Sreena K.S.'s Blog

September 18, 2025

The people who make poison look poetic.

It's pretty wild how today's influencers, seemingly without a moral compass, have made glamorizing smoking totally normal. It really bums me out to see cool smoking pics somehow linked to being super smart.

If literary greats can hold cigarettes like they're the coolest thing ever, why shouldn't Arundhati Roy do the same? Just like Ernest Hemingway with his famous cigarette shots, she totally nails her critique of caste. But, seriously, nothing says 'revolutionary' quite like a chill puff.

Rebellion by design Is nothing but a Corporate stunt

The irony is that the whole idea of the cigarette as a revolutionary prop was a manufactured marketing stunt.

Look back at history: the famous "Torches of Freedom" movement in 1929 didn't start with activists, it was a tobacco industry PR campaign that encouraged women to smoke in public by equating the cigarette with emancipation and equality.

And Hollywood? From the brooding "bad boy" to the sharp-witted intellectual, the cigarette became the ultimate pre-packaged prop for the rebellious, the non-conformist, and the effortlessly cool. If literary greats like Ernest Hemingway could look cool with a smoke, or if an author like Arundhati Roy chooses the image to nail her critique of caste, the visual is undeniably powerful. But let's be honest: does anything scream "revolutionary" less than a casual puff of an addictive product?

If true rebellion means challenging the status quo, why do we still accept a script written for us?


Where Is the Statutory Warning?

When a film shows a dangerous stunt, we get a clear, firm disclaimer: “Statutory warning: these stunts are performed by experts and should not be done at home.” In many places, like India, we see similar on-screen messages for smoking, violence, and animal harm.

This is exactly what we need for the things the world chooses to idealize. The issue isn't that a person enjoys a drink or a coffee, or even an occasional smoke, the issue is the blind, widespread glamorization of habits that are bad for us when they go beyond the limit. If a photo promotes the look of cool through a cigarette, it should carry a health message as prominent as the cigarette itself.

The True Measure of "Bad"

"Who gets to decide what is good or bad?" people will ask.

Well, if you're reading this, you are alive, and you are eating food and taking care of yourself because you have an interest in continuing to live. So, let's say, if your fundamental goal is to continue existing and thriving, then anything that makes you deviate from that most basic aim, whether it’s excessive smoking, drinking, or even too much coffee is arguably "bad" or "negative."

The power of an author or a thinker is in their ideas, their words, and their actions, not in their props. Let’s stop mistaking pre-packaged cool for genuine intelligence or revolution. 

True rebels switch gears and think for themselves.


It's crazy how marketing gurus can make cigarettes seem cool and rebellious. They often go after teenagers, who are usually in that rebellious phase, making it easy to hook them into smoking.

So, the next time you light a cigarette and strike that effortlessly cool pose for the camera, perhaps pause for a second. Not to enhance your cool factor, but to consider who is watching. Somewhere out there, an innocent soul is idealizing you, absorbing your every move as gospel. And that puff? It's not just smoke; it's influence. It's normalization. It's a silent invitation to self-destruction, beautifully wrapped in aesthetic appeal.



You might never have heard the sobs of children who lost their parents to addiction, illness, or misguided admiration. You might never have witnessed how grief clings to a family like smoke to fabric. But they followed someone like you, someone who made poison look poetic.

So no, it's not just a cigarette, gutka, kaini, or pan masala. It's a ripple. And you're not merely 'being cool'; you're playing with lives you'll never meet, never mourn, and never even notice.

When style overrides substance, and trends eclipse thought, we lose not just our individuality, but our capacity for compassion. Smoking isn’t cool. It’s a symptom of cultural amnesia.


Honestly, I'm not even angry. I'm just deeply impressed by the sheer commitment to nonsense. It's usually the weak minds who strive to fit into society. In this process, they end up losing their individuality by becoming puppets of so-called trendsetters.

