VIDEO CALLS
This pandemic (variously called Covid 19, corona virus, or Wuhan virus) has been a defining period in our lives and we see that in myriad ways. But the most amazing aspect has been the regular video calls that we are having. Being a retired person, I am not referring to the video calls with colleagues, bosses, or clients; what I am referring to are the group video calls that we have with our children and friends. Earlier, we would have called them up over phone, Skype, or Whatsapp and engaged in a one-on-one call; but now we have calls with family members, relatives, friends, and ex-colleagues on a regular basis. These group calls are becoming the norm nowadays.
Zoom seems to be a favourite among the people with whom I interact regularly - school-mates, college friends, and family members. The technology is great and with decent internet speeds, the feeling is that they are not very far.
Do these video calls offer us a decent substitute for social calls that we would have had prior to the internet era? I am not sure. They are definitely a good substitute in times when moving out is unsafe and mingling with others not very advisable. But they can never replace the face to face meetings with people with whom we are close. What sets the two apart? Is it the shared physical space and its attendant infrastructure that we are part of? Is it the bonhomie that as social animals we are accustomed to? Or is it the "touch and feel" when we meet others responsible for the desire to meet people face to face?
What do you think? What does the future (2022 and beyond) look like?
Better internet speeds hopefully
ReplyDeleteI remember the days myself & my wife used to wait in public booth to wait to get a call connected to Sridhar who used to be in a public booth near his hostel [ Sridhar was studying in Allahabad ] after 11pm [ as rates of STD calls were 1/4 th.after 11pm] ! Some days we used to return to house at 1am !! What a change now !I don't know why people are not using the term ' communication revolution ] as they in case of ' green Revolution "
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