Love and Internet


Snippets of actual conversation during the last one week, reported verbatim.

This was between me and my 10 year old son, after watching jaane tu ya jaane na.We were driving home, after dropping my daughter at her dance class. I was concentrating on the road and nodding, only half listening

“Mom.”

“Ummm”

“Having a girl friend is no fun. I don’t want to have a girl friend.”

“Why?”

“So boring. If she cries you have to console her and keep pacifying her. Ugh. I would rather play my GTA.”

What could I say to that?! I just smiled. After two minutes—

“Mom”

“hmmm?”

“Which one would you prefer—a boy friend or Internet?”

“I would prefer a husband actually. Not a boy friend. Boy friends can ditch you easily. Husbands usually stay around.”

“More than the Internet?”

“Well—yeah. Internet cannot take you out, or cuddle you, or buy things for you or tell you things like you are pretty or you smell good.”

“Hmm—that is true.”

After five seconds---

“Was papa your boy-friend before you got married?”

“Yes.”

“Do you like papa or the Internet?”

“Papa. But when he is traveling, surely the Internet.”

He smiled. “Smart Mommy.”

I told him about how Internet was not as prevalent as it was today, ten years back. I told him that when he was born, we didn’t even have a computer. He was so surprised to know that. He wondered how people managed when they have school projects—or how people communicated to each other. Kids these days seem to have a facebook or orkut profile, even when they are in the womb!

Later I overheard him telling his sister that mom loves dad much more than she loves the Internet.

What can I say? Sign of the times? :-)

Comments

  1. yes..i remember the awe when I saw the computer for the first time in my life..i think it was like just in higher school..and that relic of a machine!!

    The next generation of kids wouldnt understand the lack of choices we lived in during the pre-liberalisation era!

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  2. Ur son should have asked the same question to DADDY!!!! ;)
    He would have said, Neither..... When am off from home on work somehow I end up seeing ur moms face all the time in the internet... How I hate those mistaken days of being ur moms boyfriend... I agree with ur first comment of "Mom I dont want a girlfriend.. Always crying and expect us to cuddle and pacify" :D

    Jus kiddin mom of 2....
    And coming to internet and relationships - I personally feel that the internet is screwing most relationships coz there's too much missed without live communication and also either of the partners know too much abt the other... Most times its hurtful and not fun :(

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  3. Your son is at a great age, when girls are still vaguely yucky. :)

    The first computer game I had was pong. My kids can't even imagine a computer game that unsophisticated... but we loved it!

    And can't I have my husband AND the internet???

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  4. ha ha lovely conversation. And what when you would talk to dad on the internet. That would be heaven.

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  5. So its news to him that u love the husband more than the internet. See he has a reason to be surprised.
    U said u prefer a husband to a boyfriend coz boyfriends ditch u. Now, the internet doesn't even go traveling, always stays with u.. and still u prefer the husband ...?
    :P

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  6. sensitive conversation..How times change..Hats off to you for having nicely conveyed the family values:in the form of husband wife relationship and:entertainment value in the form of Internet, all in a piece of conversation..
    The imprint resulted in brother conveying to his sister about your priorities..
    TC
    CU

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  7. hmmm...
    pretty twisty questions!!U surely answered them well di!!
    Its surely hard for kids of this generation to realise that world was still colorful with just tv ,radio and a huge phone set than 4 mobiles in the house & computers and lap s with internet connection..

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  8. hehe
    that is so cute!!
    aww I love your answers. You are such a great mom..
    kudos to ya! what a way to handle the situation!
    :)
    -the other shru

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  9. Oh goody! They're learning the right things....a rarity these days.Lucky you :)

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  10. When I was moving to hostel, my six year old male cousin (who had his chubby cheeks pulled by all the girls) got bugged and told me "Didi,I don't like that your staying in a girls hostel. They are very boring. Stay in a boys hostel. That will be much more fun. They won't have those stupid Barbies also."

    Another cousin later went on to ask me how I made my projects in school w/o the Internet. When I told her that we researched from encyclopaedias and wrote it by hand and pasted pictures in it, she said that if she made something like that today her teacher would flunk her.

