#maskedidentity

We wear a mask and play a role, But what do they truly know? 

Do they see the pain we hide, Or just the mask we wear with pride?

The thoughts of others we can't control, But in our hearts, we must be whole. 

For only then can we be free, Unbound by what they think of thee.

Masked Identity

“Creature of the Earth”

Materials - Wire, tracing paper, tape, gel medium, ink

Dimensions - 18 in x 19 in x 13 in

by Sadia Dogar

Who is the woman on your Facebook page zara? Is she you? No, really. Is she the woman who stays in her untidy, un pressed casual dress whole day, who hardly combs her hair while at home, runs out of groceries very often , and agonizes over the 'nakhras' of her maid? Or is she the you who works out, eats out at upscale eateries, visits lawn exhibitions and is a social  butterfly?

This response is not very uncommon about the people one knows both in 'actual reality' and 'virtual reality'.  By looking at the online image of these folks on the cyber space, specially the social media, one cannot help but envy them, but wait. is it worth it? the answer is simple, plain , big NO. As our social media life is the life that we want people to believe we lead, that’s the selective self representation. it’s not so much that they are glossifying their life in the digital realm, but that the web enables them to highlight a part of themselves that doesn’t get enough play in the real world. Never before have we had such a platform to express ourselves, nor such flexibility in how we do this.  Have a song that describes your day?  Post it.  Brought a new pair of shoes?  Show them off.  Annoyed at a colleague?  Go ahead and vent!   Social-networking sites, a product of the 21st century, provide new access to the self as an object. By providing multiple opportunities for selective self-presentation—through photos, personal details, and witty comments—social-networking sites exemplify how modern technology sometimes forces us to reconsider how we portray our image to the world.

But, let’s take a moment here for some introspection; does our ‘virtual’ reality complement our ‘real’ reality? Seldom…. And how it affects our happiness or sadness? Profoundly. When one scrolls down his/her social media profiles the page is loaded with perceived realities;  friends wearing designer dresses, going out for dinners, having quality time with family, we go awe-struck and into the mood of self-pity-Oh my God why am I not entitled to such a happening life, why I cant be that lucky, why my life is so boring- but hardly we realize that our friends on social media have almost all the problems that we have got in our lives, and that it took them 100 photos to pick ‘the one” to be posted online, on the basis of which we are getting frustrated.

BARELY. lmao, no, I really tried but dude, this chapter is 8,000 FREAKIN’ WORDS long when typically I shoot for 3-4,000. So yeah, it’s taking me longer to edit than I’d anticipated. (Time management is not one of my skills obviously haha oops)

Nope, it's airing tomorrow at 7:50 pm GMT on BBC1. it's also airing at 2:50 pm EST, 1:50 pm CT, 12:50 pm MT and 11:50 am PT on BBC America. In Canada it will be airing on SPACE at 2:50 pm or 11:50 am depending on your time zone and in Australia it will air on November 24th on ABC at 6:50 am, 6:20 am, 5:20 am, and 3:50 am depending on where you reside (you can look more clearly at the picture here)

Meanwhile thousands of fans will also be viewing the episode in cinemas (both in 3D and 2D) across the world as it's being simulcasted.