Young Saudis find freedom on their phones

In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, many young Saudis depend on apps for their daily lives. Since they lack free speech and can't flirt with people in public places, they resort to using Twitter, WhatsApp, and Snapchat to communicate. Many women who have trouble finding jobs use Instagram to sell food and jewelry. Apps are also very useful in finding out how much time they have before a store or restaurant closes for their five daily Muslim prayers. Apps are essential for these young Saudis and the number of people using social media is rapidly increasing. It is important to note that this has not replaced face-to-face communication, but has allowed an alternative for people to avoid strict censorship that prevent each other from communicating. There have been huge economic benefits from these social media sites, like Instagram and YouTube. These social media sites have opened doors for these people, and have even brought couples together.

For more information, please refer to: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/23/world/middleeast/saudi-arabia-youths-c...