Timeline challenge
There is a buzz going around in FB about sharing your decade old photo, comparing it with present day ones. Interestingly, with facial recognition tools up on the rise, there is a controversial thought process as well going viral that, this is a ploy by WD to shore up their AI tool. A while back had wondered out loud in this space, why the fuss around data and what could anyone do with all those worthless mokkais I may share in FB. Apparently it seems quite a few things can take place even from those useless mokkais which has woken me up to a scary reality!! To be honest, off late I am plagued with more doubts and queries about the future that, at times I forget about living in the present. News items relating to shrinking waterbodies, oceans turning to garbage dumps, thinning permafrost (incidentally all these were part of the 10 year challenge pics as well) rising rate of irrational behavior, mob mentality, boldness with which crimes are being committed and the callousness with which they are being punished and above all the impunity with which educational institutions deal with syllabus, teaching and the students, it seems to be getting more and more chaotic. Irrespective of any country of your pick, there seems to be widespread coterie culture, which seems only take care of itself at institution level. You are expected to have opinion for each and everything and be vocal about it as well.
In this background, I am clueless in wonderment as to what should and what would I be leaving behind for my kid. Everything is in such a state of turmoil that, there is no clear direction for me on what are good values, what is a good education and what should be the most essential skill for him to survive. Some of the conversations that I am listening to during lunch hours from team members having school going kids are nothing short of alarming. 2nd standard kids are getting pulled up in school for passing love letters, watching adult content and are being penalized for using filthy swear words. The casualness with which the subject was being discussed was chilling. They were mentioning about the extended role which parents have in making sure they are not smothering the kids in the name of micromanagement at the same time nor leaving them totally on their own as well. Simply said. In situations like this, I often think about how my parents handled me and similar situations. Obviously the scenario of present day can never be compared with decades back. But as little exposure towards the vice for the kids, even the concept of what were vice where much different from the present. The challenges would’ve nevertheless been same. I would love to hear back from my dad what went through his mind during such times when I was stepping into school or into college. He would’ve been much busy in making sure we’ve the finances in line to meet our expenses. But still personally, his thought processes, his doubts, his fears and how he overcame them, would’ve loved to understand. Not that I am capable of having such open conversations, but it’s a theory that I fantasize about.
In this background, I am clueless in wonderment as to what should and what would I be leaving behind for my kid. Everything is in such a state of turmoil that, there is no clear direction for me on what are good values, what is a good education and what should be the most essential skill for him to survive. Some of the conversations that I am listening to during lunch hours from team members having school going kids are nothing short of alarming. 2nd standard kids are getting pulled up in school for passing love letters, watching adult content and are being penalized for using filthy swear words. The casualness with which the subject was being discussed was chilling. They were mentioning about the extended role which parents have in making sure they are not smothering the kids in the name of micromanagement at the same time nor leaving them totally on their own as well. Simply said. In situations like this, I often think about how my parents handled me and similar situations. Obviously the scenario of present day can never be compared with decades back. But as little exposure towards the vice for the kids, even the concept of what were vice where much different from the present. The challenges would’ve nevertheless been same. I would love to hear back from my dad what went through his mind during such times when I was stepping into school or into college. He would’ve been much busy in making sure we’ve the finances in line to meet our expenses. But still personally, his thought processes, his doubts, his fears and how he overcame them, would’ve loved to understand. Not that I am capable of having such open conversations, but it’s a theory that I fantasize about.
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