5 images that are way too real for Saudis

Growing up in Saudi Arabia is nothing if not a very unique experience. What people on the outside find absurd, becomes a thing we simply have to deal with, and we've got to deal with it creatively.

These are 5 images that will resonate with anyone who grew up in Saudi.

I'm very sure Mariah would scream her lungs out if she ever saw this picture.

The censorship of the album doesn't stop at its cover. Certain words from songs would be censored as well. For those of us who grew up cutting pictures of celebrities from magazines and album covers, this was a disappointment because not only did you get a distorted photo of your idol, but you also had to buy the album a second time whenever you traveled. You treated your uncensored album like it was your own child and went to great lengths to protect it, so it didn't get ruined.

If the movie wasn't banned, it was censored to the point where following the storyline was basically impossible. Nothing like watching an almost hugging scene without the actual hugging!

The wrath of the Blocked Site Page extended way past pornographic or torrent sites. It also censored academic and celebrity sites. It didn't even spare a lot of food sites.

If you were a student trying to do some research, it would take you triple the amount of time because of the countless unaccessible websites.

They say that need is the mother of creativity, and this couldn't be more true for kids growing up in Saudi. How many under 15-year-olds do you know that have even heard of an IP addresses? Hotspot Shield and Hide my Ip  restored your sanity.

Originally, released in Arabic in 2005, the book was banned due to its controversial content. To sidestep it, copies of the book circulated in private circles and the book soon became a best seller. As of 2008, English copies of the book were openly available in big bookstores such as Jarir Bookstore in Riyadh.