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  11. Every generaton has its awe factor, whn i was a kid, my parents said, they dint have electricity and they studied with kerosene lamps and tht they walked long distances to schools...which seemed quite unimaginable for my gen...so i guess thats wht our kids are going thru...

    Wht with comforts and technology growing each day, soon hving a virtual computer on your palm or a mobile technology in ur watch mite be a thing of past for the nextgen's kids....who knows?? We just need to brace rselves and watch the inevitable take place...

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  12. hey..first tym in ur blog and its a cool place..I mean,you derive a lot of sense from wat u wote and I have been reading quite a bit of ur piece since morning!!

    and ya..times have changed..the kids of this age...man!!its nice to be inquisitive tho??aint it??

    am adding u to my floaters.. :)

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  13. Kya din aa gaye hai!
    You should check out Vrij's blog.
    He has put up a picture of a wedding invitation which looks like Orkut!!

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  14. awwwwwwwwww. that was such a cute post! loved it! cute kid! :)

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  15. changing times.. just wonder wht my kids will be telling abt an age without computer...
    cute questions and nice answers... :) so it was a news to him that u love daddy more than internet... :)

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  16. Hilarious Preeti. And very well replied.

    Btw, how did you manage to twist the wires in the shape of a heart in the pic? :)

    Cheers,
    PK

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  17. That was a really cute post!!

    A sign of the times? Surely..we guys had the idiot-box, the kids now have the internet and their x-boxes...the net gen will have something else. But everything's good as long as mum loves dad more than the net!! :P

    GTA vs a girlfriend. Your son picks GTA. Smart kid. Just like his mum. ;)

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  18. OMG!! I'm literally rolling on the floor! What comparison between hubby and the internet! I'm sure the hubby dear must have been mighty pleased to know your answer though!

    I am always amazed at what all thoughts cross these little minds!!

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  19. well yes - it's a sign of the times!
    I dread to think what comes next
    :-)

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  20. That was a good one..

    I remember a similar incident.. the FM radio had just come in .. till then the kids were habituated to listening to Tapes.. One day, my friend and his son were listening to to the just started FM station..

    My friend's son liked the song that was playing.. and then he says to his father.. Dad ! please rewind that song ! want to listen to it again.. :) .. he thot that songs can be rewinded on a FM too..

    What do these kids know about our era :)

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  21. Ha Ha! Nice post. This is the generation gap my parents fear!
    PS: The witch you recommended and sent to my home did wonders, she brought in good results.(she didnt even wait for the weekend!!)

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  22. Quite a rummy thing to think of those days when the web was just a spiders' home and the net was just something you used for fishing. How times change! Now the lovely cyber bug has bitten everyone alike!

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  23. OMG!kids brains!comparing the papa with the internet...I want to do a reasearch on kids' brains!

    n yeah..times are changing...actually at a super fast pace... i think there is a new generation once in 3 yrs these days.

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  24. It definitely is. In the last 10 years mobiles and the internet have completely transformed the way people communicate with each other, particularly children and teenagers. Their techonology dependence is really scary in my opinion. But then so is mine ;)

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  25. It is so funny that he even pitched human and computer as choices.

    when i was at Art College at the end of the 1970's..there was a computer that was used for graphics...it was the size of a family car and could draw triangles!!!

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  26. It is so funny that he even pitched human and computer as choices.

    when i was at Art College at the end of the 1970's..there was a computer that was used for graphics...it was the size of a family car and could draw triangles!!!

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  27. Anonymous11:44 PM

    God even I remember a time before PC proiferation. Not sure who i'd choose out of my hubby or my Blog though...

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  28. hmm....kids these days are too intelligent!....in our days we werent allowed[not supposed to] to talk abt gfs and all with our parents!....

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  29. So true.. the Internet sure seems to have become quite an integral part of our lives.

    At times I miss the good old days minus the internet.

