India, Nov. 23 -- I joined an online book club sometime back. One day, one of the quite active and contributing members shared that during olden days scarcity of things lent a charm to the few that one had or could procure. A parallel was drawn with the world of books that getting to hold a desired title was a luxury back then. But now, with scores of e-books and online reading material available, hardcopies lose their value and/or charm. Though there's another dimension to all this - about the smell of new (and old) books, about the delight when a recommended book was spotted at the shelf of the local bookstore, I would just stick to the point already made by picking the words of that dear member and adding my two cents to it - Endless access to something makes us take it for granted and the value of the thing is then lost upon us. Examples galore - back in childhood we used to get cassettes recorded with our favourite songs, but with YouTube and ease of MP3 files, the music we listen to is not exactly curated/ that intentionally selected. For example, ordering things on Amazon/Flipkart /any other platform reduces the entire previous fun of visiting shop after shop (sometimes to return to the first shop itself) for getting the best deal, to scrolling and further scrolling till the cheapest yet (seemingly) best quality product comes into the vision. Don't get me wrong for I don't intend to harp on 'old times vs present times'. Change, anyhow, as they say, is the only permanent thing in life. And I am a big advocate of accepting this and changing cum evolving, if need be, but sometimes purposeful initiatives are needed in present times, to add value and meaning to our days. For instance, while we have the option and convenience of ordering groceries for our home from apps like Blinkit, my father takes my just-turned-teenager son every Sunday to fruit, vegetable and grocery shops for reaping multiple benefits - like engaging youngsters of the home in household activities, for a mini 'boys outing', for teaching my son 'offline shopping' and to meet fellow customers and different shopkeepers and hold light conversations, etc. On another yet similar note, questions have started coming up at various societal levels about artificial intelligence replacing humans. Computers, digital world and artificial intelligence - everything is meant to enhance and ease our experiences as human beings. Ultimately, I firmly believe it's in our hands how much power we lend to them. They will assist us, if we choose so. Yes, they can surpass us; but only if we let them. So, if we can deliberately take measures to curtail the disadvantages and harness maximum benefits out of these, the battle can be won, at least for the time being. And before offering some pointers in that direction, I'd lay the foundation stone by mentioning that this battle (if I may already use the word), is not between AI and humans, but it is a kind of a conflict within the human psyche. Whatever we give our time and efforts most to, will fruition - goes for both constructive and destructive pursuits. We urgently need to assess the hours that we are spending glued to our screens, and monitor the same. While the internet and gadgets are an unavoidable part of life now, we are still homo sapiens, with certain still-primitive wirings of the brain. We still seek immediate gratification of our various desires. But while WiFi and Google might satisfy in the short-run, they won't sustain a lifetime of companionship and bonds. Computer literacy is highly needed, but so are real-life skills like decision-making, confidence and genuine empathy (the list can be endless). ChatGPT cannot replace actual therapy, neither can Zomato/Swiggy replace our kitchens with recipes-handed-down generation after generation - unless we are willing to play a slow havoc with our mind and body. There's so much contentment in watching one's favourite people laugh - can the same intensity of joy and satisfaction be achieved via emojis? Isn't feeling the texture of a to-be-purchased cloth also quite a livening-up act? Let us not forget the small and home-based businesses. Let us begin to smell the jasmine instead of just clicking it for Instagram. Last but not the least, life is best done 'in reality', virtual life might smoothen and add-on to that; but, let's resolve not to let it overtake the essence....