By: Engineer Bakht Said Yousafzai
In today’s world, humanity has surrendered its soul to a screen. The mobile phone, once a tool of convenience, has become a silent master controlling our lives. From the moment we wake up, our first act is not prayer or reflection, but checking notifications. The calm that once began our mornings has vanished, replaced by the glow of screens. Life now feels confined within a phone, and man has become a prisoner of his own invention.
There was a time when families shared evenings over tea, laughter, and heartfelt conversations. Today, even while sitting together, everyone is lost in separate digital worlds. One scrolls through TikTok, another browses Facebook, while someone else compares their life to others on Instagram. We call it connection, yet we’ve never been more disconnected. What we call progress has quietly distanced hearts and replaced emotions with emojis.
Each time I visit Pakistan, I see this tragedy more clearly. Guests come home, yet everyone is glued to their phones. Friends meet not to talk, but to take pictures for social media. Happiness is now measured in likes, not in laughter. People look joyful in photos but carry loneliness inside.
Social media promised to unite us, but it has instead divided us. Relationships now depend on Wi-Fi, not warmth. Parents and children live under the same roof, but in separate worlds. Conversations have turned into texts, and emotions into symbols. We are always online, yet our hearts remain offline.
Technology has made life faster, but not fuller. Information is easy to access, but peace is harder to find. When sadness strikes, instead of prayer or reflection, we open an app, hoping to scroll away the emptiness. But the more we scroll, the emptier we feel.
Children’s lives have changed too. Gone are the days of outdoor laughter and play. Today’s childhood is spent behind screens, lost in games and videos. Fingers move fast, but hearts stay still. The result is a generation restless, isolated, and emotionally weak.
We live in a time rich in technology, but poor in connection. Artificial intelligence is rising, but human sensitivity is fading. Love is now expressed through emojis, care through messages, and friendship through followers. Families live together, but share less. These are not just changes, they are warnings of a world losing its humanity.
The Holy Qur’an reminds us, “He is the One who made you successors on earth, to test which of you is best in deeds.” (Surah Al-Mulk, 67:2) The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, “There are two blessings many people are deceived by, health and free time.” (Bukhari, 6412) Yet both are being wasted today on screens and endless scrolling.
It’s time to pause and reflect. Are we truly living, or just pretending online? Let’s reconnect with what truly matters, our families, our faith, and our hearts. Speak more, scroll less. Love more, post less. Because real happiness doesn’t come from a glowing screen, but from a glowing heart.
