My security guard had recently sent his kids back to the village along with his wife in anticipation of the third wave. As the usual cacophony of the basement was replaced with a calm silence, I missed their presence and asked him how they were doing back home. While they loved the greenery and space in the village, #studying and #entertainment posed to be quite a challenge. Poor #network hindered their daily lessons and the perpetually buffering YouTube chased the youngest one into a state of frenzy owing to the inability to watch her favorite cartoon. Frequent top ups were expensive, leaving the extended #family quite distressed with the online class fiasco. Harnessing their spirit of collective action and community spirit, a few villagers decided to make small groups so that the children could attend classes through a single device, thus significantly reducing #internet expenditures, and reducing the burden on a single household.
Though the #digital has been making inroads in the rural parts of the country over the last couple of years, the new normal has added layers of experiences, bringing forth newer perspectives. Here are a few interesting insights surfacing from this anecdote:
- With the lack of network and inaccessibility to wifi, the narratives of rural India are distinct from the urban and need to be brought to the mainstream to add a new dimension to digitization. Thus, reiterating the need to study the digital world beyond the gamut of the urban metropolitan.
- From professional to leisure, digital is actively shaping our #experiences in every sphere of life. This too is reflected in a rural setting, giving us a glimpse of the centrality of digitalization in our daily lives.
- Lastly, the recent shift to digitalization on a mammoth scale has pushed individuals to resort to more alternative and innovative means to make life easier and more compatible with their current realities.
Author : Adishri Guha