Radio, TV, iTunes

That's the generational split.

My dad used to tell me stories about how he used to stay up late just so he could catch a few programs (with great difficulty, I might add) on BBC Short Wave. This was a time when not too many people had a radio set in their house.

Then I remember when we first got our TV set. It was a huge box with a tiny black and white tube. The only programs available at that time were televised from the government owned station, which was mostly boring stuff like the news (which is still boring in India) and the occasional BBC sitcom like Yes Minister. Apart from that, TV did not have that big an impact on my life.

Then came the colour TV and Cable, thanx to Rupert Murdoch's entry into India. And from there, things exploded to a point where TV became a constant companion in every home.

Now, my daughter is looking at either high definition content on my 42" flat screen TV or watching a movie on her 20" iMac. Pretty soon, she will be downloading content into iTunes.

This is the great big gap between generations. From a point where my dad could not properly hear most of the radio programs on air to a point where DVD quality (or better) content is available for download at your beck and call. This is the kind of progress this last few decades have meant.

And it is an astounding amount of progress. And the inevitable march continues on, as humankind by nature refuses to stop thinking. And that in a nutshell is why it's great to live in this day and age.

I just hope that the tomorrow that my daughter will see will be as exciting as it is for me today.