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  30. :) ya a very topical topic. cant deny the fact that the internet does swamp us and sort of engulfs us, where we sometimes get to be totally lost, oblivious to the world out there, the real world.

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  31. Nice post...Very sweet. Nice blog on the whole...Will definitely be back. Your seems to be one of those ideal families...touchwood! :)

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  32. aawwww..... thts such a sweet post..
    And I love your blog template.. You know ,not many guys have this theme.. I used to have this a few months ago..I was in love with this templeate

    I loved it so much that I tweaked another template, but kept the diary feel of the blog..

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  33. Mathew: Yes i agree. Next gen wont even understand.

    Red phoenix: behind every just kidding there is a whole lot of truth.Husband does not need internet to see my face all the time--he can just close his eyes and I am there.Don't believe me--ask him! I think Internet is just a tool--it depends on how you
    use it.

    Sue:Yes of course--husband AND internet is ideal!

    Marja:Yes! Esp when he is travelling.

    Shruti: Internet does not cuddle you or tell you you are beautiful or put it arms around you--and you cannot look into its eyes! Besides it wont ever pay your bills!!Thats why I prefer husband :) :)

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  34. CU: thanks so much.From a person who has had so much more experience that me, i take it as a real compliment.

    Swathy: i guess our parents would say the same about us!! That world was still colourful without electricity and TV.

    Other Shru:Thank you!

    Meia:Thanks!!

    SMM: ha ha ha --that was really funny--Only a child can come up with such a different perspective!!

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  35. Ancy: I agree 100%.

    Multi menon: Welcome! Thansk--and i am indeed flattered.

    Solitaire:That's cool! Whats the link to Vrij's blog?

    Vinni: :-) He's a darling.

    xh: yeah!! Imagine! it just shows how hooked i am to the net.

    Palsworld: Thks! Just went to photobucket!!

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  36. Kenny: :) :) :) I like GTA too!:P

    NM: yeah! U never know what they come up with next.

    Arjun: Palm tops embedded in your wrist?

    Veena: you know mine had once asked me to do the same thing too!

    Arvind:witches don't bring luck.they are supposed to be bad.Glad yours did.

    Balu: Very true.Lets just hope the bite isnt infectious!

    Pavi: three years--I like that!It seems so true!

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  37. DM: i am happy with my technology dependence :) Not really scary!

    Niall: Wow! That sounds like another era altogether!

    Freelance: Blog I guess will always remain one's first and true love!

    Broca: Many parents still don't. I think it is better if one does.

    J: Why? because it was simpler?

    Onlooker: Virtual is as real as you want it to be!

    Priya: thanks!

    Pranay: Touch wood a hundred times.Yes--I do feel blessed.

    Arshat:Thanks! I too like the diary feel.

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  38. hi,
    things have changed so fast in such a short time that what for us was a luxury is a necessity for our kids..
    inland letter"..sending a greeting by post ..all have become ancient to this generation...
    but the comparison between a bf/hubby and internet is novel

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  39. :)

    tho you specify you aint a mommy blogger, i enjoy reading the mama moments as much as your regular posts!! :)

    that son of your is one smart cookie! i mean he knows YOU the smart mom! :p

    fun post!!

    cheers!

    abha

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  40. Uma: Luckily in school,as a part of the project, they still make them write letters on an inland and post it.I am happy about that.

    Mama-mia:Thanks! Yes--my blog does have mama moments--and many have said that they like the posts with that tag!

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  41. heheh...funny one...smart kid must say!

    I remember creating my first email-id on some cheesy lovemail.com :D!!

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  42. Well written... rapidly growing technology and the children... both are amazing.

    And I loved your reply to Swathy. Good one!!

    Cheers :-)

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  43. It's so nice to catch up with ur lovely anecdotes after so many days, Preeti.. and ur son's truly a gem! BTW, he asks good questions. :)

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  44. Oh brother!!
    wonder what my kids wud say.. say 15 years later!!

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  45. I fail to believe that it was only in 1998 that I created my first email id.
    I wonder what would have happened to me without the internet.
    Can't blame the kids :D

    -Nikhil

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