When Laughter Becomes 'Uncool'!

It was Sunday and the kids were lazing around at the park inside their complex. It had rained in the afternoon, lending a refreshing aura to the evening. The grass in the park looked greener and rainwashed.

Not being able to play in the wet grass, the kids were standing near the slide. One of the kids had brought a mobile and everyone surrounded her, watching with acute focus and laughing out together all of a sudden. 

Thatha was walking around the complex greeting people as they smiled and waved to him. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits, courtesy of the rains that had graced the city after a gap of two hot days. 

Thatha looked at the kids watching the mobile. He joined them to see what they were watching. A guy and a girl in YouTube were trying out Do-not-laugh challenge by showing videos of people falling. 

The kids laughed again as the video showed a person falling while trying to help another who was already down. 

"Thatha, look how funny this is!" Ved exclaimed, breathless with laughter. 

Thatha sat on a nearby bench and gestured Ved to join him. He cleared his throat. 

"A quote? Now?" Ved asked.

Thatha laughed lightly and nodded. "You become what you give your attention to." 

"Epictetus!" Ved said. "But I don't understand."

"You all are watching videos of people mocking other people when they are at their lowest. Do you really think it is funny to laugh if someone falls?" Thatha asked gently. "What if you see someone fall right now, and start laughing because it reminded you of the video?" 

"That was just for fun, Thatha."

"Yes I know. But you do realise that it will always be uncool to mock or laugh at people who are at their lowest, right?"

"But the videos..."

"They are grossly misleading. They are changing the very criteria of humor. One of the basic requirements of humor is that, it shouldn't come at the expense of someone else. It is okay to make jokes on yourself. But it is very hurtful to make other people as objects of jokes. Especially people falling or in awkward situations. How would you feel if you fell down someday, and someone made a video of the same and circulated it for some laughs?"

Ved thought for a while. "I would feel awful." He said in a low voice.

"Exactly. Humor is essential for life but not if it hurts people or their sentiments. The best humor is the one that you find in yourself, in your situations and use it to brighten the lives of others who are also going through the same situations. May be they will relate to it, and make light of their problems. What do you think?"

"Yes I get you. I promise I won't laugh at people or mock them when they need help." Ved said earnestly. Then he grinned. "'You used the word "Uncool'? Thatha, you are speaking our language!" 

Thatha laughed. "Indeed I am!" He saw Ved run back to his friends. He said something to them. Then the girl who was using the mobile ran to her mother who was walking around and gave it to her. The kids then started playing a game of hide-n-seek. Thatha sighed in relief. Maybe he won't be able to stop the fast spread of the mounting mobile use among kids. But he would definitely do his best to ensure that Ved and his friends watched good content. In a world fast being enveloped by technology that didn't always deliver healthy content, that was the least one could do.