So this is a humble plea to everyone out there who is reading this, being different is not bad, have the courage to stand up for your own idea, your own style, be unapologetically you. What makes you unique is not just your aesthetic, but it should also come from your thoughts. The world would be a difficult place to live, if there were not enough reformers, and reformers were the ones who always thought differently and had the courage to stand by it. You may die in a world where your thoughts and ideas are not welcomed, or maybe even ditched or made fun of, but stand by it, even if the whole world is against you someday there will be a deviation.But ultimately, living life on your own terms and being true to yourself is more valuable than living as someone you're not. And what’s worth living life being someone else?
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Published on September 18, 2025 11:33

July 6, 2025

The Digital Graveyard: A Future We’re Quietly Building

It's time to consider the long-term consequences of our ever-expanding digital lives.


The Digital Afterlife: A Graveyard of Profiles


Imagine social media platforms a couple of decades from now: a sprawling graveyard of millions of dead profiles. Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and countless others could become virtual relics, potentially teeming with the digital echoes of those who are no longer with us.

This isn't just a dystopian fantasy; it's a looming reality that raises questions of digital legacy, privacy, and even a certain creepiness as our digital selves persist long after we're gone.


The Environmental Cost of Our Digital Lives
Beyond the philosophical implications, our insatiable digital consumption carries a tangible environmental cost that we often overlook.
Data warehouses, the physical homes of our digital world, have a significant impact on local communities and the environment. For example, an old couple living near Meta's data warehouses once experienced tangible problems.


Noise Pollution: The constant hum and whir of server fans and cooling systems can create relentless noise pollution, disrupting the peace and quiet of nearby residents.


Air Quality Issues: The massive cooling towers can release fine particulate matter and other emissions into the air, potentially impacting local air quality and respiratory health.

Heat Generation: While cooling systems are in place, the sheer heat generated by these facilities can contribute to localized "heat island" effects, raising ambient temperatures in the surrounding areas.


These examples highlight that our seemingly intangible digital actions have very real, physical consequences on our environment and communities.


Generative AI and the Data Gold Rush: A New Privacy Frontier


The advent of powerful generative AI engines adds another layer of complexity. These engines are "trained" on vast datasets, and a significant portion of this data is scraped from publicly available sources on the internet, including our social media profiles.
Your Data, Their Training Ground
Every public photo you've ever posted, every tweet, every public comment – all of it can become fodder for AI models. While we advocate for privacy as a fundamental right, the very nature of public sharing on social media makes our data susceptible to collection and repurposing by tech giants for their economic gain, often without explicit consent or clear understanding of its ultimate use.


The Privacy Paradox

We want the convenience and connectivity of social media, but we also desire privacy. This creates a paradox where our desire to share clashes with our right to control our personal information. The repositories of public data collected from social media platforms represent a goldmine for AI development, but it also raises serious ethical questions about data ownership and the potential for misuse.
Practices for a Sustainable Digital Lifestyle
Here's how you can be more socially responsible in your digital life, combining environmental consciousness with day-to-day energy-saving practices:


Embrace Physical Storage for Redundant Data

Prioritize Pendrives and External Hard Drives: For personal backups of photos, videos, and documents that you don't need constant online access to, utilize pendrives or external hard drives. This reduces the need for data to be perpetually stored and accessed on energy-intensive servers.

Regular Data Purge: Get into the habit of reviewing your online drives (Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive) and deleting old, duplicate, or unnecessary files. Treat your digital storage like a physical attic – declutter it regularly!


A Simple Example: One Person’s Impact
Let’s say you use:
* Instagram: 30 mins/day → ~14 kg CO₂/year
* YouTube: 60 mins/day → ~10 kg CO₂/year
* TikTok: 30 mins/day → ~29 kg CO₂/year
Total: ~53 kg CO₂/year, or the equivalent of:
* Charging a smartphone 6,500 times, or
* Driving a car for 130+ km


Now imagine if 1 million people reduced their usage by just 30 minutes a day; that’s 53,000 metric tons of CO₂ saved annually.


Streamline Your Social Media Presence:

One Account, Less Impact: If possible, try to consolidate your social media presence to just one or two platforms that genuinely serve your needs. Every additional profile, especially if inactive, contributes to the digital "graveyard" and consumes resources.

Consider a Social Media Detox: If you find yourself mindlessly scrolling or maintaining accounts out of obligation, consider a temporary or permanent break. This reduces your personal data footprint and frees up server space.


Review Privacy Settings: Regularly audit your privacy settings on all social media platforms. Limit public sharing to the absolute minimum required, reducing the amount of your data available for scraping and AI training.


