C.S. Krishnamurthy
(krs1957@hotmail.com)
Dussehra, Diwali, Christmas, birthdays, or any other festivities are occasions when human connections should be celebrated with genuine warmth and heartfelt expressions. Alas, in the age of smartphones, we find ourselves trapped in a pile of automated, soulless greetings.
Yes, I refer to the tedious ‘forwarded’ greetings that have inundated my inbox, turning it into a bleak graveyard for genuine communication. In the not-so-distant past, my email inbox used to be a place of communication, connection, and occasionally a digital playground for spam filters to have some fun. But now it’s a virtual cemetery.
Whatever the gala, I receive more ‘forwarded’ messages than genuine wishes from people I actually know. The onslaught of such online messages has reached staggering heights, and I’m not alone in my abhorrence for this digital deluge.
The age-old traditions of hugs, handshakes, and handwritten notes have been nearly swept away by the digital tsunami, giving rise to an insidious trend of automated greetings.
Lacking sincerity
What’s innately artificial about these ‘greetings’ is the mechanised process that defies the warmth, candour, and real emotions that traditional greetings carry. There’s a stark contrast between the joy of receiving a handpicked, heartfelt message and the grind of scrolling through a sea of common wishes. Even emojis, as expressive as they’ve become, can’t replace the genuineness of a handwritten note.
Moreover, tech meetings have reached a level of predictability that makes them dull. When most messages are copy-paste versions, the surprise element wanes. Has the act of writing or typing a heartfelt message become an extinct art, replaced by automated ‘clicks’? With each robotic “Happy Diwali” or “Merry Christmas” message, a part of my soul withers away. “Happy birthday, or should I say, Robo-irthday”? The traditional clinking of glasses and sincere toasts has been replaced by thumb exercises, swiping through countless WhatsApp messages. Greetings should convey emotions, and most importantly, they should not be ‘one-size-fits-all’. Even if the sentiment is there, the authenticity is sorely absent.
The problem with these ‘forwarded’ monstrosities is not just their abundance but also their complete lack of personality. It’s as if I’m trapped in a never-ending parade or recycled sentiments, like a greeting card factory stuck on repeat. My inbox is a riot of colours, but it’s schaotic and lashy. I wouldn’t be surprised if someday my screen bursts into flames from the sheer intensity of these’messages’.
Perhaps even more enraging than the eye-popping aesthetics of these messages is their mind-numbing monotony. “May this New Year bring joy and prosperity to you and your family”. The same message is received from multiple contacts. Is it too much to ask for a little personal touch? I’d prefer a handwritten ‘Happy New Year’ on a napkin over this robotic bombardment.
Remember when a birthday wish meant a phone call, a hug, or at least a genuinely written or typed message? Now, it’s a lazy click, and we’re supposed to be grateful for it. It’s like receiving a plastic flower on Valentine’s Day—an insensitive substitute for the real vibes. What makes it even more painful is the ease with which people hit that ‘forward’ button or delegate it to others.
We’ve allowed this to happen. We’ve turned into mindless zombies, trapped in an endless cycle of ‘forward-send-repeat’. We’ve become complicit in the degradation of communication, exchanging genuine sentiment for the sterile, easy click of a button. It’s time we reclaimed our inboxes.
So, where do we go from here?
Greetings have, all along, played a pivotal role in fostering social bonds and conveying genuine emotions. They are a reflection of cultural heritage and a celebration of shared moments.
While technology can enhance our lives, it should never seek to replace humanity.
Restore the warmth of personal interactions, the joy of handwritten cards, and the credibility of a sincere smile.
On this Diwali, let’s light the diyas together.
And for birthdays, let’s sing that rendition of “Happy birthday to you...” loud and proud.
Make the digital age more human and less robotic.
Don’t be a slave to the ‘forward’ button.
Take a moment to type out a real message that reflects your genuine feelings.
Be the change you want to see in your inbox. Let’s give our inboxes a revival, one heartfelt message at a time.
It’s about being mindful and considerate, for isn’t that what human connections are all about? Remember, technology should supplement, not supplant emotions; otherwise, humanity is in threat!
Thus, the world of artificial greetings is like a quirky circus where the clowns have taken over the big top. It’s colourful and hilarious, but it misses the mark by a mile. As we are already starved for genuine human connection, these robotic greetings are a reminder of what we stand to lose when we let technology replace the warmth of our words and the touch of our hearts.