Loneliness in the Digital Age: Kho Gaye Hum Kahan?

"It’s the digital age. Sirf lagta hai zyada connected hai, lekin shayad itne akele pehle kabhi nahi the.”

Kho Gaye Hum Kahan was released on Netflix and it is the film that we all should be discussing. Made under Tiger Baby banner, directed by Arjun Singh, this film is a searing reflection of the digital age.

In the digital age, we may feel hyperconnected, bathed in the constant glow of screens and notifications. Yet, a chilling paradox haunts us: have we ever been lonelier?

Kho Gaye Hum Kahan poignantly captures this social dilemma. We scroll through endless feeds, craving validation in pixels and likes, while the real connections around us fray and fade. The question begs: why are we drawn to this digital mirage, sacrificing time with the faces that truly matter?

Experts point to the dopamine rush of social media, the instant gratification of a 'like' mirroring the thrill of a hard-earned promotion. Likes become trophies, fleeting monuments to hours sacrificed on the altar of the algorithm. We're addicted to the digital applause, even if it's hollow and ephemeral.

Then comes the insidious whisper of FOMO, the fear of missing out. A celebrity challenge trends, a meme ripples through the digital ether, and suddenly, our peaceful evening feels incomplete without joining the fray. We chase trends like fireflies, neglecting the beauty that blooms close to our hearts.

Social media, meant for sharing, morphs into a curated showcase of carefully crafted profiles. We paint flawless facades, projecting polished versions of ourselves onto the infinite canvas of the internet. In this endless marketplace of duplicated experiences, authenticity becomes a casualty, and we chase an illusory ideal, desperately posting snippets of our lives with throwback hashtags.

Kho Gaye Hum Kahan forces us to confront these anxieties, these digital phantoms that haunt our minds. A single post, a curated image, can crumble our carefully constructed self-esteem. But remember, the world won't shatter with a missed notification.

Be mindful of your digital tether. Impose boundaries, reclaim your time. You don't need to be perpetually plugged in to feel the pulse of the world. Real storms, not the fleeting ones curated on screens, have a way of making their presence known. Step away from the digital noise, embrace the vibrant reality that unfolds in front of you. Live life not through a filtered lens, but with your heart open wide.

The loneliness in the digital age may not result solely from the extensive use of social media apps, but rather from the pseudo-rewards they offer. Here are a few tips to curb the use of social media apps.

Our recommendations:

1. Put a timer on your apps. Android phones have the Digital Wellbeing app, accessible through settings, allowing you to set a timer for any app. Once you start scrolling endlessly, when the sand starts to fall, the app will notify you as the time runs out. Once the time is over, it will not let you open the app unless you add more time to its usage.

2. Use Focus Sessions on laptops. Windows comes with a focus session setting where you can instruct your computer to block all notifications when the session is turned on. This will enhance your concentration and provide a real sense of achievement.

3. Allocate specific time for social media. Perhaps 15 minutes in the morning, 15 minutes in the evening, and so on. Treat it like a focus session for social media, allowing you to scroll endlessly without any guilt.

4. Delete the apps; embrace the sites. Apps are easy to access. Once you enter your credentials, you can open the app with a single click. Moreover, it notifies you whenever it wants. Instead, use browsers. Open the sites of the apps in the browser and don't save your credentials. Every time you need to use the site, you will be forced to enter your credentials. During that time, ask yourself, "Do I really need to access this site now?" Note that this measure may not apply to all apps.

5. Opt for a Digital Detox; stop using your phone for a day each week. This way, you will break the addiction to your phone and realize if you genuinely need to use it that much.

The world waits, not on an algorithm, but on the genuine connections we forge, the moments we share, the lives we live beyond the confines of the screen.