While the advancement in technology and development of smartphones has brought everyone closer by easing out the communication channel and provided everyone with the ability to access the entirety of the internet on-the-go, it has also given us an addiction to our mobile devices.

According to a research from the media analytics company comScore, an average adult spent approximately 2 hours and 51 minutes on their smartphone every single day in 2017 which is 36% more time any of us spend eating or drinking. 

As the functionality of cell phones is constantly improving and expanding, the likelihood of mobile dependence is also increasing.

Not only does this obsession cause several physical and psychological damages such as eye strain and sleep disorders but is also partially to blame for the distracted driving that kills an estimated nine people each day and injures more than 1,000.

Do you think that you have cell phone addiction? Do you have a habit of checking your phone even when it didn’t vibrate or ring?

Well, no problem because here are some 5 easy steps you can follow to get rid of this obsession.

1. Turn off notifications: 

The first step towards getting over your mobile phone obsession is to turn off notifications for all irrelevant applications. Customize your notifications for important things so your phone only vibrates or beeps for something significant.

2. Keep it in a separate room while studying or working: 

In order to stop being tempted to check your phone every ten minutes, make sure to keep it in another room while you’re doing something important. This will help you prevent getting trapped in the viscous circle of texts, emails and phone calls.

3. Keep a low charge:

One important thing to physically restrain yourself from using your smartphone for extended periods is to keep it at a low charge. If you know that you don’t have much battery left in your device, you will only use it for emergencies.

4. Delete all gaming and addictive applications:

Get rid of all the applications you are addicted to, be it Facebook, Twitter or Temple Run. By eliminating such time-wasting and attention-seeking apps, you can free yourself from the urdge to draw your phone out from your pocket every five minutes.

5. Do not use your phone as a watch or an alarm clock:

The moment we wake up, we go straight to browsing Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Distance yourself from tech in a meaningful way by cutting back on using your phone as an alarm clock or a watch. It’s best to resort to wearing wrist watches and relying on them to check the time.

Every Pakistani whether living in the country or abroad can relate to this. Enter the 21st year of your life and desi parents start harrowing about your shadi. In their effort to convince their children to marry ASAP, parents come with the most awesome justifications and benefits of shadi.

Here we have compiled 10 problems that parents believe a shadi can solve:

1.Financial Problems

If you are a boy who just started his career and is struggling financially, parents have a solution for it: shadi. If you argue that how on earth can your shadi bring financial stability to your life, as it means catering for two people instead of one, parents would say, “Beta Ghar Wali Apna Rizq Saath Leti Hai.”

2. Sexual Harassment

If you are a girl who is not allowed to go outside a lot, especially after evening and you argue with your desi parents they would respond, “Beta Shadi Key Baad Jahan Marzi Chali Jana.”

3. Professional Incompetence

If you only just managed to graduate, not with flying colors but rather flying f*s- and you suck at anything ‘professional’ i.e. work, deadlines, delivering quality etcetera, no problem, “Shadi Karlo.”

You would often hear mom talking to muhallay ki aunty or rishtaydaar aunty saying, “Shadi Key Baad Seekh Jaye Ga.”

4.Chores / Ghar Key Kaam

Some people just suck at domestic chores. They do not seem to possess the organization to manage the never-ending demands of the house and the household. They cannot cook, they cannot clean, organize or manage. If you are one of them, do not worry because desi parents believe this can be resolved by shadi.

“Shadi Key Baad Seekh Jaye Gi.”

5.Cleanliness

Mothers like to pay special attention to children’s’ untidy ways and mannerisms overall but if you lag in this department as you enter your 20s, do not cringe because shadi can make you a cleaner person, as moms would often say, “Bivi Aye Gi Tu Aik Dam Saaf Suthra Rahay Ga.”

How that is not true as we see many untidy married men and women wandering around.

6.Waking Up Late

Staying up, watching TV shows, chatting all night and waking up so late that even you feel embarrassed? Koi masla naheen.

“Shadi Hojanay Dou- Alarm Se Pehlay Aankh Khul Jaye Gi.”

7. Educational Failures

Did your cousin just flunk? Even after cheating? You thought she could make it but results reveal otherwise. There is no problem in this, as our dear mothers in their effort to convince us to marry go to the extreme that shadi can solve educational failures as well.

“Fail Hugaye Saima?”

“Haye! Kuch Naheen Houta. Shadi Kardou Uski.”

8.Foreign Education

You graduated with good grades and you landed a good job but now you want to move abroad to study? Hmmm. Not so quick. Khalida Phupoo would make sure she convinces your mother to marry you off first. What has shadi got to do with foreign education? Even Einsten wouldn’t be able to figure this one out. But oh well:

“Naheed! Shadi Kyeh Baghair Na Bhaijna.”

