Mobiles and India
It is amazing how fast is India changing… Not so long ago, on my first visit to the country in 2003, I could hardly see anyone using cellphones (or ‘mobiles’ for anyone living outside the U.S.) If I walked around sightseeing many people would aproach me with a friendly ‘Hello’. Most of them wanted to sell me something: a rickshaw ride, sunglasses, tigerbalm, ganja, get me a hotel to make a little commission, etc… (They still do all of that that, btw;) Nowadays, I have realized, more often than not, that lot of the Hellos I hear aren’t directed at myself. Rather, Indians are just anwering their mobiles. Young people, especially, have embraced mobile phones furiously. It has even become a status symbol. It seems every teenager has one;) Before I could see people with mobiles in bigger cities, a few businessmen and well-to-dos, here and there. But now, it’s everywhere. It is really stunning how fast technology is ‘hyper’-spreading here. Almost hard to believe as it took lot longer in the West…
I’m in Panaji, Goa right now. Today morning, I went out for my dose of caffeine to a local Coffee Day Cafe. Really good place for light snacks;) I sat down, ordered my cappuccino and checked today’s The Times of India daily. I came upon an article discussing mobile phones use in India: approx. 150 mil. users right now, expected to grow to over 500 mil. by 2010. When I randomly looked around the place, occupied mostly by foreigners or local teenagers, I quickly realized every youngster was holding a mobile. They were close to twenty guys and girls, most likely students and everyone was holding a mobile phone. Not even using it, just playing with it, SMS-ing, looking at photos, and I’m sure also holding it out for others to see, while still talking to their cafe friends. I guess it isn’t that much different from iPod craze ruling the West… Just my thoughts;)
