A Nation Online — But Not Always Aware
From misinformation to honey-trap kidnappings, digital chaos is spiraling out of control — and only an informed society can stop it. In today’s digital age, mobile phones have become an inseparable part of our lives. Whether children or adults, men or women, everyone seems perpetually absorbed in their screens. Yet, while some people are partially aware of media literacy, the majority remain completely unfamiliar with it. This lack of understanding is quietly fueling many of our social and moral problems.
When Everyone Becomes a Journalist
It now feels as if Pakistan has hundreds of millions of self-proclaimed journalists. The rise of citizen journalism has given everyone the power to report news, express opinions, and post content online. But the challenge lies in the absence of ethical awareness.
Very few people know what to say and what to withhold — or understand the difference between journalism and public relations. Even fewer know how to correct misinformation once it spreads. This ignorance has turned our digital space into a breeding ground for confusion and chaos.
The Viral Spread of Misinformation
This confusion has birthed an endless stream of falsehoods. During moments of political or regional tension, scenes from video games have been circulated as real footage of cross-border attacks. Similarly, fabricated stories about polio vaccines and public health programs have deepened mistrust, making it harder for institutions to manage crises and control diseases.
Digital Crime: From Hackers to Blackmailers
The damage doesn’t stop at fake news. Cybercrime is becoming alarmingly common — WhatsApp accounts hacked, fake job offers used to steal data, and entire bank accounts wiped out.
Privacy breaches have become so frequent that victims suffer anxiety, depression, and in some cases, tragic consequences. Crimes such as online harassment, blackmail, and honey-trap schemes have also multiplied, exploiting personal vulnerabilities for profit.
The Honey-Trap Crisis in South Punjab and Sindh
In several regions of South Punjab and Sindh, honey-trap scams have evolved into full-scale kidnapping and ransom operations. Victims — often young men lured through fake romantic profiles — are invited to private locations where they are ambushed, recorded, and extorted.
Recent police crackdowns have uncovered gangs demanding ransom amounts running into millions of rupees, sometimes threatening to leak compromising videos if payments are not made. What began as digital deception has morphed into organized crime, merging emotional exploitation with physical danger.
Social media, once a tool of connection, is now becoming a hunting ground for predators who know how to turn curiosity into captivity.
The Power and the Peril of the Digital World
To be fair, digital platforms also open doors to opportunity. Many professionals earn livelihoods online; students access global education; and young people develop creative skills that were once unimaginable.
Yet the darker side continues to grow. In the race for likes and “reels,” unethical content is often disguised as humor — pranks promoting deceit or theft. From clips showing how to dodge restaurant bills to tutorials on petty scams, such “entertainment” normalizes wrongdoing. If this is what the next generation consumes daily, what kind of society are we building?
A Generation Raised Without Guidance
Pakistan lacks a comprehensive institutional response to these challenges. Gen Z — born into the digital world — needs guidance the most, yet our education system remains behind. Today, every smartphone owner is effectively a broadcaster. Without literacy, that power can harm far more than it helps.
Teaching Media Literacy as a Civic Necessity
It is time to treat media and information literacy as essential civic education. Schools, colleges, and universities must teach students how to verify sources, detect manipulation, and critically evaluate information.
Only a media-literate generation can distinguish truth from propaganda and use technology for national progress rather than collective confusion.
The Final Word
No one is safe from the wildfire of misinformation — not politics, not the state, not institutions, and not citizens. The only real defense is awareness.
Media literacy must not remain an academic buzzword; it should become a civic shield — protecting Pakistan from the very chaos it unknowingly creates every time it scrolls, shares, or posts.