9.Homosexuality

Homosexuality is not a problem per se but the debate around it in our society definitely is. The great covenant of desi parents have a silent vow to “solve” homosexuality by shadi.

Two aunties talking:

“Midhat Ka Beta Thura Taira Hai.”

“Uff Allah! Kuch Naheen Houta. Shadi Key Baad Theek Hujaye Ga.”

10.Success

It does not matter if you have a good job, make good money and have a fulfilling life. Desi parents would make that seem like a problem too. True that success may make a person arrogant and over-confident but how can shadi bring humility to one’s life? Desi parents know best.

Two aunties chatting:

“Yasmeen, Uska Beta Mahinay Key 250,000 Rs Kama Raha Hai.”

“Waqai? Unhein Chahyeh Uski Shadi Kardain Jaldi Se.”

Have you heard more reasons that desi parents give to shadi- you off? Tell us by commenting, sharing and writing for us.

Is it possible to be a “Liberal” in Pakistan? Over the years, this term has become a new insult in our society, the moment one identifies themselves as followers of this ideology, they are bombarded with everything from mockery to Astaghfirullah to patriotism tests. Here’s a quick look at 7 experiences one witnesses if they call themselves a Liberal in Pakistan.

1) You are a “Pseudo Liberal”

It’s just not possible to be a liberal in Pakistan. The moment you try to advocate liberalism in any digital forum, you are bombarded with words like “Pseudo Liberal” and “Libtard”

2) You are just another “American Wannabe”

Since you are a citizen of the “Islamic Republic of Pakistan” so the only ideology you should advocate is the religious one, if you follow anything else, particularly the one followed in the west, you’re doing it just because you’re American wannabe.

3) You are working on Western agenda to promote “Fahaashi” in Pakistan.

While most of the liberals genuinely believe in liberal principles like free speech, equality, civil liberties, advocating it in public space equates to just one conclusion i.e. your agenda of promoting Behayai and Fahaashi in Pakistan and that’s when you are told:

“di$ iz n0t w3sT! dIz iX i$L@mIc sTAt3 br00”

4) The false binaries of equating you to be as bad as extremists and terrorists.

“Pakistan is suffering from two extremes, one is religious extremism which is followed by the Taliban, while the other is liberal extremism followed by these liberal extremists.”

^ If you are a liberal, you must have come across something like this quite often making you wonder how can one be naive enough to equate a group of people destroying schools, slaughter kids, bombing public places with people who merely criticize the popular narrative through their speech but then, who really wants to think here?

5) The dollar and the visa game.

If you’re a liberal in Pakistan, you are either doing it for the Dollars the CIA is paying you or simply because you want an American visa, there is no third option and definitely not the option of following the political philosophy after actually reading it.

6) People confuse you to be “Elite” even if you are a Sakhat Middle Classy.

Due to some twisted logic, liberalism is stereotyped with English speaking elite class of Pakistan. So don’t be surprised if you are labeled a “burger bacha” despite belonging to middle or lower middle class.

7) The struggle of explaining the difference between liberalism and atheism and secularism and basically every ism.

“You can either be Muslim or Liberal” Okay? Acha.

When you’re liberal you spend most of your time explaining the difference between being atheist and being liberal.to people who believe being atheist, liberal, secularist, communist, socialist, feminist is basically same thing i.e. Kufr.

Despite all the demonetization of Liberalism in Pakistan, Pakistanis ironically support the liberal principles abroad. Majority of Pakistanis living in Canada voted for the current Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. We support liberal values when we are in a minority because that’s when, it is the liberals who speak for equality, who protest against suppression of Muslims, however, when a liberal in Pakistan wishes to create awareness about injustices in their country targeting minority groups like Ahmedis, Christians, Hindus, and Shias, that’s something we don’t appreciate. As a result, liberalism in West is acceptable while a liberal in Pakistan following the same values is nothing more than a “pseudo-liberal” working on anti-Pakistan agenda to “defame” Pakistan.

Be it Karachi to Pindi or Kansas to Paris, Pakistanis can be spotted with a few staple/ standard informally qaumi(national) things that they do no matter where they go. It is an utter happiness to see another Pakistani when you’re traveling abroad; you can relate to them more and realize that all of us are the same in one way or the other. Listed below are some trademarks of every Pakistani going abroad

1.Social Media Update aka #TravelDiaries Farz Hai: How many times in a month do you encounter falana falana falana traveling to falana from Benazir Bhutto International Airport, insert: emo quote about being passionate about travel and wanderlust.
Yep, you got it. Except going to the loo, we update almost everything that goes on the day, hence, travel update is mandatory. That also reminds me how one of my colleagues gets sad every time his/her friend travels, it just ticks the wanderer inside him/her (despite traveling the whole world already! Pfft.)

