1. Streaming services

Photo credit: Business Pundit

We are witnessing the decline of piracy, when a legion of intrepid anonymice would upload and download dubious content with reckless abandon. Redemption is here in the form of Netflix (and the harsh crackdown on all those poor Torrenting sites). Now we can all be upstanding culture consumers who subscribe, pay and stream!

2. Careem

Photo credit: digitaldips.pk

No more carpooling, begging your brother for a lift, or gingerly hailing down a decrepit yellow-and-black taxi. All you need to do is call, book, pay and travel. And the best bit? If you are feeling particularly swanky (or in the mood to burn cash), you can even splurge on a limo and experience that ‘going to prom’ feeling that was such a staple of rom-coms back in the day.

3. Selling/buying online

Photo credit: http://blog.1and1.com/

Despite low credit/debit card penetration and a healthy scepticism (read: paranoia) of online transactions, there’s a myriad of buying/selling groups on Facebook where you can offload anything from a car to a watch.

4. Body monitoring/internables

Photo credit: fitbit.com

With Fitbit and smartphone apps, people are tracking their physical activity, nutrition and a host of other health indicators daily and easily.

5. Consumers as journalists

Photo credit: Samanthacheney.com

Thanks to the power of social media, we all have a voice and express it freely, whether we are reviewing a brand, castigating our politicians, or debating existentialism.

Sara Qureshi is a marketing professional working in Pakistan. saraqureshi75@gmail.com