nice article. I enjoyed reading it. Mr. Ranganathan, you presented it very nicely. Hope your tech savvy wife reads all these comments for you..
I am 21 years old but i still agree with your point that hard copy is way better than the so called soft copy. I am right now in UP doing s cant really get the newspaper so have no choice other than depending on these soft copy which is actually a boon. But in fact i miss my best combination of hindu newspaper and the hot coffee cup
Enjoyable article.My husband had similar views as the author till recently. Right now we are in US spending time with our daughters.To keep in touch with the happenings back in Chennai, he learnt to operate a iPad and is able to access whatever he wants.We have to change with time and keep ourselves abreast with the latest.I think there is no age bar for learning new things.The author is not tech savvy because his wife would communicate with their people online and inform him.So he never felt the need.I think in this modern age. every one of us should learn atleast the basic things like sending E mails,using cellphones and surfing the net.,listening to music online etc. This will surely help us to spend time in our later years. I am also gracefully turing to be a senior citizen.I am writing this out of my personal experience.
I liked the way you move and compare between the Present Scenario and what it used to be...Liked it Sir,but everything written is hard truth and everyone has to face it,good or bad depends on one's perception.
Excellent article. Really loved the tone of the article. I almost felt your pain! My mother somehow adapted to to the digital age faster than my Dad. We keep joking in a lighter vein that my dad needed a Personal secretary for all his life in public sector to do 3 simple tasks: schedule his meetings, use short hand to script and then type what he wanted to convey, and make as many copies as were required to distribute what he told her (if there were 10,000 employees in his company, for messages that need to be sent to all, 10,000 prints were needed). All these 3 can be done for free by a 3rd class kid now a days but during my dads time, he needed a personal secretary: a full time employee with full government retirement benefits (about 1 Crore rupees cost to the company over a life time. At least now would you agree that the digital technology will drive efficiency?
Well if you don't, you are not alone, my father vehemently thinks your way!!!
Loved the article. Simply Excellent!!! , I am forwarding the link to my relatives and friends.
Great article. Extremely sorry Achal Ranganathan, I read this on the website.
Wonderfully explained sir!!!!
Loved the article Achal! World is growing in technology and no doubt it has made life more simpler. Technology has bought us comfort , Luxuries, happiness and countless things which are now an indispensable part of every human life.We have becoming more and more mechanical and Scientific in our approach towards living. But away from this tech savvy world there is a life which is very much old yet new ,contemporary yet more reliable, which still holds its charm and original flavor.It holds the originality and no doubt its unbeatable. Half of us have grown with it and half of us are still learning to grow with it and so the article beautifully satisfies the tone of an octogenarian.
Nice article sir.. I m 25 now... Enjoyed seeing your view on these..
Excellent Article. I had an absolute delight while reading it.
Would have been good if the authors postal address was given rather than his email. Dont want to make his life more uncomfortable. Loved the article so much though.
The open page article "A proud Gutenbergian!"(Jan.22) made some high-tech reading, budging beyond boundaries. Of course, it is true that the aged populace find a tribulation-trodden going in this era of machine-bounded communication. In fact, my grandma in sixty struggles to have a chat with our family over phone, whereas my five-year old cousin eats, sleeps and hangs out only with his dad’s blackberry. It is certain that the technology has simplified our lives and indeed, The Hindu should be given cheers for unraveling such articles.
Pallandu vaazhga! Those grandchildren are good children! Best wishes.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Mr Achal Ranganathan's crisp article. I am not an octogenarian - a senior citizen not yet super-senior. To share my experience I found it very useful to blend Gutenberg with Zuckerberg in my retirement.
Great article Achal, Lovely to see that thanks to your wife a mobile has been accepted into your home - I'm sure it will bring you lots of good news and help you stay connected with your children as they grow up/leave home etc. Please don't think you're not a candidate for mHealth. Obviously you have a great family Doctor but don't dismiss how invaluable a mobile is to Doctors the world over. Being reachable for patients when they are needed is just the start as many Doctors now also have secure mobile access to their patients electronic records, can access clinical libraries anytime/anywhere, manage their work diaries, can authorise prescriptions, etc, etc.As a diabetic you can be sure there are some exciting new mobile connected devices coming to make your life easier and personalise the care your carers can offer you. To get the idea check out the mobile connected blood glucose monitor from www.Telcare.com that can send
your results directly to an always on medical clinic.
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