By Alia Zarar Khan
I came across an inappropriate video that recently went viral across Pakistan, shameless, morally objectionable eliciting a strong public reaction. The content not just compelled widespread discussion, not because it demanded reflection, but because it was turned into entertainment. As an active social media user, the reaction caught my eye, leading me to further look into the full context. What followed was not merely a controversy about a video, but a troubling reflection of how quickly public outrage in the digital age can mutate into casual amusement. The speed with which such content circulates, and the ease with which it is stripped of seriousness, speaks volumes about the shifting moral thresholds within our online spaces.
In a country grappling with economic pressure, political instability, social injustice and widespread mental health challenges, the appetite for trivializing indecency appears both misplaced and deeply unsettling. What was most concerning for me was how many people treated the incident humorously, creating videos, memes, and commentary as if it were something amusing. This response reveals a great deal about what is widely consumed, accepted, and normalized by the public at large in our country where we have much paramount issues to focus on. This culture of instant mockery exposes a deeper malaise. When serious matters are converted into jokes, the line between accountability and entertainment blurs.
Social media platforms, designed to connect and inform, increasingly reward spectacle over sensitivity. The algorithms favor virality, not values, and users often comply willingly, chasing fleeting attention rather than pausing to consider the ethical weight of what they are amplifying. The scandal involving a woman and a man called Umair (Mairi) was further romanticized when people began comparing the name of male individual to Marie biscuits and I came across a video where a woman was saying, this is me, that’s my fridge and this is my Marie biscuits. Such mockery illustrates how quickly a serious and deeply inappropriate incident was made light of, reflecting a disturbing normalization of vulgarity and moral irresponsibility.
In these moments, ridicule becomes a collective performance. The individuals involved are reduced to caricatures, stripped of dignity, and endlessly recycled for humour. The harm inflicted is not only personal but societal. Each joke, each parody, reinforces the message that decency is optional and empathy expendable. It would have been far more constructive if people had chosen to halt the further propagation of video altogether, responsibly reporting it through the proper channel or social platforms, reflecting on the apparent moral and mental condition of the individuals involved, suggesting rehabilitation, guidance, or extended support. Instead, the dominant reaction was ridicule and exploitation for fleeting views and likes.
This failure to pause, to report rather than repost, underlines a collective abdication of responsibility. Digital citizenship demands restraint, yet restraint is increasingly absent. The compulsion to participate in online mockery appears stronger than the instinct to protect human dignity. I deliberately refrain from commenting on social class, as even seemingly educated looking individuals participated in this behavior. Throwing filth at others is easy, what is harder is questioning our own integrity: songs were made, comparisons were drawn, and the scandal was turned into a sensational display. Education, it seems, has not guaranteed ethical clarity. The incident cut across class and status, exposing a shared vulnerability to moral complacency. When mockery becomes mainstream, introspection becomes rare.
I find it deeply disturbing to even write about this incident. Yet, as someone stepping into the world of writing and public discourse, I believe silence would be a failure of responsibility. We must realize that morality is no optional adornment, it is the foundation upon which our humanity stands and social media, when used without restraint, has the power to distort values, erode ethical norms, and normalize conduct that should instead be questioned and discouraged. An editorial, at its best, does not merely condemn but urges reflection. This moment demands precisely that. The question is not only about one video, but about who we are becoming as a society that consumes, shares and laughs without consequence.
Government authorities and law enforcement agencies should take appropriate action and prevent the continued circulation and normalization of such contents as remaining silent allows such behavior to flourish unchecked. Regulation alone will not resolve the deeper issue, but silence from institutions only emboldens excess. Responsibility lies equally with platforms, policymakers and citizens. Without a renewed commitment to restraint, empathy and moral clarity, the digital public square risks becoming a mirror of our worst instincts rather than our shared conscience.
(The writer is a law graduate and advocate of the high court in Pakistan, currently based in Saudi Arabia, can be reached at editorial@metro-morning.com)
