Happiness is something which is very difficult to find in today’s busy world. We are so busy in making our careers that we have lost ourselves somewhere. We rather prefer to fake happiness on social media than to be really happy. As the time is passing, we are becoming more and more developed. We are using new technologies, are more educated and have better health facilities than our older generations. But, here a question arises, ‘Are we happier than our forefathers or ancestors?’
We have got every materialistic thing better than our forefathers. But do we have more happiness than our forefathers? There might be different answers for this question. To find out the correct answer, let’s compare the different aspects of our forefathers and us.
Social Connectivity
Social connectivity means how a person is socially connected with the people of the society. Our older generation and present generation, both are connected with the people of the society but in different ways. Earlier, people were physically connected with the society but today’s generation are virtually connected with the society.
Through social media, we can connect to thousands of people present anywhere in the world. We can chat, talk, share our videos and photos on social media sites. But do these facilities prove that we are happier than our forefathers?
There was no social media earlier. People were more connected with society. This was the time when people used to celebrate festivals with their neighbours. No matter what your religion was, the friendship between different religions used to survive till the end. Children used to go to each other’s house to play games. Ladies’ evenings used to be spent in gossipings with each other. The transfer of household things like sugar, salt were common then. The Indian society was living like a family in the earlier days. Is Indian society the same today? Definitely, ‘Not’.
Today, the busy urban culture has decreased the physical social connectivity between the people. People living in a four wall apartment don’t even know who is living in their neighborhood. Everyone is just busy with his/her work and doesn’t have the time to sit with his/her neighbours. No matter how much social media connects people at a global level, it can’t be compared with the real happiness which exists in the physical connectivity with the people.
Technology
Our generation has seen a huge development in terms of technologies. The new smartphones, the LCD TVs, the new laptops are enough to keep people busy in themselves. Many of us must have seen parents busy on their smartphones rather than fully taking care of their children. Today, a school going girl or boy doesn’t feel the need of a friend. This is because they are so busy with games and YouTube on smartphones that they don’t crave to play with other children. It is not wrong to say that today the developing technologies have taken the place of humans in our life.
However, can these technologies provide us real happiness? Can smartphones provide us the love and affection we crave some day in our life? This is a deep matter of thinking.
Let’s once think who is much happier ? Older generation with no technologies or present generation with so much technology? The reality here is we have smart technologies but these technologies are not giving us real happiness but temporary joy. Earlier, people had no technologies but at least have the time to be happy unlike today’s generation. Our forefathers didn’t have smartphones but had the time to deliver to their children.
Imagine the scenario if our older generations would also have smartphones and laptops? Would we get the same upbringing as today? Definitely, Not. Thankfully, our forefathers didn’t have these technologies, otherwise we would not be able to get their love and affection. Like today’s parents, they would also have shifted their focus and love to smartphones more than us.
Career Oriented Life
Today our life has become too career oriented. Everybody wants to build a successful career whether it is man or woman. The competition level in the corporate sector, education, IT and other fields is increasing day by day. More skilled personalities are required in high paid jobs today. So, in the hunt for success, people have detached themselves from society. The goal oriented people have hardly any time to focus on happiness and other aspects of life other than success.
The scenario was different in the earlier days. Most of the people were busy with farming activities and other small level jobs. Only one in 10 people used to go for higher education and for high paid jobs. Marriage at the right time was an important element in man and woman’s life earlier. The run to get success was not that fast as today. Our forefathers were happy and satisfied in their small jobs and little money unlike today’s generation.
Women’s Independence
There have come a lot of positive and negative changes in our society. Women’s independence is one of the positive changes which our forefathers’ society lacks. Earlier, women were not so active about their career. Their main aim was to get married and successfully run a family. However, this is not the case today.
Our present generation women are also career focussed like men and want to be independent. Marriage has become a secondary thing in today’s people’s lives. The women preferring their career over marriage might be busier in their life but it is a sign of progressive society.
As the women are getting more independent, the divorce rate in India is also increasing. Girls are often blamed for ruining their married life due to their careers. But, there are a lot of positive aspects of women’s Independence also.
Earlier, women had to live with their abusive husbands because they were dependent on their husbands. Today, an independent woman can take a stand and divorce her abusive husband. We should applaud today’s generation for promoting women in every field more than our older generation.
We can’t see divorce as a measurement of women’s happiness and unhappiness. But we can agree to the fact that our progressive society is somewhere snatching our time for being happy with our closed ones.
Conclusion:-
After comparing all the above aspects, we can’t draw an exact conclusion that ‘Are we happier than our forefathers or not? However, we can definitely feel that our forefathers had experienced more real happiness than us.
Earlier people were less developed, less educated but were much happier and satisfied than the present generation. They used to be simple and nature lovers and were happy in every small thing.
Those were the times when neighbours were like a family.They used to share their problems with each other. People of different religions and castes used to celebrate each other’s festivals and happiness. Those were the real happiness which we hardly see today. Humans have become robots today who have hardly any time to smile. This is sad but also a bitter truth of today’s world.