Trap of Urban Life
In Indian context, though it can be universally felt.
There are massive changes occurring in the world, almost in every sphere. Right from nations quibbling rather than cooperating, deepening schisms in societies, to global warming and its cascading consequences, festering conflicts that could escalate, clouds of war, and the arrival of AI which is yet to be placed under any meaningful oversight. Change is arriving faster than we can process it. Before one disruption is absorbed, another is already here.
Change is arriving faster than we can process it.
Maybe that is why people are turning apathetic to all the issues that they face routinely and are going to face in the near future. The rapidity and unpredictability of disruptions have made them incapable of responding in a reasonably sane manner. Perhaps that is why no one bothers, and no one will, about the happenings in their immediate society or the world at large. They have self restricted their horizons to protect themselves from further damage. Over time, their horizons have become so narrow that they barely include themselves. They do not know what exists beyond, and neither do they want to know.
The Illusion of Ease
Life has been made easy by technological advances. Yes, in many aspects it has. Especially water, sanitation, transport, communication, ease of doing complex tasks on computers and sophisticated machines, and home appliances reducing the drudgery of chores. The gains are real and undeniable.
But if one tries to search for the time saved by technology and appliances, they find themselves shortchanged.
We have all the help, yet we are stranded amidst a morass of tasks and chores.
People in the seventies and eighties, without much technology, had more time for themselves. They could reach home by 4 pm or at the most 5 pm. Sit in the verandah sipping evening tea while their kids played around or studied in silence. They could sleep early and wake up refreshed the next day. They could attend social gatherings or go for vacations on a whim.
We have none of that ease now. Even with all the help, we are stranded amidst a morass of tasks and chores, almost drowning in it. Even a simple thing such as planning an evening outing or a short vacation immediately turns into a headache. It requires elaborate planning. Not all members of the family or group of friends can have holidays or take leave on the same dates.
The Invisible Strings
The daily routine that technology seems to simplify comes with strings attached, invisible at the moment of purchase. Such as the maintenance required for every tech product and appliance. Each is a sophisticated piece of technology and cannot be repaired at home. Specialised services need to be called for appointments, and someone has to be home when they arrive. Their first visit is usually a diagnostic visit. Maybe a week later they procure the spares and repair it, charging heavily.
Secondly, once we have grown dependent on these devices and services, their absence becomes its own kind of suffering. One feels woefully inadequate.
Then come the EMIs and subscription charges. They can be monthly or annually. Added to that is the AMC or annual maintenance costs of equipment and appliances, deemed necessary by the supplier or company.
The Urban Cost of Living
- House bought at high cost, EMIs paid for life
- Society maintenance taking a big chunk from monthly earnings
- Car or two wheeler EMIs and fuel costs
- School fees averaging one lakh rupees, plus school bus and coaching classes
- Rising health care costs
Any sudden serious ailment like an accident, heart attack, or cancer can turn a middle class person into a pauper if they are not insured. Even with medical insurance, health care costs can escalate many times higher than the sum insured. So it pushes us to buy higher mediclaim cover at a higher premium.
Daily commute, pollution, and infrastructure bursting at the seams lead to irritable, angry, and raging people on the roads. Their rage is carried into offices and homes, further destroying their sanctuary space.
Swiggy,
Zomato,
Uber,
Blinkit and similar platforms have tried to simplify things. But in the long run, they also increase the cost burden. If it is easy to order anything from the convenience of home, one tends to order any and everything. Necessity is a question often brushed aside.
The Deeper Question
With all this going on, many of us do keep a cheerful face, fighting and surviving each day one at a time. We earn and we lose and we scramble at the beginning of the month to pay bills. We try to squeeze out joy from tiny things and move on, trying to remain undefeated. Though this process also starts taking its toll on our body and mind, slowly causing degenerative and inflammatory changes in the body. Uncleared emotional sludge keeps blocking the paths from where new sensations, joys and feelings can enter our mind space, further adding to apathy.
Change is certain. Humans have evolved due to continuous change. We cannot deny it nor refuse it. But can we not shape these changes so people have room to adapt without losing their footing? Can we not tweak systems to allow people to adapt at their own pace, without the fear of losing their livelihood or their place?
Productivity should serve humans or humans should serve productivity.
Can leisure and free time be made a constitutional right? Curtailing work hours would be a good step in that direction. Productivity may be hampered a bit. But the profound question we need to ask is how long can we think only about productivity. Is human life only about productivity, profits, and rapidly changing figures on a stock exchange?
What are we producing and for whom are we producing at such a rapid pace? More than fifty percent of output consists of nonessential plasticky things bought on online platforms or in malls at a whim, that will turn into junk a year later.
This question needs to be asked loudly and repeatedly before human society degenerates into a huge anthill, with ants scurrying around day and night, working hard without rest just to prevent it from crumbling into dust.
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© Shashikant Dudhgaonkar
