Free from hands free

Rather Surprising

A usual sight these days anywhere in the world is people busy chatting away on their cellphones. If the popular Hindi song What is mobile number could be re-worded to suit the current generation, the ideal lyrics would be Who doesn’t have a mobile? Yes, it’s a rather silly question with most people saying ‘‘How can one live without it?’’ Surprisingly, there are also those who say: ‘‘No, I don’t need one.’’ Metrolife tracked down few people from this minority, who are free from the hands free. Tough it was to find such people in the first place, it was even tougher to reach them. Just blame it on the cellphones which have spoilt us.

Gayatri Pandit, a homemaker, uses her daughter Mugdha’s phone whenever necessary. But she may buy one for herself in future. “I am planning on getting one only to keep my family members informed of where I am when I get late.” However, Gayatri enjoys not owning a cell at the same time. “It’s a huge tension and I like to be left free,” she feels.

She also worries about the health of the youngsters, who are constantly on their phones. “Somehow, I feel this is not right. I am sure something will come out of it,” she says referring to the ill-effects that a mobile has on one’s health. “The youngsters talk on their phones all the time and keep them in their pockets. The radiation is surely going to affect their health.” She adds, “But if I get a cell, maybe even I will get addicted.”
Despite a hectic work schedule, Antony Felix, an art director at Ogilvy and Mather has never felt the need to have a cellphone. “I am easily accessible as I just come to office and go home. Those who wish to contact me can call me on the landlines of my home and office,” he feels. “Yes, a mobile does come handy during emergencies, but otherwise you can’t be hands free,” he points. “You are always hand-tied or ear-tied, that is always on the phone either texting, playing or talking.”

Felix even feels that people have drifted away from each other due to their cellphones. “Before the advent of the mobile, people had enough time to talk face-to-face. But now, people talk more on the phone than in person.” He also finds guarding a cellphone to be quite a task. “Your mobile should be handy to you and not vice versa,” he sums it up.
Shruthi Venugopal is a student of Vemana Institute of Technology, whose cellphone has been under repair for three months, and she is no hurry to fix it. “It doesn’t bother me much to be without a cellphone. If I want to make a call, I use my landline.” But doesn’t she get tempted to get her cell back when she sees her friends using their phones? “In fact, my friends were the ones who told me that it’s a relief to not have a cell,” she laughs. “The only time I miss a cellphone is when I am out. But in case, I have to make an urgent call, I use the telephone booth.”

Ravi Prabhu, a freelance writer and consultant feels that a wireless is no more than a means of communication. Being a writer, Ravi even prefers to pen his thoughts on a piece of paper rather than typing it away on a computer. “I have got nothing against technology, but I haven’t felt the need for it either,” he says. “You should be in control of the cellphone and not the other way round,” he echoes Felix’s sentiments.