In the Name of Allah the Gracious the Merciful

Social Media Responsibility/Awareness

Your Greatest Jihad:

Please Note: This material is to be used in an interactive fashion, not as a speech. In a 40-minute interactive session, a good facilitator would let the students speak, ask questions and share their responses for 25-30 minute while simply steering the conversation along and then closing it with the right message.

Objective: This is not to tell them that personal social media accounts are bad and can do harm. The purpose is to let them come to this realization by way of awareness and personal reflection. This discussion should be held by someone who is well informed with social media, is preferably young and can connect with the youth. We are essentially trying to share the wisdom as to why we have been told to be so careful with social media. Ideally, should be held in a way where the students are not in a classroom setting. Let the teacher sit with the kids in a semicircle and keep it informal. Speak to them not at them.

Scenario 1: Have everyone take out their phones, go on to their explore page on Instagram, and raise your hands. As soon as you feel like you come across something that you wouldn’t be comfortable showing, or you know is internally wrong, drop your hands.

Purpose: To show that how quickly we are introduced to something that’s a vice,

Tell the students that you are asking for their help on how to tackle this issue, not that you’re providing a solution but want to come to see what they think about this

You at heart are a good Ahmadi and truly desire to be good.

Scenario 2: Have them take out their phones and do the same motion with Instagram, except now with Snapchat

Drive home the point that this has nothing to do with you wanting to go on to the internet and look into bad things, this is simply what is thrown at you.

Question: Ask them What Should Be done? How Do you steer through Instagram and Snapchat without getting into Bad things?

Let them share with you what is the solution. Don’t provide any solution or suggestions yourself yet. Let them see what they come with. Continue to remind them, I need your help,

I’m trying to figure out how we can steer through this in the best “halal” way possible. I just want to use Social media for the memes, funny videos, sports highlights, etc.

Answer: Block or hide those Stories or pages.

Problem with this: If at any time you are trying to block or hide a page on Snapchat or Instagram, you still have to hold down on it and consequently look at it for a few seconds.

Answer 2: What if I follow things that are good to counter the things that come up that are bad? I follow Jamaat pages to be kept informed.

Help Me with This Problem: How many times have you gone onto the explore page, seen pictures of Hazoor, and then right next to it, or a couple pictures down, you see an inappropriate post?

Most Pages that we follow, we follow for funny memes or funny videos But actually analyze them: how many posts can you go without having to run into

something bad (objectifying women, drinking, etc.) Every time you are on to IG or SC, multiple suggestions or posts as such will come up You are indirectly tempted multiple times a day, more than 10-15 times Realize the reality of things, no one here amongst us is a Saint or guaranteed to make

the right choice every time, Whose to say that if we are asked to look and think about something bad 10-15 times a

day (if not more) that we won’t say yes one time? Realize these posts play at your hormonal and biological dispensations (it will innately

feel pleasurable, no matter how bad it is) When we have all of this on our shoulder 24/7 whose to say we won’t succumb?

Another Problem: You may not follow or post bad things, but you have no control over what your friends post. There in lies many problems. How many times have you had a post pop up from a friend which isn’t appropriate?

How do you tackle this?

How Satan Works, Get To Know Him:

You need to be properly aware and educated about the function of Satan in your daily life

This will help in knowing what to do in this situation Satan is deceitful, he will never call you onto doing something bad directly It will be through sleight of hand

Studying the habits and actions of Satan from the Holy Quran, we see:

WE forget, Allah is always watching Do this task: next time you’re on and you see something bad, just think that Allah is

watching you

We Don’t Control Our Own Social Media Accounts (Snapchat):

The biggest deception that you and I have fallen into is that you and I believe that we control our own social media accounts.

The only thing you and I can control is who we follow, but even then, we can’t control what they are going to post

Everything that is brought up, is on another individual’s terms, they post what they want, we don’t even have full control if we want to see it or not. If you’re on, you’re at their mercy

We simply go with the tide of the ocean known as social media

Harms of Pornography

Objective: To make the students realize that this is very wrong at not just a religious level, many people might not be able to stop just because you say, “God is watching”, but that it has very serious effects physically, psychologically and emotionally. There is a reason why the Holy Quran teaches us to stay away from such acts. Current day research and information simply provides further insight into the wisdom. This is one of the most serious issues that we are struggling, not just as Ahmadis, but as a society .

Suggestion: Best to have this class taught by someone who would connect with the youth. This is a very uncomfortable and touchy subject. In order for it to properly reach the youth, best to be done with someone they are comfortable with.

Articles To Help With Information:

https://fightthenewdrug.org/survey-reveals-parents-dont-know-teen-online-habits/

80% of what teens do online, parents have no idea about

https://www.frc.org/issuebrief/the-effects-of-pornography-on-individuals-marriage-family-and-community

https://fightthenewdrug.org/3-reasons-why-watching-porn-is-harmful/

Entire campaign is launched of treating porn as a drug This is not to be taken as a casual weakness or entertainment, but has serious

psychological effects on how you think and approach relationships

https://fightthenewdrug.org/youtuber-chaz-smith-on-why-he-joined-the-porn-kills-love-movement/

Very insightful: shows that even those in the entertainment industry realize that this requires serious attention and prevention

https://considerbeforeconsumingpodcast.com/introducing-consider-before-consuming/

This is a podcast dedicated to provide information on the negative effects of pornography

Very useful information, both the teachers and students can use this as a helpful source of information

https://fightthenewdrug.org/get-the-facts/?_ga=2.108894987.86591190.1563653795-1564776025.1563653795

Research on the negative effects of pornography

https://truthaboutporn.org

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/sex/i-wish-id-never-seen-it-the-woman-whos-been-a-porn-addict-since/

Pornography being an issue for women as well

https://www.verywellmind.com/breaking-pornography-addictions-1270612

Breaking the habit

Chapter 17:33

According to research, porn also fits under leading to adultery. How? Those who watch porn, studies show, are far more likely to enter unlawful relationships. Holy Quran teaches us to to not go even near it

Wisdom of “Not going Even Near”

It’s like taking steps down a very slippery slope. You don’t realize which step is necessarily the last “safe” one.

Best to avoid overall avoid than trying to walk on thin ice. The further you go, you may reach a point of not returning from this addiction

See The Philosophy of the Teaching of Islam on the topic, “moral condition of man”.