Letter To The Editor


“Curiosity about life in all of its aspects, I think, is still the secret of great creative people.” – Leo Burnett



The dangers of crane-handling cattle

Cruelty to animals occurs during production, handling, transport, and slaughter in most countries where Islam is a major religion. Most of the people involved in this, such as those involved in the transport of animals, animal handlers, and butchers, are Muslims. However, many Muslims and Islamic religious leaders are not aware of this cruelty. Islam is a religion that shows compassion to animals. Despite of that, animal cruelty has been on the rise in Pakistan. In recent years, the dangerous practice of lifting cattle specifically cows by crane on Eid-ul-Adha has increased rapidly in Pakistan. This year also this trend was seen in the streets of Pakistan and pictures of cruelty to animals are becoming viral on social media. Cows were seen being hoisted by a crane from buildings’ roof in preparation for Eid-ul-Adha. Numerous spectators were seen cheering when the hoist was raised throughout the streets, which stresses the animal out even more. There have been numerous horrifying incidents when cows have perished after falling from cranes. In recent years, whenever such pictures were shared on social media, people criticised them fiercely. But no concrete steps were taken by the Pakistani authorities to stop cruelty to animals. According to animal rights groups, the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (1890) of Pakistan is out of date. Rescue workers claim that even though the government just made animal cruelty a crime, sanctions alone will not stop mistreatment. Concrete steps must to taken to halt this practice. Although, as per recent news, a law is soon going to be passed for animal cruelty. But how long would that take? Will there be any check and balance? Will people continue violating animal rights even after the law is passed and sanctions are imposed?

Muhammad Ibad,
Karachi.

Oversharing on social media and mental health

We all know ‘those’ people. They may be in our family. They may be in our circle of friends. I’m talking about the ones who overshare on social media. You know, give you the minute-by-minute detail of their lives and those who post endless selfies. Social media is a place to engage with each other and have fun – share memories, share good times and bad, share experiences. Not share everything short of when you use the restroom. Oversharing on social media has become a problem. People are using platforms as their online diaries, broadcasting their personal grievances and details of their children’s lives for the entire world to see. This oversharing has negative effects on our mental health. FOMO (fear of missing out) has a big effect on oversharing and often a bigger detrimental effect on mental health, it can often lead to extreme dissatisfaction. If you don’t receive the ‘appropriate’ amount of likes and comments users may internalise the belief that they are unpopular or unliked by their peers. The need for validation by others can cause you to share unfavourable or ‘attention-seeking’ posts to gain the attention you aren’t receiving otherwise. Many mental health conditions such as bipolar, depression, or anxiety can also cause oversharing. It can be a way to self gratify when you get attention from like-minded people who encourage you to relish in unhealthy behaviours. If you aren’t receiving validation from those around you about your mental health, you can often turn to the internet to supplement this. But how can one stop oversharing? Figuring out the time and place to overshare, and understanding its effects on your mental health can be a useful activity, but the first step is learning when you overshare and how you can reel it in.

Javeria Zia,
Karachi.


RELATED POST

COMMENTS