Addictions

 Mobile phones are the biggest among present addictions. Started with Orkut, maybe, went on to Facebook, and Instagram, and may go anywhere from here. The celebrities had Twitter, now X. And everyone has WhatsApp. 

There used to be the good old addictions, like tea, coffee, alcohol, and drugs. They now look like pale shadows of themselves. 

Reading or TV/film-watching may have been addictions too, now mostly replaced by Netflix-type OTT channels on whichever device is available. 

I have actually seen Chief Guests or bigwigs looking at their phones while sitting on stage in important events like Convocations, so one cannot blame it on the youngsters alone.

Movies in theatres are less appealing due to constant buzzing of phones, and people talking on them! Flights, likewise, unless the stewards are strict about it. Even if a plane is crashing, people may want to take a selfie for posterity.

Serious!

Netaholics Anonymous

Like the eponymous (not sure what this means, it is a trial usage) Alcoholics Anonymous, we could have many anonymii (this is my invention, in the tradition of Milton -more on him later in a book review coming soon) for various ills that plague 'society'- a euphemism for 'you and me'.

The obvious one is Netaholics ananymous. This will be a support group which visits the jungles of Africa and face a tiger, crocodile, or other man-eating species. Thereby ridding themselves of any urge other than survival. Net addiction would be the last thing you could think of.

Corruptoholics Anonymous. They would be taken as a group to visit countries where the corrupt are hanged, guillotined, or otherwise suitably disposed of. The cure would follow automatically.

Cellphonaholics Anonymous. This support group would be subjected to screechy sounds from objects like cell phones held close to their ears. Heavy metal or other 'music' may be also tried at high volume, creating a phobia for anything held close to the ear. Playing it by the ear would get a new meaning.

Girlfriendoholics Anonymous. These guys would be shown destitutes and the causes of their destitution- bills unpaid, resulting from unexplained shopping sprees by their girlfriends (erstwhile). This would immediately cure them of the urge to acquire girlfriends. Recorded marital arguments could be a booster dose of medicine if they show any tendency to relapse.

Boyfriendoholics Anonymous. The girl groups would be shown videos of bachelor parties that men were having after they were married to their girlfriends. Also, their addiction to football, cricket and other stupid pastimes, and aversion to work of any kind would be suitably highlighted. Lindsay Lohan would be a special invitee.

There are many more potentially anonymous groups, but I want to make sure that I write about them anonymously.