Source: Giphy.com

2. Mandatory Phone Call: ID? Check. Passport? Check. Charger? Check. A phone call to Ammi, Abu, Taya, Chachi, Mami, Mamoo, Khaansama, Mali, Boss, Neighbors? Phew! It isn’t necessarily an attempt to imply that you’re showing-off your ecstatic travel but our Pakistani life revolves around so many people that it is sometimes important to keep everyone in the loop. One wonders who’s going to look after dad/ If the Khaansama has the extra key/ If the boss still remembers the email you sent him/her, also to double-check their reaction. (oops, I hope mine isn’t reading!)

Source: Giphy.com

3. Selfies With Fellow Passengers: Confession: I have done this. Only once!
Well, it’s kind of fair when you’re doing 16 hour long flights with boring layovers and chapters of sleep deprivation!( Oh god, don’t even get me started). Anyway, Pakistanis are known for their hospitality, perhaps that’s what brings them at ease while conversing with people of all ethnicities and regions.

But first, let me take a selfie.

Source: Letras.com

4. Rishta Aunty’s Paradise: What’s our mom’s and aunty’s favorite hobby: Matchmaking! Yes, you got it right. Be it a wedding, birthday party, or a long journey, an efficient Rishta aunty never leaves a chance to let her skills go unnoticed. They’re the living example of cctv cameras. How to spot on? As soon as they ask you, “aur bete aap kya karte ho? Ammi Abu kya karte hain?” That’s a smart trick that aunties do because the poor victim can’t even escape while on a plane/ train/ bus. Tadaa!

Qabool hai.

Source: Gfycat.com

5. Take Homemade Food Along: Many coolios consider it a cheap stunt but I feel it’s a good and healthy practice to take along a home cooked snack when you travel. A lot of Pakistanis are looked down upon for doing that. Remember the 90s when we used to go to picnics and would take along ghar ka khana, it was so much fun, right? *expects you to nod*. Why not though? A. It’s healthy
B. It’s clean, you know nothing fishy is going on
C. It suits your taste buds and the chances of it going wasted are less.
*Takes a bite of her homemade chicken while typing this blog*

Source: theodysseyonline.com

6. Fill-in Cash in Every Pocket( Zaroori Hai, Bhai): Something I’ve seen only my Pakistani friends and family do. We live in a country full of muggers and pocket-pickers, however, we have sought the way around to make ourselves go less-broke. It’s a brilliant hack to keep some cash in breast-pocket, some in the wallet, some in the jacket pocket, whatever pocket you know. Also keep a tab of it somewhere in a small diary/ the notepad on your smartphone. You won’t get completely mugged, trust me on this.

Source: giphy.com

7. Lota FTW: Definition of lota: “a round water pot, typically of polished brass” – Oxford Dictionary

As a Pakistani, you miss your country the most when you’re at a high-end cafe in the West and there’s no jet-spray(a.k.a Muslim shower) or Lota in the loo. Oops, daisy! No paper-towel, no toilet paper, nothing satisfies us more than water while in the loo. Hence, if you see someone carrying water bottles or lota(which is a bliss), you know they’re from the subcontinent origin. No shame in our game, bruh!

Source: blogs.tribune.com.pk

8. Cigarettes in bulk?: Every time I ask a friend if they want something from Pakistan, their first reply is, “Marlboro ki dandee” (one big stick of Marlboro cigarettes). Reason being,
Pakistan has cheaper cigarettes than most places.
Pakistani brands are unmatchable to international ones.

Source: popkey.co

9. Shalwar Kameez Because Qaumi, Comfy, and Cool: Alright, let’s get this straight. There’s no other comfortable attire than shalwar kameez. We dig the comfy and homely feel it gives us. It’s also suitable for all kinds of weathers unless of course, it’s freezing! Qaumi, comfy, aur cool hai jee.

Source: memegenerator.net

10. Caffeine Please?!: Chai chahaiye! Anytime, anywhere, any kind. Us Pakistanis live on chai and coffee. It’s really simple to spot a Pakistani while traveling abroad: the teabag says it all. Just like cigarette packs, we love taking along our own brand of tea wherever we go in the world.

Source: Gify.com

Yours sincerely,

A Dil Say Pakistani