Be gadgeted

The gizmos and gadgets are next to the heart for Indian youth. They literally breathe in it. Cell phone is the most popular gadget with the highest usage (because of its affordability, attractive facilities like sms, games, camera, music & downloads). My recent survey reveals that more than 62% Indian & Inglodian youth maintain more then one mobiles. One exclusively for communication with the parents and other for the peers. The recent “trend” is to obtain the apple i-phone even if most of the options are not used. Laptops are considered as an essential gadget for them and it crossed the level of being a show-off gadget to the utility gadget. I-pod is not a must have but considered as a “show-off” gadget. The usage of wrist watch is going down (the time can now be checked in mobile, laptops or even in the places of hang-out). The watch is now a “show off” gadget if it’s a prestigious brand like Swatch and the emphasis is given more into the “look & brand value” rather than the technology & quality.

True Swadeshis; smart patriotism

With continuous global exposure through internet and hundreds of satellite channels, frequent abroad visit for jobs (projects, training, services and even reward packages) and academics the Indian youth are becoming more India-oriented. As drishtikona.com reports “Indian executives dread foreign postings: Gone are the days when an overseas posting would necessarily bring cheer. While Indian CEOs often don’t want to move, companies insist these postings are a means of giving their senior executives international exposure”. The AC Nielsen survey conducted on the occasion of the 60th year of Independence said 89 per cent respondents wished to be reborn as Indians if they were given a choice. The respondents felt India has improved its position in the past decades in the fields of business and commerce (57 per cent), science and technology (43 per cent) and education (19 per cent). The recent downfall of economy in USA and Europe strengthens the feeling of remaining in India rather then dreaming of migrating abroad unlike the earlier generation. The method of expression of patriotism also has largely changed. Even the Bollywood movies are no more bluntly patriotic but smartly patriotic where saving a country doesn’t necessarily means of die for it over the Tiranga but contributing to its economical growth and prosperity.
One respondent in Mumbai exclaims rather astonishingly, “Rebirth? yah…in India…where else u have d guts to spit on street…and freedom to break d speed limit with a small tips to the policewala…listen, Dubai and Singapore are great for shopping, Paris, Milan and New York are sweet to have fun but living is cool in India…”

This attitude is opposite to the attitude of earlier generation who aspired to immigrate...settle down to some dream land...in west.

The patriotism is now expressed through becoming sensitive to social issues. Below are a few tee-shirts designed and marketed by The Doers (http://thedoers.blogspot.com/), a group of young designers promoting the spirit of Mumbai and addressing various social / health related issues. Take a look:











(be proud of your heritage)


(this tee collection celebrates the spirit of Mumbai...after the serial bomb blasts in train)


All designs and photographs are copyright to http://tshirtsdonebydoers.blogspot.com

exhibitionism is GORWING

With the ever-growing confidence level and money power Indian youth are becoming habitual exhibitionists. As the population of novo riches are growing in the segment of Inglodians the difference in the pattern of exhibitionism is also increasing in between them and the traditionally rich Indian youth; where the former is showing off extravagance through conspicuous consumption and the later is resorting into more “antique” and traditionally own family wealth through elegant yet not-so-loud (“if you have the eyes you will see it”) exhibitionism.

“Its all about celebrating yourself, feeling good about who and what you are, about finally coming to your own”, is how Sakhi Rao, a first year college student chooses to describe what liberation in 21st century India means to her. A fair enough description, except that her idea of celebrating herself begins and ends with “making sure that in every room I walk into, I turn heads”. “For years we have been pushed behind the veil, and now we are hitting back with a vengeance” she says (The Week).

As Hebdige once stated “the politics of youth culture is the politics of metaphor…it forms up space between surveillance and the evasion of surveillance, it translates the fact of being under scrutiny into the pleasure of being watched. It is a hiding in the light”. The fine balance between the pleasure of “showing off” (to the peers & other half of India) and “hiding in the light” is the factor which is shaping the consumerism of young India.

I LOVE ME

As I have mentioned in my post (dtd. 5th Sept.2008)the “I Love Me” attitude is picking up among Indian Youth…a core lifestyle trend…the Narcissism is at high…
A discussion / opinion pole in The Hindu Metro plus is emphasizing in it...

The recent issue of PINK- India Today Magazine depicts an young couple in cover page and the advertisement of “Luxurious care …assisted living” (ahh…a new definition of Old Age Home) in the back…and launching at the right place...BANGALORE...hub of IT Culture in India...

Cocooning is growing…

The Hindu-Metroplus,Wednesday,1st October,2008


Pink-India Today, Oct.2008