Learn to find a balance
Posting almost everything on social media is like a norm today (“Social media vs personal interaction”, Gulf News, October 8). Privacy is like the thing of the past. I recently heard a saying - privacy is dead and social media holds the gun. Not only are we losing our privacy, we’re also losing the bond that we would have with our closest family and friends. We get so engrossed in capturing the moment to post it, we sometimes forget to enjoy the actual moment. Having said that, there is also another aspect of being on social media. A global awakening in almost every area of life is taking place and the reason that is happening is because we are so well connected through social media. We have a much broader perspective about how life is on the other side of the planet. We get connected with our friends, with whom we’ve lost touch with because they have moved to other parts of the world. Social media is a tool to learn and expand our awareness about the world and our surroundings. What might look like boasting or showing off, may be a way of sharing experiences. Find your balance of what you show to the world and what you notice.
From Ms Ritu Chawla Ray
Canada
Be honest, be real
Why is everyone in dire need to prove that their lives are flawless? People brag overtly, defend their weaknesses and get paranoid when their real essence as an individual may be unveiled. We tend to ponder why we feel so lonely despite being part of a crowd. Every once in a while, talk to your friends, acquaintances, or even a stranger about an ongoing problem in your life. Drop your guard. Perhaps, knowing that you too have battles you are trying to conquer will make them realise that they’re not the only ones facing obstacles. You may give them the strength they need. We need a collective sense of belonging and a bond, much deeper than materialistic things. Get real, don’t be shrewd, and be honest in your being.
From Ms Hira Hyder
Canada
Worthy interaction
Though media platform label themselves as ‘social’, the social application in it is very little. If anyone points out any negativity or false work, that person will be targeted. But to convey some good pieces of information, or to remember some good old days, sharing experience that may be useful to someone is worthy and useful. Again many find pleasure in uploading and updating their own whims and fancies and that also interesting.
From Ms Annie Rathi Samuel
New York
Good choice
The 2017 Nobel Prize for Literature is being bestowed upon Japanese-British author Kazuo Ishiguro (“Kazuo Ishiguro wins 2017 Nobel prize in literature”, Gulf News, October 6). Among many contenders, his book The Remains of the Day was a dramatic development. Congratulations to him.
From Mr K. Ragavan
India
Similar situation
The President of Indonesia was forced to walk two kilometres because of a traffic congestion, so that he could attend the 72nd anniversary of the Indonesian military’s founding (“Walk this way: Indonesia traffic jam forces president out of car”, Gulf News, October 6). Unfortunately, in India, even a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) and Members of Parliament (MP) will have to face such a situation.
From Mr N. Mahadevan
India
Habits don’t die
Many people around the world have a habit of biting their nails, which they have practised since their childhood. If you have started some habits when you were a child, you will never forget them as long as you live. Usually, small babies suck their fingers before they start sleeping. Many mothers try to prevent nail biting in their children and they used to apply a bitter tasting medicine to get them out of the habit. Once you apply this medicine, babies will never put their fingers in their mouth. But grownups also have bad habits. If they sit at the workplace or in an exam while thinking, they bite their fingers. They cannot get away from this bad habit because it has become a practice in their life. Parents cannot advise them as they have already grown up. I too had this habit during my childhood. Now I always go for a nail cutter instead of my teeth.
From Mr Thottikamath Balaraman
Dubai
Overcoming obstacles
There is no doubt that P. V. Sindhu is in the prime of her badminton career and that the world champion, Nozomi Okuhara, is proving to be a stumbling block in her march ahead. There have been some thrilling matches between them. In the case of tennis, the rivalry between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal has taken lawn tennis to a different level, Sindhu versus Okuhara too is taking the world of badminton by storm. It is going to be an interesting tussle between them in the coming years. At the same time, due credit should be given to Pullela Gopichand, who has produced world champions like Saina Nehwal, P. V. Sindhu and K. Srikanth.
From Ms Janaki Mahadevan,
India
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