Surprising as it may seem, but scarcity is good sometimes. For example, not having a spare TV at home will teach you how to accommodate and enjoy with others. A spare TV will let you watch what you wish but will deprive you of the joy of togetherness. No fun watching it ALONE. Too many things sometimes distract us too much. A mobile phone with internet connectivity lets you get ‘caught’ anytime. There is no escape or excuse. In a traffic jam or while taking a casual, careless stroll, or eating out, etc. you are caught easily. There is no reason to say why you can’t reply to the emails or calls or messages or whatever. With things like these at hand you cannot ‘steal away’, ‘stop and stare’ and reflect back. You carry the world in your pocket, which deprives you of the chance to be alone with yourself and introspect (at least it decreases the chances).
I do not wish to imply that scarcity of basic goods like food is good. Of course, everyone should have access to plenty of food. I’m trying to make a very subtle point here. Let’s take another example of mansion – too many rooms, too much space, etc. One room for everyone. Everybody can be so separate and busy in their own rooms and one member may not get to know much about another. In a small house, rooms are shared say among siblings. That automatically and inadvertently helps them bond together. If they had separate rooms they are less likely to share things and thoughts. I can very well imagine them surfing internet in the spare time, sharing their thoughts on facebook rather than among themselves.
While we all strive to increase our scarce resources, which we should, we must remember that increase in resources do not necessarily lead to increase in welfare. Statistically it may imply increased welfare but qualitatively in may not be so!!
Yes absolutely true Statistically it may imply increased welfare but qualitatively it may not be so!!
ReplyDeleteIf u see the current scenario wherein India is going through internet revolution and world has become a local place, you interact with people from different countries, different cultures and races....... you learn new things, u adopt new things...These are the good things of Internet say one side of the coin.
if u see the other side of the coin, its horrible, people have become so addictive to internet usage and Social networking that they hardly spend some valuable time with their Family and friends.
they are happy posting comments ' I'm not well', 'had a bad day', My boyfriend gifted me a puppy'.
Gone are the days when people used to meet at local tea/Coffey shops have samosas, discuss on some knowledgeable topics, share jokes/problems, relax etc.
According to me Social networking sites cannot give the emotional touch which personal meetings can.
At our times we used to actively indulge in sports, I still remember the days when I used to runaway to the ground to play cricket as soon as I return from the school, however if you see the kids of the new generation, they prefer staying at home and to play on theirPlay stations, the main cause for Ophthalmic problems.
With this I conclude by saying 'Having abundant resources is good but one needs to use it in a controlled manner'.