With the advent of Ramadan, people tend to spend more hours using social networking websites, with Facebook and Twitter being the most popular platforms in Pakistan. The major reason for this routine, they say, is the ample time they have as work hours are shortened in Ramadan. If one is addicted to Facebook, they are updating statuses at all times, be it Sehr time or Iftar.
Having to rise early for Sehr and stay up till late for prayers, timetables experience a polar shift in Ramadan, and everything gets rescheduled. All institutions and offices close earlier and people have a lot of time for rest and other activities. Therefore, activities which do not consume too much energy gain popularity. With the internet now accessible through mobile phones, whenever people find time they log on to social networking websites such as Facebook.
A college student, Naveed, 19, says his routine has changed completely: “Though my routine was already upset due to vacations, since the advent of Ramadan it has become even weirder. After Taravih prayers and dinner, it is already one in the morning – therefore, I prefer not to sleep as it gets difficult to rise for Sehr. And the best way to kill time during the night is provided by these sites,” he said.
Ambar, 21, a journalism student, said she had recently joined Facebook and it was good for passing time during the fast: “Unlike the routine of usual days, in Ramadan the entire day is devoted to either sleeping or ‘Facebooking’,” she said. A satellite communication engineer, Kamal Bukhari, commented: “When you leave offices early because of Ramadan, and have nothing to do, then social networking sites are the best places for passing time.”
Ali, a bank employee, said that he was amazed to see people logged in even at Sehr and Iftar. Some statuses and tweets of people about Sehr and Iftar:
A facebook user, Umer Farooqi, wrote on his Facebook page on Sunday at 3.03am:
“Sehr at Marcopolo n its just WoW, seriously.”
Another, Moazzam Abbas wrote to his friend on Facebook “I haven’t been able to digest the food yet!!! Have u?? Btw todays Iftar at MIAN AMIR MEHMOODS palace was a great get together ;)”
Prominent personalities have also been sharing their Sehr and Iftar plans with fans on these networking sites.
Marvi Memon tweeted on Thursday:
“Waiting for Iftar. Headache gettin worse. Tomrw wil do proper Sehri! Ary at 5.30pm today”
She wrote early morning on Friday early morning:
“Dinner n Sehr together. Kebabs from a tweeple.”
Imran Khan’s official Facebook page updated a status regarding Imran’s Iftar and Sehr at a sit-in in Islamabad:
“Imran Khah has arrived at D-Chowk for Iftar-to-Sehr Dharna. I request all patriotic Pakistanis living in Islamabad & Rawalpindi to join PTI Dharna at D-chowk in-front of Parliament House.”
