New Delhi, Dec. 28 -- Somewhere between the alarm snooze and the first sip of artisanal coffee, we have all become alert, aware, sensitive and - most importantly - correct. Politically, emotionally and socially. Everything now comes with a disclaimer. Words are weighed, phrases sanitised and intentions wrapped in cotton wool. Bald is no longer bald, fat is no longer fat, old is definitely not old and tired is actually 'honouring one's energy'.

I am not quarrelling with the intention. Language does evolve and sensitivity is generally a good thing. But sometimes, one wonders whether we have edited life itself into a polite press release.

But the irony? While we are so careful with words, we seem to be using fewer of them. Conversations now arrive compressed - reduced to emojis, voice notes or at best, 'WhatsApp' exchanges that end with a polite 'let's catch up soon' that no one schedules. Talking has become oddly labourious. Listening, even more so. It's easier to react than to respond, easier to tap a heart than to hold a thought.

This very woke tribe, fluent in the grammar of mindfulness, gratitude and growth, will head straight to the hills - or the beach - only to film it endlessly. Places once described as pristine now exist mainly as backdrops for reels. Sunsets are paused mid-glow while phones are angled just right. Silence is broken by, "Wait, wait - do that walk again." Nature, it seems, must perform on cue. The irony is delicious: being deeply conscious about everything, except the moment one is standing in.

We track our steps with missionary zeal. 10,000 is the magic number, even if it involves pacing around the living room at 11:47 pm to meet the target. Mental health is discussed openly now - thankfully so - but often in the language of trends. Anxiety has hashtags. Burnout has merch. Healing comes with playlists, candles and a weekend workshop. Tarot cards are drawn between meetings. Face reading tells us what our managers won't. Gratitude journals are filled diligently, usually with gratitude for new gadgets bought to make life simpler, faster, more efficient and somehow fuller.

Even binge-watching has been rebranded. It's no longer zoning out; it's 'self-care'. A tub of popcorn turns soggy as we nod off mid-episode, but the conscience is clear: we were unwinding. Balance, after all, is important.

Again, I'm not dismissing any of this. There is comfort in rituals, reassurance in routines and genuine value in conversations we once avoided. Awareness has expanded. So has vocabulary. But somewhere along the way, we may have mistaken articulation for action and rewording for reform.

As the year draws to a close, with its obligatory year-ender posts and reflective captions, perhaps this is a good moment to pause - not to perform reflection, but to practise it. To ask whether our consciousness travels beyond language into behaviour. Whether our care extends past captions into choices. Whether the original meaning survives the makeover.

There is nothing wrong with upgrading words from original to OG, but losing the essence of the original in the process - that should worry us a little.

Case in point: the sudden resurrection of old music, now repackaged with heavier beats and metal flourishes. Songs from the 1960s right up to the early 2000s are making a spirited comeback, thanks to productions like 'Dhurandhar'. Usha Uthup's 'Rambha Ho Ho', Roshan's 'Yeh Ishq Ishq Hai', RD Burman's unmistakable 'Monica, O My Darling' and even 'Hawa Hawa' - a song many of us scoffed at when it first released - is back, louder, cooler and more muscular. The sound is updated, the tempo reworked and the attitude sharpened. And yet, what truly draws us in is not the remix, but the feel-good, the unmistakable core that survived decades without asking for validation.

So, here's wishing ourselves a new year where we wake up, yes, but also stay awake. Where awareness is quieter, deeper and less camera-ready. Where we tread lightly, mean well and remember that life, unlike reels, doesn't need retakes.

Supriya Newar is a widely published writer and poet from Calcutta. Besides being a music aficionado, she is also an avid traveller. She may be reached at connect@supriyanewar.com

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.