There was once a time when internet
in India was synonymous with the
cybercafes. Whether is was to check their
emails, chat online, get information for
studies or assignments, or download
songs, India’s young population was
highly dependent on these cyberspaces
for almost anything and everything. Not
just that, the gaming crazy generation
also used cybercafes to play their
favourite online games with players from
The first major setback to the
cybercafes came when internet routers
and WiFi networks brought internet
to people’s doorsteps. Still, lower
accessibility and high prices allowed
only a fewer people to browse at home,
still keeping the popularity of cybercafes
among youngsters, quite high. And
then entered our beloved smartphones.
Smartphones and mobile internet
helped expand the reach of internet to
millions, thus diminishing the need to
visit cybercafes frequently. Most of the
purposes that the cybercafes had served,
whether it’s using social media, seeking
information, or gaming, everything was
However, though these internet
centres have decreased in number
drastically, we can still say that they are
far from getting extinct, as there are
still some tasks that everyone cannot
perform at home. As Eddie Rego of
G-Wave Cybercafe in Panjim puts it,
“It’s true that the number of people
coming in has fallen. But I am sure
that cyberspaces wouldn’t shut down.
Nowadays youngsters don’t come here
for the purpose they did earlier. But
people still need to come here for other
tasks such as printing, scanning or filling
out important exam forms, as everyone
does not have these facilities at home.”
And though they have stopped visiting
cybercafes as often as they did earlier,
the generation that grew up accessing
internet at these cafes have not forgotten
The youngsters getting nostalgic