Technology- the Edge or the Wedge ?

It is often remarked that technology has brought the world closer and this is something that cannot be refuted. A couple of decades ago, making a telephone call to somebody in another country, much less another continent, was outside the ordinary person’s normal activities; such calls could be placed only by corporate executives on business account, or by the extremely wealthy with money to burn. I remember that in my childhood in India, long distance calls to or from other cities in the country would be few and far between, and were considered appropriate only in domestic emergencies, of the good and the bad kind. Calls to or from other countries were as good as calls to another world, and were regarded as status symbols, to be flaunted in front of less fortunate, awe-struck neighbors.









Today with the information and communication revolution, getting in touch with people on the other side of the globe has become commonplace. There is a mind-boggling selection of communication modes, starting from telephones and internet chat to video conferencing and messaging. The relatives and friends who were eons away are suddenly available at the click of a button or a mouse and the world has truly become a global village.