So this is that time when we all are living in an age when we can – and are becoming – anything and everything we ever wanted to be. And: the power to facilitate all this is in our hands. Literally.
We are living the dream. Oh yes.This is what hundreds – no, thousands – of generations of human beings have toiled and evolved for: The Age of Digital or what I call, The Age of Instant.
I remember a few decades ago, people used to go to school, then college, then work at a job for a few years and that’s how they got a skill (or two) and the courage to back up an opinion. The fools.
Now, we can just watch a video, read opinions of experts, and start participating in detailed discussions right from the comfort of wherever we are, any time, because: we instantly acquire the knowledge and skill thanks to the Apps on our phone ?.
And the beauty of this age is that I can actually reach out and connect – or at least ‘follow’ – the stars of my dreams, the sports idols of the moment, leaders, politicians, professional experts … it’s just this fantastic connected world built just for me (which means each of us) and I don’t need any middlemen or women interpreting stuff in between.
The one group of people or industry that has felt the impact most is probably the media. In one digital sweep, journalists, photographers, critics, designers and other sundry experts of content intermediaries found themselves – overnight – a bit redundant.
How you gonna sell content if I can get all the content – and access to people who matter – directly, instantaneously? Hmm?
And so, newspapers and magazines are having to reinvent themselves – every month. Meanwhile, the Apps on my phone are providing Terrabytes of content – every hour. ?
Pune, of course, has been at the forefront of being one of the last to adapt to the digital age. But, over the past few years we have thrown up a few online portals and several specialised content hubs, but I must admit I was intrigued when Pune365 arrived arrived last year, because: it was the first which understood the age and aligned even its brand name to the requirements: Pune and 365. That basically told me it was for all and it was meant to be round the clock (at least from a vision perspective).
I write for different media (including my own blogs), but I enjoy writing for Pune365 because I don’t have to fit myself into a box or a time period. And that’s what this age is all about: Being in the moment. ?
Of course, all this instantanyism will – and is already – leading to The Age of Perpetual Therapyism Due To Persistent and Constant Anxiety, but that’s a mega-byte for a different day!
Sanjay Mukherjee is a Pune-based business consultant. He is Founder of RedstoneSummerhill and The Mountain Walker and also serves as Chief Strategy Advisor for the Hong Kong-based learning technology company, Peak Pacific Limited
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