Aunties and the Internet – Pakistani homemakers exploring the web
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Internet is finally making inroads into one of the major segments of our society, the housewives / homemakers. It’s true. Pakistani women who never had any idea or knowledge of IT and Web are now seriously seeking guidance in this regard.
I just went through this insightful article written by a mom in the Sunday magazine of daily DAWN. Herein the lady describes how she was introduced to the Cyber World by her children while paralyzed by an illness. She now confesses to have become an addict of the web.
Women constitutes around half of the Pakistani population. Surely, Pakistan is rapidly accepting the importance of women empowerment and more and more women are coming into the practical life. As more women enter professional, legal and governmental offices, many are still braving the efforts of the toughest profession in the world – homemaking.
Many Pakistani women, especially those lying in the middle age brackets are coming to the fold of cyberworld. With an increased use of chatting or blogging, the virtual communities provide them with a social front to successfully open their minds and hearts out in.
Here allow me to narrate the case of my elder maternal aunt. Coming from an upwardly mobile segment of Pakistani society, she was facing neglect and rejection as her children were always busy in their jobs and lives. Having little interest in the “idiot box†and socializing, she was facing serious consequences. As per the psychologist advice, she started taking interest in the web. Now this behavior has totally transformed her life. She now regularly browses the Internet for around two hours daily. Although she is not interested in blogging or chatting, but as we all know, Internet has much more to offer.
Social networking websites such as GotKidsNetwork, ParentsConnect, and Minti let parents / new parents connect with other similar people quickly to discover, share and discuss answers to the toughest of questions regarding raising kids and managing homes (they are excellent resources!). Websites like Geni help connect with the family and share photos in a super-simple way. Finally, the hundreds of recipe sharing websites let people discover food from all over the world, including niche food such as “vegan” food for people interested.
So aunties get ready for the enchanting ride. Let’s get more and more people on board the web community train to create a more healthy online ecosystem. I am waiting for the response of our female readers in this regard. I want to know what they have to share with us. Regards
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