My City Part 2

Lahore is a changed city. Apart from the changes in time, situation, economy or the infrastructure; there is something else going on within the city’s upper-middle to upper society that has contributed to the change and needs our attention. Consumerism.  

Advertisement channels are flooded with promotions of consumer items luring masses with attractions that are nothing but worthless. My focus here is on three kinds of such items in particular; mobile networks, clothing and eateries. Every other day there is a new package offered from the major mobile networks claiming lowest call rates, fastest internet connectivity and as much as unlimited SMS. Each one of these packages is advertised grandly; and by grandly I mean TV ad every two minutes and on huge billboards all over the city. What’s most disturbing is youth as the target audience of such mobile networks specifically. It’s almost cheap and cunning. 

Flashing beside a mobile network advertisement you see a billboard announcing the launch of a lawn collection. What started as an exclusive thing by a few of the oldest and the most reputable brands like Gul Ahmed and AlKaram is now expanded to a large number of people calling themselves designers; launching crazy expensive volume after volume of lawn collection multiple times during a single season. The same can be said for clothing lines and brands of all kinds. 

And where do you go wearing your ‘branded’ outfits? Well, it’s all settled for. Every other day there is a new fancy restaurant opening with food prices that can make your eyeballs pop out. But the restaurant business thrive and flourish no matter how high they set the prices of their food because eating out is probably the most popular source of entertainment for us modern Lahoris.  

All of this makes you think what’s becoming of us. It’s like two alternate universes; one has a sheer deprivation of energy resources, basic human needs and peace while the other one revolves around how best to blend in and keep up with the rapidly changing trends. The contrast is absurd and random. And we are the pawns in the game of consumerism – glad and oblivious. It’s surprising how we don’t as much as bat a lash before taking out an outrageous amount of money paying for such stuff. Because we are doing as Romans did in Rome.

All around, there is a race of keeping up with the changes. No one minds it. We’re all in it. But this move towards modernity is making us materialistic. This wonderful city is shifting rapidly away from its roots, struggling to find a new identity while making no effort to hold on to or preserve its chastity and originality.