So what’s wrong with being connected?
Look at the picture above. It was taken at an event attended by the most connected people in Pakistan, sitting row upon row, young and old alike. Something tremendous may be happening on stage, but all of them are staring into devices that are gobbling up their lives. When I was growing up, the biggest sci-fi thing out there to marvel at was the ‘tricorder’, which existed in the fantasy world of Star Trek. According to Wikipedia, a tricorder is a multifunction handheld device used for sensor scanning, data analysis, and recording data. A tricorder from Star Trek was about as capable as the ...
Read Full Post
Help! I’m a shopaholic
Dear Miss Informed, I am a shopaholic. I can’t stop myself from buying things regardless of whether I need them or not. Even if it is a good day, and I am not blue, I just have to get out of my house and buy something, be it shampoo or a handbag. My condition is so severe that my arms ache when I’m not holding shopping bags. If the malls are closed, I press my nose to shop windows and try to smell the clothes I would have bought if I could get in. My fingers itch, and I feel the irrepressible urge to ...
Read Full Post
My Blackberry and me: A love-hate relationship
I was meeting my friend after 18 months. We hadn’t seen each other since our college days and athough we had kept in touch, Skype is really not an adequate substitute for a face-to-face conversation. Needless to say, I was looking forward to meeting and catching up. Conversation started, we laughed, we talked but she devoted an absurdly large amount of attention to her BlackBerry. Every three minutes there would be a ‘ting’ after which she would pick up her phone and read something, smile, giggle or frown, and type furiously. The first few times, I waited patiently and listened to ...
Read Full Post
Pakistani teens: Partying with Chuck Bass to spite the Taliban
A strange new American phenomenon has taken hold of the Pakistani youth, particularly young women. There is no escaping it. It is everywhere. It has penetrated our very soul and become part of every aspect of our life. I am referring to, of course, teen shows. Teen shows on the whole were never watched in Pakistan as much as they are now. Very few people would remember Dawson’s Creek (personally, I couldn’t stand Katie Holmes). Shows like The OC and Gilmore Girls were the first of their kind that mapped their way into the TV viewers at large. Now, you would ...
Read Full Post
Are you an SMS junkie?
As I look around, I see everyone firing away at the keys of their mobile phones at supersonic speed. It’s unnerving, and sometimes I feel that we really have been invaded by these miniscule hand-held devices. Sure, it’s great technology and life has definitely become easier, convenient and faster in a lot of ways but they say excess of anything is bad. It is quite correct about incessant text messaging as well which, in my opinion, is not only an addictive nuisance but also causes repetitive strain injury. In the past few years, I have almost become allergic to text messaging ...
Read Full Post
Confessions of an addict
Over the past few days, I have started to observe things that I never used to notice. Breaching dykes, lynch mobs, people who are denied food and shelter, a trail of suicide attacks, spot-fixing allegations – the list goes on. I became determined to figure out what was going on and why. There were various explanations but I couldn’t agree less with all of them – it was all about who I am and not about why I am the way I am. Luckily , one day I tripped on something and fell. I found out that I have a short attention ...
Read Full Post
Are Electronic Cigarettes safer then traditional Cigarettes?
At a time when the number of smokers worldwide is at its highest, and antismoking policies are proliferating, the sector for alternative smoking products is in a froth of excitement about the potential to increase its market share and revenues. In recent years several manufacturers, have produced electronic cigarettes (ecigarettes) that are distributed to various countries including Pakistan. Electronic cigarettes look and feel like cigarettes, but do not burn tobacco. Electronic Cigarettes are now being widely advertized in electronic and print media of Pakistan. Many smokers are asking the health professionals about the safety of these new devices. Existing ...
Read Full Post1-7 of 7
