Maruf Zaid Deen
Assalamu alaikum IlmFeed family,
I hope you’re all in the best of health and imān. Firstly I’d like to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to read my article. I put in a lot of effort into researching and writing and therefore I hugely appreciate all your feedback, support and du’as. Moreover, I greatly enjoy writing and it’s my way of recollecting my thoughts and in essence giving back.
One pressing matter I would like to address is on the topic of social media. The world in which we live in has changed massively. Everyone literally uses social media and it’s important we remind ourselves of the pros and cons of this. Yes social media can be used as a positive tool but we must ensure that we maintain a balance, are actually present in real life and not let it take over our lives.
Here I will aim to delve into the positive impacts as well as the adverse effects of social media. Okay people, here goes…
Positive impacts of social media:
1) Good form of communication
Social media allows us to communicate with our family and friends as well as people from all over the world. It is cost effective and in most cases free. It has opened up a whole new way of communication and has brought the world closer together.
2) Educational and more information
We can utilise social media to educate ourselves. There is always so much to learn and this can help us to spread goodness and attain accurate information. Here we have IlmFeed which aims to spread positivity and create awareness about many things.
3) More knowledge and increased skills
I’ve come to find that people have become more aware of things in terms of knowledge as everything is now easily accessible. Moreover we’ve become better skilled at things such as creativity, writing and general IT skills. We are now more sophisticated, positively changed and computer literate.
4) Better quality of life
Social media is a powerful method to improve your quality of life. You can easily up skill and improve your knowledge thus gaining new work and a potential income stream. You can readily train online through carrying out courses etc. from the comfort of your home and subsequently have an improved life.
5) Sharing of expertise and awareness
In relation to this, this gives you an opportunity to talk about what you know, share your area of expertise and also spread information on pertinent matters. You can use the internet to gauge the attention of the world on various key issues and bring them to the forefront.
Negative/Adverse effects of social media:
1) Highly addictive
As a professional involved in youth work and community engagement, I have encountered a high volume of people gravely addicted to social media. It can be harmful if not managed in the right way. Take every effort to control this and seek alternatives to this if you can! Get help if need be but make sure this is tackled.
2) Depression and anxiety
It is deeply worrying to see how social media has quite frankly taken over the lives of some people. Many people suffer from depression and anxiety as a result. The recommended amount of time you should spend on social networks is half an hour per day. So, as with so many things in life, it’s all about moderation.
3) Cyber-bullying and keyboard warriors
Before social media became popular, bullying was something only done face-to-face. However, nowadays people can be anonymously bullied online. This is unacceptable and wrong but this is a real danger. Be vigilant, be on guard and most importantly immediately report anything out of the ordinary. We also have keyboard warriors who will hide behind a screen. Do not tolerate this at all!
4) Unrealistic expectations
This one probably comes as no surprise, but social media can sometimes form unrealistic expectations of life and friendships for people. Some people live in a bubble and also think the lives of us all are brilliant and fantastic. Little do we know that it may be just a front. Life is not perfect and we all have up and down moments. Accept who you are and be realistic!
5) Fear of missing out (FOMO)
Unfortunately this is a phenomenon that is one of the most common negative effects of social media. This is basically a form of anxiety that you get when you’re scared of missing out on a positive experience or emotions that someone else is getting.
This fear is constantly fueled by your social media engagement. The more you use social networks, the more likely you are to see that someone is having more fun that you are right now. And that’s exactly what causes FOMO.
Conclusion
Social media has effectively changed our lives in many ways. Along with the negative effects of social media on our society, there are some positive benefits too which I have touched upon. We should recognise these in order to avoid any issues and to ultimately safeguard ourselves from any dangers. Do the best that you can do but make sure you strive to strike the right balance. If need be have a social media detox every once and again but be realistic with yourself and try to maintain a good middle ground.
I pray that Allah protects and aids us, our children, our families and our ummah in everything we do. May our Lord also have mercy on us and may He forgive us for all of our shortcomings. Ameen
Wassalamu’alaykum – May God’s peace and blessings be upon you all 🙂
Your brother,
Maruf
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