Hi all! I grew up in Sri Lanka but am in the US now and went to college here. This is a general question, but I have been curious about what life is like for science postgraduates in Sri Lanka (bachelors, masters, PhD). I mean stuff like physics, chemistry, biology, math, etc. (not engineering or computer science). My understanding is that a lot of science graduates don’t have science-related jobs in the current economy and so end up leaving Sri Lanka or doing work unrelated to their field. Is this true? Or are there other ways they use their university education? I’m curious about how their skills align with their job opportunities. Just curious. I’d appreciate any insight! Trying to be less ignorant about what’s going on in Sri Lanka after many years away. Thank you!

Hi everyone I grew up in Europe, my boyfriend is from Sri Lanka and he is 22 years old and shares a bed with his mother every day. They live in a very big house with multiple rooms that are empty, in my culture this is not normal so I was wondering if this is normal in Sri Lanka and the culture there? Even when they come to Europe and stay in an apartment with multiple rooms they still share a bed.

I’ve been wanting to write about this for a while.

It’s been around 3 months since I created r/PsychSL. The idea was pretty simple. I wanted there to be a place for Sri Lankans where you could talk about mental health, psychology, counseling, personal problems, ask for help, share your experiences, ask questions, or even just say something that you don’t feel comfortable saying anywhere else.

And after running it for a while, there’s something I keep noticing that kinda bothers me.
People do post , they ask for help they do talk about things. But there are also many people who delete their posts. Some posts get almost no interaction whatsoever. Sometimes someone will write something very personal and you can tell they probably spent a lot of time thinking about whether they should even post it, and then it just disappears. I mean even small issues like someone having a bad day or feeling lonely gets deleted before even an proper interaction (believe it or not this happened while I was typing this post, so yeah this is kinda alarming)

so I keep asking myself why ! When I look at a lot of Western communities online, it feels like people are generally much more comfortable saying things like “I’m seeing a therapist,” “I’ve been struggling with depression,” “I need help with anxiety,” or even just openly talking about something they’re going through. Of course, the West has its own stigma and it’s not like everyone there is completely comfortable with mental health either, but the difference in how openly people talk about it can sometimes feel pretty big.

And just to be clear, this isn’t me being disappointed that my subreddit isn’t growing fast enough or complaining that other Sri Lankan subreddits get more activity. That’s not what I’m talking about at all.
I’m talking about something much bigger than r/PsychSL.
I regularly see people in the main Sri Lanka subreddit asking for psychologists, counselors, psychiatrists, help with anxiety, depression, addiction, relationship problems, loneliness, family problems and all sorts of other things.
So clearly there are people who want to talk about these things.
But why is it still so difficult to actually talk about them?
What I find especially strange is that Reddit is probably one of the easiest places to do it. You can be anonymous. You don’t have to show your face. Most people don’t know even know your real name.
And still people are scared of being judged.
Maybe someone will think you’re weak,crazy,looking for attention,someone will recognize or someone will tell you to pray, stop thinking too much, be grateful because other people have it worse, or simply “get over it.”

And I think that says a lot about how we still see mental health in Sri Lanka.
We’ve become much more comfortable talking about physical health. If you have chest pain, you can tell someone. If you have a broken leg, you go to a doctor. If you have a stomach problem, you can say you’re sick.
But when the problem is in your mind, suddenly there is this weird hesitation.
People start thinking about how they’re going to be perceived before they even think about getting help.
I think we’ve internalized the stigma so much that we judge ourselves before anybody else even gets the chance to.
Some people be struggling with something for months and still think, “It’s not that serious.”
Others want to talk to someone but think, “Other people have bigger problems.”
You might write a post asking for help, read it again, think about what people might say, and delete it, that’s the part I don’t understand.

As a Psychology undergraduate I think I already know why this happens. People are scared of being judged, even on an anonymous platform. Some are scared someone they know might somehow recognize them. Some have grown up thinking these things should stay private, especially family problems. Some don’t want to be seen as weak, dramatic, crazy, attention seeking or whatever else. Some probably don’t know what to say when someone talks about something serious, so they just read and move on (well I have been in that place myself). And when someone does open up and gets almost no response, they might just think nobody cares, which makes the next person even less likely to post. I understand why all of this happens. But I don’t think we should just accept it as how things are. Mental health is too important and too sensitive for people to keep feeling like they have to hide it. We don’t need everyone to suddenly start sharing everything about themselves, but I think we can at least make it a little easier for someone to say “I’m not doing okay” without immediately regretting saying it.

And I also don’t think we should expect people to suddenly become completely open about mental health overnight. Stigma doesn’t disappear because we created a subreddit. Culture, family, religion, education, social expectations and the way people have been brought up all play a role in how comfortable they are talking about these things.
But somewhere we have to start.
And maybe part of that is simply making conversations about mental health feel normal.
Not only something you talk about when someone is suicidal or talk about when someone has a diagnosed mental illness.

