LETTER FROM CHAIRMAN

May 2013

On a recent holiday, I made some personal notes on how technology can keep you in the picture on developments back home, or the office.

Not too long ago, the only devices you took along on a holiday were a compass, a camera and a pair of binoculars, maybe. Each of these gadgets was relevant to the holiday experience. With the advent of the mobile, colleagues at office suddenly had the ability of tapping you on the shoulder – to check things out, or keep you posted.

Basic touch-talk mobiles soon got an upgrade with the built-in camera - giving you impressive picture quality and making things handy and convenient. Here was a tech-tool that became a useful holiday accessory.

It wasn’t long before the “smart phone” happened - allowing you to browse, check mail and use a zillion other applications that came with it. Well now, you just couldn’t leave home without it.

So what really happens on a holiday? Let me check my notes…

• I saw a bunch of 12-year-olds giggling for hours on chat – they should have been exploring the countryside, instead.
• I saw housewives in track suits and sneakers – describing the holiday setting to friends back home, without even looking around and taking in the views. They were practically lost to the world.
• I saw an entire family – seemingly at dinner – with each member of the family glued to his, or her own glass eye – a smart phone. Dinner time was at the same table, but each one of them was light years away.

I saw smart young executives from the corporate world on conference calls that seemed to go on and on and on. They were even making white-board hand gestures in an effort to illustrate a point.

I’m just wondering if all this technology is isolating people. The very same people who want to take time off to go on a holiday together. But if you ignored my technology muse for a moment, you might even say these people are having a good time.

Speaking for myself, I usually leave instructions at office not to disturb me on my vacation. I put my phone on silent mode and review call logs at bed-time. If someone does call, it’s probably a very good reason and can’t wait till I get back.

I won’t let technology come in the way of a holiday that I have actually earned, working at my job. Now that’s an interesting thought.

B. S. Rathor
Chairman, AIRDA

Here’s an interesting link of a study done of people using their cell phones on vacation.