THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Al -Mahmood Newsletter (daruliftaa.net)
As the world of the internet reaches new heights, it has given birth to a new generation where communication and social interaction has become the norm of society and has radically altered our daily lives. Nevertheless, with each new advancement in technology, we face new questions and new challenges. Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, Linkedln, Pinterest, and the list goes on.
It is an apparent truth that no one can deny; each second of our life is slowly being engulfed into this virtual world. Whether it is at home, at school or at work, countless hours are spent daily on these social networks, but many are unaware of the negative effects these social networks have on our lives:
Wasting of Time:
An average person spends two to three hours per day on social networking web-sites. This means that each person spends approximately five years of their life on social media websites.
Furthermore, many people spend long nights chatting away on these websites leaving themselves completely deprived of sleep.
Addiction:
Studies show that people show signs of addiction where they feel a need to post something on their pages or constantly check the posts of others.
Isolation:
How often do you find a group of friends sitting next to each other while each one of them are busy with their phones? Studies show that social media has led to less human interaction and face to face communication.
Decreased Productivity:
With the invention of social media websites, companies and businesses have found their employees spending less time working and more time on social networks. Nucleus Research reported that Facebook shaves 1.5% off office productivity while Morse claimed that British companies lost 2.2 billion a year to the social phenomenon.
False Identities:
Due to the anonymity on the internet, many people interact with others not knowing who they actually are because of using misrepresentation and expression of superficial qualities.
Poor Academic Performance:
As a result of spending countless hours on social networks, students have shown a decline in academic performance. Many spend their time constantly checking their phones for updates in their social circles.
Less Privacy:
Since the internet does not involve face to face communication, people are more open to posting information about their private lives while leaving this information open for all those to see who have access to their user page.
We are busy updating our statuses, following unending conversations, and rifling through videos posted by our so-called heroes of the online world that we are subscribed to.
Many hours go by as we lose our time and waste away our life in front of our digital devices.
How can we be satisfied with a life revolving around the life experiences of others? It is our duty to value our time before time itself becomes the cause for our loss. Allah says in the Quran:
“I swear by time, man is in a state of loss indeed, except those who believed and did righteous deeds” {Quran,al Asr,1-3}