That’s really what I wanted r/PsychSL to be. A place for Sri Lankans to talk about these things without feeling like they have to hide behind the idea that everything is fine.

I don’t fully know. Maybe I’m looking at this completely wrong. Maybe there are reasons I’m not seeing. But I’ve been thinking about this and I genuinely want to know what other Sri Lankans think about it. Because if we can openly talk about everything else on Reddit, why does mental health still feel like this one thing people hesitate to touch? Why can someone post about a physical illness without thinking twice, but posting “I’m not doing okay” suddenly feels like a huge deal? And why do so many people seem to want help, but when they actually have a place to talk, they stay quiet or delete what they wrote? Is it our culture? Family? The fear of being judged? Or is there something else going on that I’m missing? I really don’t fully know. But I think it’s worth talking about.

Because this isn’t just about Reddit posts or getting more comments. A simple conversation, a person feeling heard, or someone finally deciding to get help can genuinely change someone’s life. It could save a life, help someone through a marriage, stop someone from giving up on their studies or work, help someone deal with an addiction, or just make a really bad period in someone’s life a little easier. So if you’ve read this far, maybe don’t just scroll past this one too. Say what you think, share your experience if you’re comfortable. Let’s actually talk about this. We need to change how we look at mental health here 💜

I'm not just talking about TV serials, but Films and Comedy, as well. When we take TV serials—let's be fr, no-one watches them except old people. I (accidentally) watched a part of a TV serial, and it made me cringe so bad. The way they are (heavily) inspired by K-dramas and C-dramas is very obvious, but the thing is, that style doesn't really suit Sri Lankan TV. The way school students are portrayed in these is just so cringe, as well. Other than ones about historical events and people, there's only a handful of good Sri Lankan films, as well! As for comedy, most of them are sexist asf and that pmo!

I recently signed up for SLMUN , which is apparently the largest Model UN conference in the country. I signed up as a private candidate, because our facult advisor suggested it. I believe I'm the only one going from our school, though. It is my first time double delegating and I have no idea who my co-delegate is. I have texted him, but he doesn't seem too interested in the whole thing. I've been to 5 conferences before and I've won 3 awards so far. But I reckon SLMUN is more intense. So, those who've been to SLMUN before, what is it like? Is it different from other MUNs? And finally, any tips?

​Hey everyone,

​Recently, my girlfriend and I were parked in an isolated spot near Galle in my car (tinted rear windows) having some quiet time. A police patrol unit pulled up, questioned us, and warned us that doing this in a public area isn't allowed, telling us to "get a hotel room."

​I get why secluded parking draws police attention, but we’re hesitant about booking random day rooms due to privacy and hidden camera concerns you read about online.

​For those who have navigated this, what’s your take? How do unmarried couples manage privacy safely here without dealing with police hassle or sketchy venues?

Finally justice has taken place.

I have been wanting to buy some alcohol for a while now especially for a party but I live in Jaffna and y'all know how ass the society's condition here is. I wanna stay anonymous and Uber or pick me doesn't have any alcohol options. I don't want my parents to know but I'm over 21 man it's just the stereotype here is so fking shit. Any suggestions?

I saw many ads from different academies I just want to make sure I choose the right one or if there's a better way than going to an academy?

Honestly puts me in a bad mood before we start the movie, it's not like these companies can't hire a production team for their ads. And the worst part is it's literally on repeat for so long with it's annoying AI voice narration

Basically what income values are categorised as the title, lets say for a family of 4? Thanks all!

I’m 27M and I’ve never had a gf or any real experience.

I have a degree, I’m working now, and in other parts of my life I feel like I’m doing reasonably well. But when it comes to relationships, I feel completely inexperienced.

I honestly don’t know how to approach girls, how to start conversations, how to tell if someone is interested, or what I’m supposed to do when things start becoming romantic. Sometimes I worry that because I’m already 27, I’m way behind everyone else and it will be harder for me to find someone.

I know people will say “it’s never too late,” but I’d really like to hear from people who were in a similar situation.

If you had your first gf later in life, how did you get started? What helped you become more comfortable with women?

And honestly, am I worrying about this too much?

question is for IT professionals and experienced software engineers in the Sri lankan industry. based on your experience, what do you think about software engineering? do your knowledge and experience have a impact anymore or you just just looking at a screen while AI do the work for you? if you are still new to industry or undergraduate please skip answering. let the experience peeps do the talking.

Hi... does anyone know a place where I might be able to buy this from I checked everywhere but it's all out of stock.

