With the ferocity of the pandemic calming down a bit and a number of relaxations to the lockdown, I wanted to use the opportunity before the predicted third wave to pay obeisance to our family deity at the temple situated about 300 km from my home in Chennai. Luckily, we did it before the scare of Omicron.
On the big day, there was a competition in my house between my children and me in finding a plug point to charge our gadgets. The list included mobile phones, tablets, a power bank, smartwatches, earbuds and a laptop.
While driving, it struck me how many gadgets I had charged and how they were ruling our life.
Within a few decades, humans have totally surrendered their life to gadgets. Today, we are dependent on many gadgets even for simple tasks. If we closely observe our daily routine, not a single day passes without charging some equipment or the other. During lockdown, online classes and work from home became the new normal. Apart from charging mobile phones, laptops and tablets, shavers and trimmers and hair straightners too needed to be juiced up.
Must accessory
Today, the phone has become the third hand of everyone. Every day, either consciously or unconsciously, one searches for a plug point to charge them. Basic model phones do not require daily charging. However, smartphones dry fast and to cope with that, power banks are used. Of course, you need to charge power banks also to charge your other devices.
When I entered college in 1993, I remember my father presenting me a watch that required a key to be screwed for it to work. Once screwed, it would work for a few days; now my sons use smartwatches which counts even the number of steps they walk, their heart beat and pulse rate. However, if the watch is not charged, it is of no use.
Every morning, it has become a ritual to charge every device that we have to use for the day. Just as one should not skip his breakfast, do not forget to feed the devices, irrespective of going out or staying at home.
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