The refrain these days is: ‘I am bored’. Kids, housewives, elderly, all seem bored. Those busy with careers may not be bored but prone to depression. What has led to this?

A couple of decades ago children were happy playing outdoors and reading story books. School vacations invariably meant taking the train to the ancestral town or village. Housewives were happy preparing good, healthy food at home. Now cooking is regarded as a mundane chore. Eating out or ordering online is the ‘in’ thing.

Many senior citizens are no longer content with playing with their grandchildren or being involved in religious activities: they aspire to travel to exotic locations. Everyone wants to enjoy. A great idea; but has the pursuit of enjoyment led to discontent too?

Perhaps the social media and the Internet are the causes. We envy our Facebook friends who post pictures of holidaying in exotic locations. Many post pictures of their beautiful houses. Most people have more ‘FB’ friends than real friends. Since we don’t get to really know them, we think everyone is having a great time, except us.

The cure: adopt what American writer Robert Brault said, “Enjoy the little things for one day, you may look back and realise they were the big things.”

shobhaanand@yahoo.com