Editor,
Apropos Eugene Thomas’ letter, “MeECL services collapsing”, (ST June 26, 2019), the writer has every right to point out the shortcomings of the MeECL, which requires some corrective steps. However to say, “Unlike you who get free power supply” is according to me a phrase that hinders cooperative solution and tends to aggravate the matter. We fail to realize that in the whole of India, University teachers are the most privileged of all in terms of superannuation age, contrary to school and college teachers and our State Government employees. With science inventions stagnating since 1948 and with the new concepts on humanities coming to a standstill, the only courses to be taken up right now are climate change, G.P.S. (geography) and fibre optics for 5G, 6G etc. We produce brilliant post graduates who pass their NET in one sitting just to send them to work as cashiers in banks, taxi drivers (if parents can afford to buy one)and in Chennai as cleaners in hospitals, distributing company products etc.
This is a very serious problem for India as a whole and the Union Government does not seem to realize this. If our youth could join university in time, there would be employment cascading up to Middle school. College teachers would go to Universities, and Class XI, XII to Colleges and so on. Ms Patricia Mukhim was right when she lamented on lack of feedback on outcomes from our universities whose learned professors do not engage with the most pressing issues in society when they are morally bound to do so.
In future if we have to criticise any system let us restrain ourselves from excessive vitriol which could hurt the workers. Their parents would be humiliated for not being able to be part of the public that pays electricity bills and who knows they may tell their sons/daughters to ask for the meter reading in future. And finally, if the MeECL conducts survey of load declared and load consumed, we the public would bear the brunt. So long as it is hushed up let us not rake the rot, failing which more phases and more meters have to be installed according to rules.
Yours etc.
- Khyriem,
Via email
Why oppose railways?
Editor,
Though the Government of India has approved and sanctioned the railway project to connect parts of Ri Bhoi district with the rest of the northeast and mainland India as well, the stiff opposition from certain quarters persists. But there is logic and valid argument as to why certain opposition groups oppose the railways and I would like that there should be a public referendum and a logical debate to this. The railway project would prove bad news to the truck lobby that brings in everything from other parts of the country. Secondly the self interested stakeholders would also lose their commission from trucks. Thirdly the process of essential commodities from raw materials to food items would lead to cut in taxes and other charges saving a lot of money to the consumers who are also the opposing groups. Fourthly tourism will increase thereby bringing in gradual change in the economic livelihoods of our people in the rural areas that includes all those in the tourism sector. Our local farmers can export their local produce to other parts of the country and there will be jobs for our local people especially those who espouse their love for the Jaidbynriew (race). Perhaps this is one way to prove that they mean what they say.
A railway recruitment board or RRB would be based in Shillong that would be of use to many since the railways are the biggest job creator that employs lakhs of man-power every year. Influx would be controlled as the current government would be forced to set-up check-gates at various railway points. But even if a person were to enter the state illegally without a valid ILP permit, somehow while exiting he would have to produce his entry card.
I feel that there should be a logical argument to every disagreement. Mere protest will not solve anything and the ultimate losers would be our future generations who are without jobs.
Yours etc…
Dominic S.Wankhar
Dopamine and its impact
Editor,
Have you ever wondered about the rise of social media users? Have you questioned yourself at any point about your attachment to your smartphone despite knowing very well that it is consuming a lot of your time? Have you wondered why children and teenagers get so hooked to computer/mobile games? Have you wondered about the reason behind loyalty cards and other programs launched by companies?
The hormone Dopamine lies at the root of the instances I spoke about .It causes reward seeking behaviour where the rewards can take various shapes and forms and link with our tendency towards instant gratification. This is further heightened in cases where the time and possibility of getting the rewards becomes unpredictable and variable. This hormone is also linked with pleasure – when we feel pleasure doing something, for example having a particular ice cream flavour, dopamine is released in our brain and it propagates our tendency to seek out the pleasurable activity again and again forming a positive feedback loop. Does this ring a bell in the context of marketing strategy? Remember seeing the ad or hearing about a company that talks about selling “experiences”, not products/services? What they actually mean is that they are trying to create a link between the product/service they are offering and release of dopamine in your brain so that you seek them out again and again!
On social media, every like or new comment resulting in new notifications form virtual rewards which propel us towards it more and more. The companies have also worked on building an element of anticipation and unpredictability in the algorithm which helps to hook the user onto the platform. Have you noticed how the Facebook feed used to come according to time of posts in the initial years and how they have changed it to move to an algorithm where the News Feed is customized and variable – so when a user refreshes the News Feed on the app, a new set of posts come in a different order.
Games – Every game on mobile or PC has levels and points built into it with the difficulty level and capability of the user creating variability/unpredictability – each level crossed/points earned charge up our dopamine pathways.
Gamification in market – Remember when someone you know was trying to buy a few more items (not necessarily essential) to gain a few more points on the loyalty card to cross a level – you can guess the reason – yes, dopamine. Companies are now actively implementing gamification in their marketing strategy – implementing game-like elements.
Jio offered its services for free for 6 months. Unlimited data given to people who were used to buying data at high costs created a mania for the SIMs first. What were they doing? They were building the dopamine feedback loops in an entire population by eliminating the cost of accessing the service (lesser the cost, higher the tendency to use the service that creates dopamine surge). Result – If they had charged at the beginning, many would have opted for the starting plan which was offering free calls as well as 2 GB data. But by the time they made it chargeable, 1 GB/day had become the baseline for majority of the population. So, is the impact of dopamine all negative? No, it is not. When you set a target, exercise well and achieve your goal, you will feel dopamine surge – that is what makes you feel good. When you have scored good marks in a subject in school, dopamine pathway is energized. When you bowled out someone in a Mohalla cricket match, you still experienced similar feelings.
The responsibility is on us – we have to be able to differentiate the real rewards from the false rewards and redirect our dopamine’s reward-seeking behavior in positive, fruitful endeavours. Otherwise, we will keep frittering away our time at the altar of instant gratification.
Yours etc.,
Deepjyoti Chakraborty,
Via email