arsalan ahmad
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Can Social Media Win Elections? The Digital Battlefield of Modern Politics
Introduction Once upon a time, elections were won on debate stages, in smoky campaign offices, or through television ads that ran on repeat until the night before voting day. Today, the story is very different. A candidate’s viral TikTok or Instagram reel can capture more attention than a nationally televised debate. A meme can define a politician’s image more effectively than an entire press conference. In the modern era, politics is not just about policies and promises — it is about playing the algorithm.
By arsalan ahmad4 months ago in Art
The Day That Changed Everything: Remembering 9/11 Through Ordinary Voices
On the morning of September 11, 2001, America woke up to a day that felt like any other. The late summer sky over New York City was clear and blue, the kind of morning that makes people pause to notice the beauty of an ordinary day. Commuters hurried into Manhattan, children walked to school, and office workers rode elevators into the World Trade Center, not knowing it would be their last day.
By arsalan ahmad4 months ago in History
“Brewing Creativity: How One Coffee Shop Turned Art Into a Business Model
Brewing Creativity: How One Coffee Shop Turned Art Into a Business Model Most small coffee shops survive on regulars, good espresso, and maybe a well-placed Wi-Fi router. But one café in my city found an unexpected path to success—by letting customers sketch in notebooks.
By arsalan ahmad4 months ago in Art
The Day My Phone Died — And I Actually Lived
I didn’t realize how much my phone was a lifeline until it gave up on me. It was a random Tuesday morning. I rolled out of bed, half awake, reached for my phone, and pressed the power button. Nothing. I plugged it in, tapped the screen, shook it a little like a stubborn remote. Still nothing. My phone was dead.
By arsalan ahmad4 months ago in Confessions
When the Algorithm Knows You Better Than You Do
I didn’t plan to spend the night with an algorithm. Honestly, I just wanted background noise while I tried to convince myself to finish a job application I’d been putting off. But when I opened my music app, it showed me a new feature: “Hyper-Personalized Playlist: Just for You, Tonight.”
By arsalan ahmad4 months ago in Confessions
The Summer the Streets Melted
The first thing I remember about that July morning was the silence. Cities are rarely quiet, but the heat pressed down on every surface like a heavy blanket, smothering sound. Even the birds were missing, as though they had flown away in search of cooler skies.
By arsalan ahmad4 months ago in Earth
I Tried Living a Week Without AI
I didn’t realize how much I depended on artificial intelligence until I tried to cut it out of my life. It started as a casual thought while scrolling headlines: Could I survive without AI for a week? At first, it sounded easy. After all, I don’t build robots or program code. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized AI quietly runs in the background of almost everything I do. Recommendation systems, autocorrect, playlists, navigation, search results—it’s all AI.
By arsalan ahmad4 months ago in Journal
Letters From a Stranger
The first envelope arrived on a gray Monday morning. Daniel nearly stepped on it as he left for work, a plain white slip folded neatly in half, no stamp, no handwriting on the outside. He thought at first it was an advertisement, one of those flyers that drift onto porches in the night.
By arsalan ahmad4 months ago in Fiction
The Day the World Stopped Using Mirrors
It began on a morning like any other. People rose from their beds, shuffled to their bathrooms, and discovered that their mirrors no longer worked. Not cracked, not clouded, not broken — simply blank. Glass still shined, but it reflected nothing. You could press your palm against it and see only the dim outline of your hand through the glass, like pressing against a window at night.
By arsalan ahmad4 months ago in Fiction
The Café Where Time Stood Still
The rain was relentless that afternoon, washing the streets in silvery streaks that reflected neon signs and hurried umbrellas. I ducked into a narrow alley, hoping for a shortcut, when I saw it: a small café tucked between two tall buildings, almost as if it had been hiding from the world. Its sign read simply “Café Temps.”
By arsalan ahmad4 months ago in Fiction
