By Fazal Khaliq
MINGORA: Children in Swat, without any tension of power loadshedding, have access to the Facebook, this time not on the screens of their computers and mobile phones but in shops to eat it.
Owing to its popularity in teens and minors, Facebook, one of the biggest social media has engaged about 1.49 billion users monthly. However, in Swat, the long hours of loadshedding has refrained young Facebook users from using it regularly.
Though the government has no immediate solution to resolve loadshedding, however, snacks’ manufacturers have come up with an interesting way out to give an alternative; Facebook snacks, available in the streets to eat and do party.
“Both, the social media Facebook and the Facebook snacks, have socializing factors in it. Friends meet and connect on the social media while friends meet in streets and eat the snacks and socialize,” Ahmad Ali, a social activist in Minogra said.
Vertical increase has been recorded in the users of Facebook in Swat where not only students but illiterate people have also started to use the social media and connect with friends.
“The use of social media is so high presently that young people spend much of their time on it and this is why everyone, whether educated or illiterate, know about Facebook and has got popularity among all walks of life,” said Sarfarz Khan, another social activist.
Owing to its popularity, the snacks manufacturers in Mingora grabbed the opportunity to get benefit of it, and have named their snacks after Facebook.
Children eat Facebook snacks in Amankot, Swat (Photo: Fazal Khaliq)
“Children like the snacks as the name Facebook is more familiar to them as they use it in their computers so they love to buy it. They are cheaper from other snacks too as a small pack is available on Rs 5 only,” said Suliman Khan a shopkeeper in Chinar Colony, adding that the snacks got abrupt popularity among young people after it was introduced in the market.
Apart from Facebook, other snacks like Loadshedding, Drone Baba, Time Pass , Gabin and many other brands available in Mingora.