Become an Email Acolyte: Cleanse Your Inbox


Unsubscribe Ruthlessly: Take a few minutes each week to unsubscribe from newsletters and promotional emails you no longer read. Services like Unroll.me can help streamline this process.


Delete Junk and Spam Regularly: Don't let your spam folder accumulate. Delete junk and spam emails frequently.


Our digital lives, while offering unparalleled convenience and connectivity, come with hidden costs, both environmental and ethical. From the looming reality of digital graveyards to the tangible environmental impact of data centers and the privacy implications of generative AI, it's clear that our online actions have real-world consequences. By embracing practices like smart data storage, streamlining our social media presence, and actively managing our digital footprint, we can become more responsible digital citizens.
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Published on July 06, 2025 15:01

The Digital Graveyard: A Future We’re Quietly Building

It's time to consider the long-term consequences of our ever-expanding digital lives.


The Digital Afterlife: A Graveyard of Profiles


Imagine social media platforms a couple of decades from now: a sprawling graveyard of millions of dead profiles. Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and countless others could become virtual relics, potentially teeming with the digital echoes of those who are no longer with us.

This isn't just a dystopian fantasy; it's a looming reality that raises questions of digital legacy, privacy, and even a certain creepiness as our digital selves persist long after we're gone.


The Environmental Cost of Our Digital Lives
Beyond the philosophical implications, our insatiable digital consumption carries a tangible environmental cost that we often overlook.
Data warehouses, the physical homes of our digital world, have a significant impact on local communities and the environment. For example, an old couple living near Meta's data warehouses once experienced tangible problems.


Noise Pollution: The constant hum and whir of server fans and cooling systems can create relentless noise pollution, disrupting the peace and quiet of nearby residents.


Air Quality Issues: The massive cooling towers can release fine particulate matter and other emissions into the air, potentially impacting local air quality and respiratory health.

Heat Generation: While cooling systems are in place, the sheer heat generated by these facilities can contribute to localized "heat island" effects, raising ambient temperatures in the surrounding areas.


These examples highlight that our seemingly intangible digital actions have very real, physical consequences on our environment and communities.


Generative AI and the Data Gold Rush: A New Privacy Frontier


The advent of powerful generative AI engines adds another layer of complexity. These engines are "trained" on vast datasets, and a significant portion of this data is scraped from publicly available sources on the internet, including our social media profiles.
Your Data, Their Training Ground
Every public photo you've ever posted, every tweet, every public comment – all of it can become fodder for AI models. While we advocate for privacy as a fundamental right, the very nature of public sharing on social media makes our data susceptible to collection and repurposing by tech giants for their economic gain, often without explicit consent or clear understanding of its ultimate use.


The Privacy Paradox

We want the convenience and connectivity of social media, but we also desire privacy. This creates a paradox where our desire to share clashes with our right to control our personal information. The repositories of public data collected from social media platforms represent a goldmine for AI development, but it also raises serious ethical questions about data ownership and the potential for misuse.
Practices for a Sustainable Digital Lifestyle
Here's how you can be more socially responsible in your digital life, combining environmental consciousness with day-to-day energy-saving practices:


Embrace Physical Storage for Redundant Data

Prioritize Pendrives and External Hard Drives: For personal backups of photos, videos, and documents that you don't need constant online access to, utilize pendrives or external hard drives. This reduces the need for data to be perpetually stored and accessed on energy-intensive servers.

Regular Data Purge: Get into the habit of reviewing your online drives (Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive) and deleting old, duplicate, or unnecessary files. Treat your digital storage like a physical attic – declutter it regularly!


A Simple Example: One Person’s Impact
Let’s say you use:
* Instagram: 30 mins/day → ~14 kg CO₂/year
* YouTube: 60 mins/day → ~10 kg CO₂/year
* TikTok: 30 mins/day → ~29 kg CO₂/year
Total: ~53 kg CO₂/year, or the equivalent of:
* Charging a smartphone 6,500 times, or
* Driving a car for 130+ km


Now imagine if 1 million people reduced their usage by just 30 minutes a day; that’s 53,000 metric tons of CO₂ saved annually.


