Category Archives: Culture & Society

Affluenza?

Posted on June 29, 2010 by Ajay Jaiman

affluenza, n. a painful, contagious, socially transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more… An epidemic of stress, overwork, waste and indebtedness caused by the relentless desire for more material success and economic … Continue reading →

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Going to Zero!

Posted on June 15, 2010 by Ajay Jaiman

Zero is a quaint name for an unknown town hidden in the undergrowth of the deep jungles of Arunachal Pradesh � a state that is itself tucked away in the north-east of the country and is clearly not on the … Continue reading →

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Digital photo-documentaries by underprivileged kids

Posted on May 19, 2010 by Ajay Jaiman

Some years ago I had an opportunity to work with underprivileged kids across of India. One project that I really enjoyed was working with them to create a photo-documentary of their world. Most of these kids had never seen a … Continue reading →

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Buffaloes on Zebra Crossings – The Gurgaon Story

Posted on November 26, 2009 by Ajay Jaiman

AEDES Am Pfefferberg, a gallery that focuses on architecture, organized an exhibition & seminar ‘What makes India urban?’ Our documentary ‘Buffaloes on Zebra Crossings – The Gurgaon Story’ was part of this. The exhibition was inaugurated on October 9, 2009 … Continue reading →

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Exercise and play helps students in the classroom

Posted on March 18, 2009 by Ajay Jaiman

Here is some news for the academic minded parents and schools: “…brain activity and brain development are enhanced by physical exercise. It now appears that exercise can help kids learn at school.”  Listen to the NPR story… According to study … Continue reading →

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Content rating for kids?

Posted on March 5, 2009 by Ajay Jaiman

A study in the US has found that “TV ratings don’t accurately reflect the aggressive content found in shows popular among children — even cartoons”. And what do you say to parents who take their 10-year-olds, 3-year-olds and even 9-month-olds … Continue reading →

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Too much screen/media time linked to depression

Posted on February 6, 2009 by Ajay Jaiman

Kids who are exposed to too much screen time (TV, Computers, video games, iPods…) during their teen years are likely to display depression symptoms later. Science News article says: “Exposure to more television and other electronic media during the teenage … Continue reading →

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Radio for emergencies

Posted on November 30, 2008 by Arti Jaiman

The Mumbai tragedy has once again highlighted how the radio can be the most effective medium of communication in the time of crisis, be it floods, earthquakes, war, or terror strikes. With electricity supplies cut off, televisions switched off, one … Continue reading →

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Terrorism has no religious affinity

Posted on October 5, 2008 by Arti Jaiman

Finally, someone has spoken out against the strident, unrelenting branding of all terrorism being Islamic, and all Muslims being terrorists. According to a news report in The Times of India, Sharad Pawar asks a very pertinent question: “Why are only … Continue reading →

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Bihar Flood Relief

Posted on September 8, 2008 by Arti Jaiman

I find it hard to breathe when I think of the scale of the catastrophe in Bihar. More than 25 lakh people affected by the raging waters of the Kosi. As I browse through news reports out of Bihar, it … Continue reading →

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Refusing to serve underage customers?

Posted on August 8, 2008 by Ajay Jaiman

If you were running a bar, would you refuse to serve an underage customer? Would you make systems to prevent the serving of alcohol to children? How about if you sold cigarettes in your store? What about adult content – … Continue reading →

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Humanity on the way to becoming civilized?

Posted on November 23, 2007 by Ajay Jaiman

From Ahmadabad to Baghdad, from Bosnia to Calcutta, from Darfur to…. there is far too much warfare, crime, hatred and genocide than I would like. Steven Pinker, however has another take on this. “ In a preview of his next … Continue reading →

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World’s Worst Polluted Places 2007

Posted on September 29, 2007 by Ajay Jaiman

The list of the worlds worst polluted place, compiled by the Blacksmith Institute is called the Dirty Thirty. The top ten ‘dishonors’ are shared by India (2), China (2), Russia (2), Azerbaijan(1), Peru (1), Ukraine (1), Zambia (1). Click on … Continue reading →

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‘Network effects’ and social influence

Posted on September 13, 2007 by Ajay Jaiman

Talking of networks and ‘network effects’, Duncan J. Watts professor of sociology at Columbia University and the author of “Six Degrees: The Science of a Connected Age”, has written a very interesting piece in New York Times on why the … Continue reading →

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Six-degrees?: The power of Internet networking

Posted on September 12, 2007 by Ajay Jaiman

I just noticed (accidentally) that I am ‘connected to’ Barack Obama, US Senator and Presidential Candidate through three different people. Talk of six-degrees of separation! In the world networked through LinkedIn, Plaxo and others, my guess is that it may … Continue reading →

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“YAARI.com is a spammer”

Posted on September 3, 2007 by Ajay Jaiman

I came very close to participating in a scam executed by an India ‘social networking’ site. Unwittingly, of course! It started when I received a mail from a site called yaari.com: ‘xyd wants you to join Yaari!… Is xyz your … Continue reading →

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Copyrights and wrongs

Posted on August 27, 2007 by Ajay Jaiman

The Picture Archive Council of America (PACA), has created a powerpoint presentation that dispels many a myth and sheds light on what copyright protects and for how long, what is fair use, what is an infringement and what is not. … Continue reading →

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Why do people participate in social media?

Posted on August 18, 2007 by Ajay Jaiman

Yossi Vardi commenting on Social Software suggests that ‘there are 3-4 major forces on the Internet: • self expression • communication • sharing • collaboration You’d notice that money is not one of them. It is interesting when you consider … Continue reading →

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Online revenues?

Posted on August 17, 2007 by Ajay Jaiman

Interesting times these! While the New York Times is poised to stop charging online users, Google is going to start charging. New York Times started charging for access in 2005 and has in 2007 decided to abandon the approach. Google … Continue reading →

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Ban on fast food ads?

Posted on February 18, 2007 by Ajay Jaiman

Reuters informs us that Malaysia is considering a ban on fast food ads… With Malaysia’s growing affluence, almost 40 per cent of its 26 million citizens are obese, up from 20 per cent a decade ago. No wonder. In Britain … Continue reading →

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