Reconnecting with schoolmates in an apps-driven life has turned much easier in the age of smartphones where popular tools like WhatsApp messenger have become the fastest as well as cheapest platform to communicate and relive your childhood memories.
WhatsApp groups have become a big hit among youngsters and oldies alike. Almost every WhatsApp user has a minimum of three groups on their phone to keep in touch with family, friends and office colleagues.
Among friends, connecting with schoolmates is what most people really look up to.
"I think it's a very convenient and easy means to stay in touch as well as get real time updates on what your very first friends in life are doing," said Paresh Hede, an infotech professional.
"The WhatsApp group of school friends is a wonderful platform to stay in touch with my school days pals. We are a group of nearly 40 school friends who have been able to reunite after a long gap of 18 years. Though initially I found it a bit too much to get uninterrupted messages on the group all through the day, but now I enjoy the sweet little jokes and positive vibes we share. Infact, it is now taking our new found friendship to a matured level.
In school, we may have fought with each other and had other rivalries, but on this group we all appreciate and get to know each others' lives in a very matured way. We share our family pics which receive instant likes from friends. Isn't this a great idea to renew our long lost bonding," said Gitika Saxena, a journalist.
Communicating on WhatsApp is not necessarily in English. With Hindi, Marathi fonts also available on smartphones, users express themselves freely.
Sonu Srivastav, a media professional, said school friends' groups bring back old memories and renew bonding.
"I had been in touch only with the group admin and after being part of the group, I came in contact with other classmates with whom I did not connect for a long time. Now, through Whatsapp, we plan get-togethers, go for picnics etc. We remember how we fought and made up or how we would not talk to some saying he or she was too much of a scholar or a dumbo," he said.
