Shafaq News- Baghdad

Before leaving home, Rana helps her children get ready while her husband waits in the car, scrolling through a playlist for the evening. Once everyone is inside, the phones come out. A quick family selfie, a video through the windshield, another clip of hands resting together on the gear lever. Within minutes, the car is moving through Baghdad's streets.

There is no destination in particular. Restaurants, parks, and cafés are not on the family's itinerary. Dinner was eaten at home. Coffee or ice cream can be bought from a roadside kiosk if anyone wants it. The drive itself is the evening's entertainment.

For Rana, 30, this has become part of daily life. "Going to one place takes time, and you only see one area," she says. "Driving lets us move around the city. If we want coffee or refreshments, we stop and buy them."

She notes that the family no longer spends evenings the way previous generations did. Video calls have replaced many family visits, while neighbourhood life has changed with shrinking homes and the disappearance of gardens where children once played together. "When we were young, neighbours knew each other, and children played outside," she continues. "Now everyone has a phone. We eat at home, get in the car and spend time together that way."

The habit has become increasingly visible across Iraq, particularly during the summer, with social media filled with short videos recorded from inside moving vehicles. Families film themselves driving through city streets, stopping briefly for drinks before continuing their journey.

Researchers say the trend reflects broader changes than social media alone. Social researcher Lahay Abdul Hussein points to the gradual disappearance of many of the spaces that traditionally brought families together. Larger houses with gardens have given way to smaller homes, while many public parks have deteriorated or become overcrowded. Commercial districts that once served as evening gathering places have increasingly been replaced by enclosed shopping malls.

Privacy also influences where families choose to spend their time. Women often feel more comfortable inside the family car than in crowded public places, Abdul Hussein said, citing concerns ranging from harassment to the lack of suitable recreational spaces. The car offers an environment that families can control themselves.

Baghdad's commercial expansion initially appeared to broaden entertainment options. Hundreds of restaurants, cafés, and shopping centres opened across the capital over the past decade, many designed with elaborate interiors and spaces intended for photographs shared online.

Psychologist Rahim Al-Zubaidi believes familiarity has reduced some of their appeal. Many families, particularly during the summer holidays, wait until the evening before going out. Rather than sitting for hours in crowded cafés or parks, they choose to drive through different neighbourhoods, allowing children to stay out late while avoiding congestion.

Economics has reinforced the shift, as according to social researcher Ibtisam Al-Shammari, even households with relatively comfortable incomes increasingly think twice before taking large families to restaurants, where a single evening can become expensive. Buying drinks or ice cream and spending the rest of the evening driving costs considerably less.

She also points to security concerns, saying some parents feel more comfortable keeping children inside the car than in crowded public spaces.

The COVID-19 pandemic strengthened habits that many families never abandoned. Food delivery became routine, reducing the need to eat outside. For many households, dinner is now prepared or ordered at home before the family heads out for an evening drive.