Where do we stand today?
My Polling Booth Debacle
There must be some 6 spiders in the top left corner of the corridor where I was standing to cast a vote last week. I know because I was twiddling my thumbs and counting random things in an attempt to avoid participating in a conversation. You really don’t want to get caught bitching about candidates at a polling booth, right?
“Did you see how this candidate has named herself <…>? It is to confuse us!” my fellow voter was so loud. Despite knowing that the candidate was always known as <…>, I didn’t want to get into correcting her. However, I was baffled by the quick and loud conclusions she was drawing about different candidates and whether they stand a chance. If that was not enough, the discussion turned to who my mother would vote for based on the color of her saree. I was worried that the officers on duty would throw us out. So I scratched my forehead and pretended to be deaf. I could have known this person in the queue as a lovely woman with a pretty garden, or maybe a teacher or a great chef. But all I will remember her for is this sticky situation she had put me in that Friday morning.
Meanwhile the national flag stands appropriated
Earlier, the tricolor was used by duly appointed government officials. There was an air of seriousness, dignity and respect around its usage. But now it is tied to a troll’s profile name on WhatsApp /any social media. People engage in everything from flirting to lying to scamming people to harassment to character assassination with the national flag on their profile. Do you really have to carry your country along with you for acts like this? Why is everyone in campaigning mode? If flag is not enough, now the term family is being rampantly abused in a similar manner. ABC who calls himself <politician ka parivar> is busy saying Hi Sweety to random women in DMs and bringing glory to the parivar — nobody checks these citizens.
Black Mirror has turned real and the repercussions are fearsome.
The little dopamine that gets secreted when someone validates your view is wreaking havoc everywhere. Paid trolls and influencers with large followers are merely suppliers and consumers of dopamine in an emotionally charged ecosystem. Get into any WhatsApp group or a simple chat and you will realize basic conversations have been taken over and gamified. Every forwarded message is a group activity. Every person’s action is a sign that needs to offend or give offence. The boundaries between real and virtual life have blurred. We sledge our neighbors so that the politician earns his billions. We all wear a blue saree on Friday because of a WhatsApp forward, and not as a fun activity between friends.
We are puppets
From being carefree individuals without the burden of politics or divisive emotions, most people have evolved into gatekeepers of morality, religion, language, society and economy tightly bound by ideologies. Our reactions, our kindness, our efforts towards those around us are all rationed in an unprecedented manner. People have a compulsive need to surveillance and fix each other. Friendships have turned brittle. Even children are not spared from the vagaries of political drama. Tea time conversations, grapevine, movie — there is fodder for everything and conspiracy everywhere.
Have you ever thought why you have reduced yourself to a constable gatekeeping those around you. Are you being truthful in this role? No Do you sound informed and rational in this role? No. Is the conversation fun? No. Can we have an opposing view with you? No. Does talking to you make me want to admire any of your leaders? No!
A citizen’s slip from subject matter expert in their domain to an overly sensitive political mouthpiece is sorry to see. Maybe you know a lot about stocks or technology or art or movies, but it has become your mission to save God and defend people who don’t know you exist. Much time and effort is lost in decoding the hidden meaning in what the other person is saying, and in putting people in their place. Shaming people into submitting to your views is rampant. Everything is vendetta.
What you are doing as a gatekeeper is addictive to your sense of validation but not helping you grow as a person. Policing will only make people more resentful over the long run.
We have a double-edged sword that is mercilessly cutting through the fabric of the society for its own selfish reasons.