Streamline Your Social Media Presence:

One Account, Less Impact: If possible, try to consolidate your social media presence to just one or two platforms that genuinely serve your needs. Every additional profile, especially if inactive, contributes to the digital "graveyard" and consumes resources.

Consider a Social Media Detox: If you find yourself mindlessly scrolling or maintaining accounts out of obligation, consider a temporary or permanent break. This reduces your personal data footprint and frees up server space.


Review Privacy Settings: Regularly audit your privacy settings on all social media platforms. Limit public sharing to the absolute minimum required, reducing the amount of your data available for scraping and AI training.


Become an Email Acolyte: Cleanse Your Inbox


Unsubscribe Ruthlessly: Take a few minutes each week to unsubscribe from newsletters and promotional emails you no longer read. Services like Unroll.me can help streamline this process.


Delete Junk and Spam Regularly: Don't let your spam folder accumulate. Delete junk and spam emails frequently.


Our digital lives, while offering unparalleled convenience and connectivity, come with hidden costs, both environmental and ethical. From the looming reality of digital graveyards to the tangible environmental impact of data centers and the privacy implications of generative AI, it's clear that our online actions have real-world consequences. By embracing practices like smart data storage, streamlining our social media presence, and actively managing our digital footprint, we can become more responsible digital citizens.
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Published on July 06, 2025 15:01

December 17, 2023

Sun-kissed Dandelions: A Haiku - Now On Amazon!



My book, Sun-kissed Dandelions: A Haiku Journey into Nature's Embrace, is now available for your reading pleasure on Amazon.com, and for all you Kindle Unlimited subscribers, it's just a click away from blooming on your screens – absolutely free!

Sun-kissed Dandelions: Haiku Rooted in Nature's Embrace

My love affair with haiku began in the tender soil of childhood. Nestled under warm blankets, amidst the crisp Delhi winters, I found myself captivated by the magic of 17 syllables. The verses of masters like Matsuo Bashō and Kobayashi Issa resonated like wind chimes, whispering secrets of nature's hidden beauty. They taught me to see the world with wide, wondering eyes, to find poetry in the rustle of leaves and the dance of snowflakes.

And so, under that cozy blanket-tent, amidst the hushed hum of the city, my own tiny seeds of haiku began to sprout. Each poem, a sun-kissed dandelion, capturing fleeting moments of wonder – the sigh of a wilting flower, the shy blush of a starlit sky, the whispered secrets of the ocean's depths.



Whether you're a seasoned haiku enthusiast or simply curious about this delicate art form, Sun-kissed Dandelions welcomes you with open arms.



So, snuggle up with your Kindle, turn the page, and let the whispers of nature carry you away on a journey
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Published on December 17, 2023 10:35 Tags: haiku, sreena, sun-kissed-dandelions

May 31, 2023

Incantations - Whispers of Nature, Echoes of the Soul - My 3rd Book Free With Kindle Unlimited Subscription



Dear Readers,

Today, I am thrilled to share with you my latest literary creation, "Incantations - Whispers of Nature, Echoes of the Soul.
It is with great excitement and a touch of nervousness that I invite you to embark on a mesmerizing journey through the pages of my book.


Incantations, a whispered spell
Of love and loss, weaved so well
Words that echo through the night
Haunting memories, take their flight
Leaving hearts yearning for what once fell!



Free with Kindle Unlimited:
To ensure that this enchanting experience reaches as many hearts as possible, "Incantations - Whispers of Nature, Echoes of the Soul" is available for FREE with an Amazon Kindle Unlimited subscription. For those who are not familiar, Kindle Unlimited offers an extensive library of books, granting you unlimited access to an ocean of literary treasures. By joining Kindle Unlimited, you can embark on this remarkable journey without any additional cost, making it an even more enticing opportunity to dive into the pages of this unforgettable book.

Watch the Video Teaser:
To offer you a glimpse of the magic that awaits within the pages of "Incantations - Whispers of Nature, Echoes of the Soul," I have created a mesmerizing video teaser.

Incantations - Whispers of Nature, Echoes of the Soul, Video Teaser

Allow yourself to be swept away by the beauty and wisdom that awaits within the pages. Happy reading, fellow adventurers.
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Published on May 31, 2023 23:35 Tags: love-poems, nature-poems