Technology & Girlfriends: Inseparable Bedfellows!

“Technology doesn't make us into new kind of humans, rather, it just alters the environment in which we act”

Yes, we are slaves to it, and it frustrates the living daylights out of us, it is a double-edged sword, but Technology IS the life blood of our existence! It is the lubrication to our relationships, the primary channel of our communication and a boon to virtual existence. From few cent phone calls that connect families across thousands of miles, to Bharatanatyam dance lessons taught via Google Video, smart technology on tap is now a new norm in an evolving generation. And I say that because I am an avid participant in this norm.

 My kids are clamoring to instantly see the pictures that I take of them on my Smartphone, and want me to share it immediately in my social network. I do that in a matter of seconds. And there I share back with my kids, the slowly growing “Likes” and “Comments”, real-time. This instant sharing of virtual dialog has become the basic expectation today in our world, where Wi-Fi, Smartphone battery and Facebook have become THE basic necessities of everyday existence.

With this premise, it is interesting to see how relationships are evolving in the seismic environment of Smartphone Apps. I remember bringing home a Gold Medal in college, after having won a intercollegiate debate favoring technology as a boon to our relationships, contrary to the rebuttal team that argued that technology was ruining relationships. And I stand by what I argued 14 years ago. Technology, if used right, can enable and enrich relationships cast adrift by time and distance. As a wise person once said “Technology doesn't make us into new kind of humans, rather, it just alters the environment in which we act”

And to bloom in the environment in which we act, we need our girl friends don’t we? Whether for after work margaritas, or during work vent sessions about your day, girlfriends form an important salve to our egos and a sounding board to our sensibilities. And add to the mix the fact that your girlfriends are spread all over the world – in four different continents, you have no choice other than to rely on the heaven send technology (Read Apps and Widgets) available at your fingertips to engage in constant dialog with your gal pals!

The “Never trust a woman who doesn’t have girlfriends” graphic above conveys my take on what it means to have those all important female friendships alive in our lives. Girlfriends often remind us of who we are, individualistic, and independent, who we were before we assumed the layers of distinction to our personalities as wives, career women, and mothers. They accept our flaws, our personality whims, and the quench our desire to talk, whine, moan and vent unquestioningly, and untiringly. 

They form the strongest support system to help us navigate through the murky waters of infatuations, failed romances, spousal relationships, societal expectations, career hardships and family politics. They stand by our side (albeit virtually) and give us the confidence to wipe our tears, reapply our mascara and face the darn world! 

And they are the first ones to crack open the bubbly when we get something we've really worked hard for – be it the loss of those last 5 pounds, or the start of the entrepreneurial venture of our dreams!

Girlfriends have been providing the ammunition to our artillery from long gone years. But today, in 2014, they do it via WhatsApp, Facebook, Gmail and Skype! They are constantly by our bedside, tempering our tantrums, reminding us to breathe, cheering our awesome presentation, and oohing and aahing about our babies’ impromptu guitar recitals. What would we do without our precious girlfriends?

Technology & Girlfriends – as you might have gleaned by now, are strangely inseparable bed fellows! They feed our need for validation, they nurture our desire to share, and they also allow for a well adjusted grown woman like me to retain my youthful spirit (which trust me, can die very quickly with familial responsibilities and career aspirations!)

The story board shots peppered throughout this article show you the various zany ways in which Deepa and I use technology, to share, collaborate, plan, and self publish!! Technology is certainly not going to be belabored anymore today in this article. You and I both know all the awesome Apps out there which enable information sharing, crowd sourcing and collaboration. And we also have heard cautionary tales of a over-mediated society that has cyber bullies, identity thieves and perverted psychos lurking in its dark underbelly. But what’s going to be reinforced today is this:

Technology merely enables what is already strong. It is not the mannah for everything that’s broken. It’s a medium that we need to use, in an intelligent and intuitive fashion to come closer to things that matter to us.

I leave you with a question. Do you think we are getting closer to our friends with technology? I certainly am. As you see (touch-wood) in all the pictures in the storyboards, my relationships with my girlfriends around the world is going strong thanks to the constant chatter we keep up with tech Apps. But, the foundation for these relationships was built years ago, unshakable, unquestionable and unchangeable…….

What do YOU think?Let's discuss.

Love,

Supriya

P.s All the images storyboarded in this article are created by Supriya and copyrighted to Aalayam. They should not be used without permission.