The FEW WORDS, FAST FORWARD Young Generation
I thought I was lucky to get a front row seat at a musical evening in Washington DC where a top Bollywood singer was scheduled to sing — an event that Indians abroad await with excitement. My excitement quickly turned into disappointment as the singer began to belt out in very high decibels, ‘adhunik’ songs – fast paced, loud drums, minimum lyrics etc.The singer noticed me looking at him with disappointment, my arms folded defensively. Clearly I felt I was out of place. I love old melodies.
The singer, who had many melodious songs to his credit, then announced, with some regret I thought, that many youngsters did not like old songs. The difference, he argued, was one of rhythm and speed. He also offered to sing songs like Kaun Aya Mare Man Ke Dwaare. At this point there were loud moans of disapproval. He realized and so did I, that your truly was in a minority and the bulk of the audience was not interested in melody, preferring the kind of music that has made Himesh Reshammaya a rage.
The singer sang adhunik songs for the rest of the evening even as I reached for ear plugs and swallowed a headache tablet. I could not leave since I was among the ‘honoured’ guests.
I recall receiving a few rejoinders to my blogs telling me that the youngsters of today are not interested in politics or writings on social issues and to please restrict myself to fun stuff. I replied that if it is true that youngsters are not interested in political or socio-economic issues then the happiest people in the India and everywhere else in the world will be politicians. I can imagine the look of delight on the faces of the likes of Mayawati, Laloo Yadav Karunanidhi etc.
The top 5 religions in Facebook are Christianity, Islam, Atheism, Agnosticism, and Hinduism. It is too early to reach any conclusions but it is interesting to note that a preliminary analysis of the major networking sites reveals that youngsters are not keen to fill up the box item Religion in their profiles. A researcher says that youngsters do not want to be ‘judged’ and would prefer the vague term Spiritual rather than specifically state their religion in the box item.
Talking about my writings I started expressing my views in print in the form of letters to editors of papers and magazines. When I found the space inadequate, I wrote articles in some newspapers. When I found even that inadequate I wrote blogs. When even that did not suffice I started writing books—so far 4 have been published.
Now my young friends tell me that ‘we are the Twitter generation and Ravi will you please restrict yourself to fun stuff and that too in 130 characters?” Ten years from now some cheeky youngster will tell me to say it in ‘5 or fewer’ words. I will then have to do what a young journalist did when his editor advised him to be very brief in his telegrams — those were the days when journalists sent telegrams to their head office. The youngster was on the crime beat and had to report a rape incident involving an insane man who fled from the scene. His brief telegram read: NUT SCREWS AND BOLTS. Will I have to write in this style in the next decade?
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Yes, Ravi, the trend is going towards fewer words in telegraphic language on Twitter. The anecdote cited at the end is indeed enjoyable and reminds me of another: When a reporter was reprimanded severely over his lengthy reports, he turned in one saying “Man seen lighting a cigarette near the Petrol (gas) station – Funeral tomorrow 10 am”