Gadgets, Euphoria and Learning!
#sundayseries #nskspeaks
If you are a Bond fan like me, then will agree that there can’t be a better start than referring to James Bond and of course his gadgets! The amazing MI6’s Q Branch and their fantastic take on technology that lives somewhere in the haze between reality and fiction. Yet you can always count on James Bond gadgets to have multiple applications and not to miss the euphoria as you sit on the edge of your seats!
Gadget is a small mechanical or electronic device or tool……. often thought of as a novelty and gadgets are sometimes referred to as gizmos. Technology is a tool that helps us develop and apply skills we all value – curiosity, problem-solving, persistence, collaboration, information literacy. In short there is always a euphoria around gadgets, the urge to possess them, their need, the utility, and interestingly the speed with which it builds up, the focus shifts faster from the one in hand to the other – be it the updated version or a new launch!
Idea today is not to debate the pros and cons of gadgets rather the focus is the approach on how we make them part of our life journey and on a lighter note also who is actually smart – the gadget or us!
All who have been following the Bond movies will realise that the gadgets across the decades changed keeping with the times and the then relevant social, political, economic scenarios and equations around us! Be it the fingerprint scanners, the jet packs, the exploding pellets, the electro-magnetic rings, the smart watches, the smarter phones, and not to miss my personal favourite, the cars to die for:)! What is the key here is that every time James Bond was in need, just the right gadget would appear and support him…….. somewhere that exactly is the right balance between gadgets and us – need based! What’s happening is our ever growing dependence on them and the comfort zone (read trap) seems to be growing bigger by the day!!
Gadgets have, are and will continue to be an integral part of our lives! I have my own list of what I had and used, currently enjoy, and probably a bigger list of what I wish to possess. The euphoria around this is what keeps the child in me alive and the curious eye looking for what’s next out there. Like I said earlier it’s about good or bad, for we all know how gadgets have eased out our lives over the decades and continue to do so.
Each one of us would have our own set of gadgets and stories around them! When I speak to friends, one interesting common finding is that the very first gadget in life for most of them has been a gift. So the love and attachment is instant and then you start to experience it. So initially had thought, do I list down the most popular gadgets going around or pick them by their utility……. but honestly I am not an expert on them and more importantly each one of us pick and choose them to our needs (and yes at times for the possession value too)!
Let’s take mobile phone as an example for it is probably the most used gadget around us. In India it’s been a 25 year journey now! What started as luxury has become essential. Not just the mobile phone has evolved, the whole communication landscape has changed. The purpose of mobile phones has changed through the years. They started as an alternate way to communicate, and now they’re tools on it to experience A-Z almost everything! It’s amazing how the whole world is now in your palms. What’s more exciting is that the tools and/or platforms we wish to use too are now easily accessible thanks to our smart phones. On one hand we enjoy the reach, the ability to access all at our comfort, pace… on the other hand is the silent yet growing addiction, dependency…… gadgets are important and we need to leverage them, yet use them as technology aid and not try replacing the human element!
Embrace technology, possess and use gadgets, never let the euphoria go, for it’s important to move and evolve with time and these are amazing tools to have in your arsenal as you stand up to face the ever changing world. As you indulge in them, keep the human touch points alive……
Gadgets, Euphoria and Learning – its about the smarter one, who is managing whom, who is calling the shots, who is the final deciding voice, hope it’s you and it continues to be that way!
#nskspeaks
