Editorial :

Asurvey into national happiness levels reveals a depressing picture of life for young people in Britain. Conducted for BBC Radio 3, the study says that the 16-to 24-years-old Britons, the so-called Facebook generation, are lonelier than any other age group, even pensioners.

The depressing picture that emerged from the report says that one in three said they were bored with their lives, compared to just eight percent of pensioners, and 28 percent complained that loneliness was making them unhappy. More than a quarter revealed they turned to alcohol for comfort, and half admitted to using junk food as an emotional crutch.

With nearly 500 million users, Facebook is connecting us in anew way and redefining our relationships. Time magazine in their recent cover story shows how Facebook has changed our social DNA, ‘Making us more accustomed to openess.’ But social pundits have already started asking questions as to what extent we will permit openness. Psychologists are also wary about effectiveness of Facebook in building relationships.

‘Real friendships are made through shared experiences and bonds. Some soical networking “friends” are barely even acquaintances, without any real meaning or intimacy,’ says Behavioural psychologist Jo Hemmings.

Central to the idea of the formation of a nation or a community are notions of collective belonging, a mutual sense of community that a group of individuals imagines it shares. A sense of mutual, national belonging is manufactured by performance ofvarious narratives, rituals and symbols which stimulate an individual’s sense of being a member of a select group. Our art and culture and most importantly our festivals are key elements in connecting us and bind us as a nation or a community.

We have packed our festival issue with utmost care to details from highlighting Eid wardrobe, gourmet foods to extensive shopping list. We would like to make most of it by giving gifts and makeing meaningful social networking.