E-Paper
Random Forays: India reeling under reels
For the uninitiated, and there are few of those these days, a reel is a very short video that tries to make an impact quickly and effectively
The number of reels being produced globally every hour cannot possibly match the billions of views that are bestowed upon them by the public at large. Most reels posted on Instagram or Facebook et al are almost sure to garner hundreds of views. Some could even scale the ladder of thousands of views and a few rare ones even millions of them.
For the uninitiated, and there are few of those these days, a reel is a very short video that tries to make an impact quickly and effectively. The quantum of creativity involved, if it could be quantified, is collectively humongous in present times. Youngsters who frequent schools, colleges or offices are very likely to “shoot” a reel or two every week or even every day!
Some reels are captivating to the core for undefined reasons. They could be charming, humorous, scandalous, shocking, inspiring or enlightening. Very few reels are actually boring given the sheer talent that reel-makers possess cumulatively and individually. One can remain glued to the screen for hours gaping and scrolling alternately at these modern lures.
And therein lies the pain point, so to say. The minds of many human beings, particularly the younger ones, are reeling under reels. There is no ticket to be purchased, no tax to be paid and no queue to be traversed in order to plunge into the fantastic world of reels. One simply picks up one’s smartphone and gets down to business. Thus, millions around the world are currently in the process of spending reel hours by the handful each day. Students, teachers, executives, bureaucrats, sportspersons and home makers, all of them are potential reel watchers.
The extent of will power needed to extricate oneself from the act of binge-watching these reels is no laughing matter either. I myself have found that watching more than three to four reels at a time can be addictive and I have managed to stay away from indulging beyond a point.
A recent sojourn to Chennai found me visiting the lush and large campus of the venerable IIT Madras, as it is still known. The iconic institution is ranked number one in the NIRF rankings even today. Yet, there have been cases of depression and even suicide amongst the very bright students of the IIT. Having been roped in by a well meaning group of persons to speak about my experience with meditation as an antidote to stress etc, I spent some hours interacting with the youngsters on campus. To my utter shock I was informed that several students are prone to watching reels for up to three hours a day!
Their minds are clearly not equipped, and no human being is different, to handle the overdose of imagery, information and entertainment that they are ingraining for so much time every day! The mind is totally likely to rebel when asked to digest so much clutter and chaff. Lack of sleep and too much screen time are the twin banes of the modern era anyway. Along with some others!
What then is the solution to this national and even global malaise? One way out is to ensure that we are physically active outdoors or even in the gym every day. A body which exercises adequately will need sleep and rest at the end of the day. Lying awake in bed watching reel after reel may be a thing of the past for those who take up a sport as a regular activity. More conversations with friends on the phone or across a table adorned by coffee mugs with some piping hot stuff in them is another way.
A strong sense of will power is anyway the only antidote to any form of addiction. And the continual watching of reels for hours indicates an obsession which needs a quick fix but also a deep rooted one.
So the next time Virat Kohli or Deepika Padukone or Ranveer Singh insist on popping up on your phone in order to make a point or to dance or prance or whatever, it would be best to check your schedule for the day before succumbing to temptation. Before you know it, your work deadlines will be shattered and your mind will feel rather battered!
