Boy who wanted to become a smartphone

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What’s the matter,” Javeed asked without taking eyes off the mobile phone in his hand. The question was directed to his sobbing wife. A school teacher, Hina was at a loss for words to explain what moved her to tears. She had asked her students to write an essay on the topic ‘My wish’. And now as she sat down to read them, the composition of one student touched her heart. While most students had listed out their different wishes, this boy’s wish was unlike any other.

“I want to become a smartphone,” he had written. Surprised at the unique aspiration, Hina went on to read with interest. And as the reasons mentioned by the little boy unfolded she felt a lump in her throat.

“My parents like smartphones very much. They are so fond of it that they forget me also. My father comes home tired from office and gets immersed in his phone. He has time to play games on it and not with me. When the phone rings my parents answer immediately but they don’t bother even if I am crying. That’s why I want to become a smartphone,” the boy had reasoned.

“Who has written this essay,” a visibly moved Javeed enquired. Next moment he sat bolt upright when his wife replied “our son”.

Truth is stranger than fiction. This sad story is being played out in every home every day. I am sure few have the guts to say it is not the case with our home.


Some may call the smartphone the greatest invention of the century but I feel it is worse than the WMD (weapons of mass destruction) that caused the US to raid Iraq. As the name suggests smartphones are smarter than their creator. It is a genie that can’t be bottled once let out.

Can we deny that mobiles have not impacted our productive time? They are eating into our working hours at office and study hours in educational institutions. Even worship is not free from  their intrusion. They have even robbed cosiness of homes. The entire family may be together and yet miles away. Somebody rightly remarked that landlines united families, but mobiles have divided them.


So what’s the way out? No, it is impossible to even think that everyone will discard their mobiles. It is not practical either with the device placing the entire world in our pocket. The only option left is to use technology sensibly. Smartphones are meant to ease life—not dominate it.   

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in The New Indian Express

Dated February 05,2019