The Ugly Side of Technology

Is technology really as great and revolutionary as it claims to be? Most of us only know about how drastically it as changed lives for the good, but we all tend to forget there are two sides to every coin. Upon talking to some locals in and around Udupi and Manipal I came across many whose lives have been affected negatively by technology. Here is one story which really intrigued me.

When Mr. Venugopal Rao* opened up Krishna Travels* in 1980 it was his pride and joy. After working under several others and saving enough money did he venture into opening up his own business. He worked day and night to make it a success. His initial ventures were in booking domestic air, bus and train tickets. As his business flourished he started bringing out more branches. He started with a shop near the Udupi bus stand and later opened two more shops in Udupi in the late 1990s. The late 1990s were also a time when international travel was new and he took great pride in helping people cross the seven seas. It was all jolly till the advent of technology.

Mr. Venugopal Rao’s* son, Mr. Vasant Rao* currently sits in their main shop near the Udupi KSRTC Bus stand. He is a very withdrawn person and refused to answer any questions especially pertaining to his business. After he refused to answer absolutely any question for five minutes, I thought of leaving just when I met his son, Mr. Ashish Rao*. He is the third generation Rao who is looking after the family business of Krishna Travels. His father was once a jolly man but has turned taciturn and aloof of late. He told me the whole story. After the business flourished for a couple of decades, the slow poison of technology started spreading. They had three shops all over Udupi with four counters in each to do bookings. But as technology and use of internet became more widespread their business slowly started decreasing. He also lost 70% of his business after the rise in popularity of internet bookings. From 2003 to 2011, he had to bring down the number of shops to two from here with only three counters in each shop. He said it is understandable that people would prefer to conveniently book the tickets on the internet sitting comfortably at home but it pains him to see his grandfather’s business slowly crumbling away. Due to decreasing business they have started charging extra commission on credit card usage. They also had to resort to other cost cutting methods of late. Mr. Ashish Rao* said he is doing all he can to revive the business to atleast a semblance of its former glory but has also wisely said that they must think rationally and keep other options open and not be too optimistic either.

*names have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals