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Nidhi Taparia
- They don't fight over Barbie dolls any longer. Meghna and her little sis fight, instead, for control over the mouse. "The fights between my sister and me over who gets to surf the Net are legendary,'' says Meghna, who, much to her mother's chagrin, surfs the Net for close to five hours a day - and sometimes even late nights.
- Deepak Baldwa from St Xavier's, Calcutta, switches identities faster than you can say Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. "I live lots of different lives online. I have an identity for my girl friends, one just for the thousands of mailing lists I have subscribed to, one for storage…'' says the 18-year-old.
- Hormuzd Daruwalla, an engineering student, is busy conjuring up great conversation openers to impress his roommates, make that chat roommates. "A good opening line and lots of attitude, is all you need to chat online," he says.
First came newsprint and it changed the way an entire generation had its morning cuppa. Then came television, and family evenings were never the same again. The current generation, however, has woken to the magic of HTTP, with the sole adolescent crisis of which site to lend one's valuable eyeballs to. What drives these youngsters to the Web? Is it pornography, MP3s, free downloads, or chatting?
"Chatting," says Geetanjali Patole, without a second thought. "I enjoy chatting, and have formed great friendships online. Contrary to what people say, I think it's easier to be honest and transparent online. You get to know someone minus the barriers of looks, or what he or she wears. I have been friends with a guy online for the last 11 months, and I don't feel short-changed!"
For some, like MIT engineering student Neha Maheshwari, it's impossible to get through a day without it. "My fingers start twitching if I don't chat for a day," she gushes. "That is what keeps my romance alive with my boyfriend in the US. Email does help, but you can't beat voicemail," she smiles.
As with all things, the sceptics aren't far away. There are some who refuse to look at the Net through rose tinted glasses. "I don't chat because I know of many of my friends who have been lied to," explains Deepika Deepti, an 18-year-old NIFT student in Delhi.
But chatting is not the only thing that drives these students to the Web. "I got introduced to the Net and its convenience through my dad three years ago," says 24-year-old Diya Nair, studying Mass Communication in Symbiosis in Pune who talks about how easy it is to communicate with her parents who are in Calcutta. Meghna Prasad, doing her Masters in Economics, was driven to the Web to research a project on Fidel Castro. "The project was done in a jiffy," she says.
And then, there's the ubiquitous email. Everybody who's anybody now has one, and gossip on Hrithik Roshan has moved out of classroom corridors and onto cyber bylanes. Interestingly, 16-year-old Devina Prasad opted for the Net to help her with TV. She simply found it easier to pick and choose channels online.
So, what rules online? "Everybody's preferences are different. But I am a major MP3 fan," says Meghna, who has an enviable collection of over 800 MP3s. Hormuzd casts his vote for, "Porn sites definitely, besides the usual news and sports." Engineering student Divya Khurana says the magic word, "Freebies." She uses ecards to let her boyfriend in the US know how much she misses him, saving loads of money on real greeting cards in the bargain.
 Internet telephony is also in, says Niren D'Souza, who has been tongue-tied by the blocking of free telephony sites like dialpad.com, "Those sites were really great to keep in touch with friends. Added benefits were getting into mom's good books because she was excited when I showed her how to call." For Rohan Sovani, a 16-year-old from Nagpur, it's online gaming and contests that rule. "Haven't won anything yet, but I will," he says, confidently.
As for those who think these guys count for nothing more than hits and page views, think again. They shop and shell out the moolah too. Sean Davidson, living all by himself in Pune juggling studies and a job, admits that online shopping is a boon: "I have an account with Fabmart.com and shell out at least a grand every month on books and music. It is just so convenient, and the variety of titles is mind boggling."
Words of mouth is what drives these kids, not hoardings and big banners. Tastes change quickly; interests and loyalties shift. None of them, however, feel guilty about being fickle. "My tastes in the kind of sites I surf have matured. Now it's only those that might help lend a direction to my writing that I am clicking on," says Diya, as she rattles off some of her favourite sites helping her Mass Communication studies.
The Net is one quick fix, especially during exams and project deadlines. Studying abroad is also easier thanks to the help and free counselling available online.
 Is there a downside to all this enthusiasm? "Speed makes the Internet suck," says Geetanjali Patole. "I surf mostly from cyber cafes and am very finicky about high speeds, stable Internet connections, privacy and air conditioning."
Swearing by the Internet phenomenon, this generation acclaims to be hooked for life, with individual theories about the addiction. Says Diya with a sanctimonious look, "You are what you click. Where you surf says a lot about one's interests and personality."
And off she goes, because nothing comes between her and her email!
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