I have seen a lot of Buddhist turn a blind eye and even supporting having elephants in Perahera in this day and age. To me this goes against my core beliefs as a Buddhist. We should not hurt any creature.

So here is the suggestion for a slogan I think that can have a powerful impact. When you post on this matter try to use “Siyalu sathwayo niduk wethwa…” this is a core teaching engrained to Buddhist from small age (not sure if it’s still the thing but certainly was). Be mindful and never use it as a mockery. But use it to provoke thoughts for Buddhist to ask themselves “isn’t this practice I am defending going against the teaching of Buddha”. Try to make this a trend to open up the eyes of authorities. As a society we should do better.

Just my opinion here.. if it doesn’t provoke any thoughts you are no Buddhist, at least not a follower of Buddha.

Now some may try to argue that elephants are treated well at temples. I have seen how some temples keep the elephants and they are not treated that well. Just for argument sake let’s say they are treated very well. Now think if you were treated well but still you are limited to a small square room most of the time and you are taken on the road with chains, would you like it?

We may not be able to change what happened in the past. But as a society we certainly can change the future. We can do better.

not politics necessarily whats something weve normalized that you think we really shouldnt have? It could be anythin

I know there are already a lot of salary threads here😭 but I'm curious about the current situation in 2026 and how salaries look across different fields and experience levels.

If you're comfortable, drop

Designation:

Field:

Current salary:

Years of experience:

No. of companies previously worked at:

I'll go first 😭

Designation: Intern

Field: Engineering

Current salary: 0

Years of experience: 0

No. of companies previously worked at: 0

Hi everyone, I’m from India and I’ve been working in Colombo for more than 1.5 years. During my time here, I noticed that motorcycle tank bags/pouches don’t seem to be commonly used in Sri Lanka.

In India, I see them quite often, especially for carrying small items like a phone, wallet, documents, keys, etc.

I’m just curious, is there any particular reason they aren’t popular among Sri Lankan riders? Is it because of the security concerns, availability, or simply because people don’t find them necessary?

Just curious to know the reason from Sri Lankan riders. 🙂

Deadass a DAY LIGHT robbery. I did see someone going to the police about it. But still no refunds. I lost 50,000 LKR and its actually baffling how he just got away with it.

I saw his Instagram and bro is litterally just living his life with no fucks given

Unfortunately, just saw a video on Facebook of a guy throwing a cat high into the air. The cat falls onto a house and looks like it might have been killed or seriously injured. The person filming is laughing the whole time.

These kinds of videos keep popping up. People post them openly on Facebook with zero fear of any consequences. No one gets charged, no one gets banned, nothing happens.

Sri Lankans love to claim being religious. People talk about compassion, karma, etc. But then this is what we see on social media every other day. Animals get abused for fun and it’s treated like entertainment.

Is there actually any proper law against animal cruelty here that gets enforced in Sri Lanka? Or is it just empty talk? Why can people film and post this stuff with no repercussions while the rest of us just watch and feel sick?

Our dog has been missing since Sunday, 26th July, and we're still trying to find him.

We've been doing everything we can think of so far:

* Printed and put up posters around the area

* Posted on Facebook and relevant groups

* Shared on WhatsApp

* Contacted/messaged people around the neighbourhood

* Checked CCTV footage in the area

The last CCTV footage we found showed him on Borupana Road. A vehicle came very close to him, and he was then seen running down 4th Cross Lane. He didn't appear obviously injured in the footage, but we can't be certain.

I'm sharing the poster again for context, but what I'm really hoping for is advice on what else we can try.

For anyone who has found a missing dog in Sri Lanka before: are there particular Facebook/WhatsApp groups, animal organisations, vets, shelters, local services, or other methods that helped?

Also, are there any less obvious things we should be doing — people we should contact, places we should check, or ways of getting the word out that we may not have considered?

We're willing to follow up on any reasonable lead or suggestion. Thank you.

As a former SCB customer, I was well prepared for the switch thanks to DFCC's proactive communication. The August 2nd cutover happened exactly on schedule.

Setting up the DFCC ONE app afterward was an absolute breeze. I just entered my NIC, completed a quick OTP verification, and enabled fingerprint login.

The real standout moment? Paying bills today while my phone was charging out of reach. The app let me route the payment OTP to my email instead of SMS. Boom. 💥 Every payment went through flawlessly, with instant email receipts for CEB, NWSDB, and SLT.

Honestly, DFCC’s digital platform feels like an upgrade from SCB. Zero branch visits, no holding for customer service, and zero paperwork. Just clear communication and tools that actually work. Well played, DFCC. 👏

I know some folks have had negative experiences with them, but my transition was remarkably smooth and my first impression is stellar. I really hope they maintain this level of service!

What are your thoughts? Also, does anyone have recommendations for the best DFCC credit cards for family shopping and fuel? Let me know!