Amamma and Email

The world was once divided as the Haves and the Have Nots .... but today it is divided as the digital haves and the digital have nots ..

Technology has only one simple aim - to enrich and simplify people's lives. Then why is it that so many people are intimidated by it ? In my opinion its the digital haves who snootily and jealously guard technology from the less informed.... it gives you that social edge in your family.. 
How many times have we seen this ...... proud middle class Indian parents gifting a PC to their child after scrimping and saving for it . The home maker mother religiously dusts it and cleans it each day .. this is the kaamputer that holds the key to her child's brilliant future. She wants to partake the wonders of this box , but is so afraid that she may spoil an expensive gadget ( it does not matter that she can run a mixer grinder, microwave, TV and home theatre with amazing dexterity!) ... 

The jargon is also what intimidates her .. email,sms,internet,google,blogging,facebook,orkut .. And so many times she longingly hovers over the shoulder of her computer erudite kids , when they are online not to pry upon them , but out of pure wonder and awe...When the kids do want to teach her ,some people leap at the opportunity, some retreat back to their comfortable cocoons if the initiation to the digital world is not too smooth.

It is our duty and responsibility to keep coaxing the interested ones to let go of their fears and use our pcs and laptops and palmtops ... so what if it crashes. they can always be mended ( for a reasonable cost ,... just remember to take backups of your important files,though!). ..

My 73 year old grandmother just sent out her first email yesterday ... ( she did everything on her own , from getting an e mail id to typing a mail out , slowly , one keystroke at a time, asking for help each time she was stuck ). She has sent out mails to all her grandchildren. Right now as we talk she is talking of setting up a Facebook account  :-).

For a forced college dropout( she got married, though she was excellent in studies way back then) and home maker,this is her ticket to staying tuned with the times.
Her  feeling of elation and achievement..... that's priceless!

For me, technology has truly achieved its purpose .