To the Muslims Out there

Social Media Addiction and Possible Solutions

The world of Youtube and Facebook is no doubt very addicting and for most of us, we get roped into being on these platforms for hours and hours at times. 

But when asked about the Deen and how much of the Quran we have memorized, we are left with dumbfounded expressions adorned on our faces. 

We simply say, "I don't have time for that. I'm a university/high school/college student and I get lots of work." or "I have a kid(s) to take care of." or "I have a job to go to and by the time I get home, I'm too tired to do any of that."

Yet, we spend more time on social media. Seeing the new makeup that's trending. The clothes which are in this season. What to buy next on Amazon or eBay. And let's not forget the addiction of Youtube and tv shows which paralyzes us for hours to end. Where we can watch 3 seasons of a tv show in a day... and still feel as if it's not enough.

We complete the hollow feeling inside of our hearts with these videos. But after we're done, the gap feels even more existential and the need to watch becomes like the feeling of withdrawal that the alcoholic feels without his alcohol. The heroin addict without his heroin. The addict without his addiction. 

For many of us, the addiction is to Facebook and we spend so much time in other people's life matters, that we start to feel envious and jealousy towards our friends and family. We get upset that they just bought a new car. Or they got into the best school. Or they got a job which pays very well. 

The seeds of jealousy and envy flourish in our hearts more and more, as we spend more time on these sites. 

But the truth is, that this void in our hearts can be filled by none other than Allah (swt), and the faster we realize that and the quicker we are to act upon that... the better that it will be for us. This gap can't be filled through the love of anyone else but Allah (swt) and His messenger, Prophet Muhammad (SAW). 

In this chapter, I'll discuss what you can do instead of going to these websites, and feel free to write them in a notebook or save them as a Sticky Note on your computer. 

1. Listen to an Islamic lecture. Either attend a conference in person or watch a lecture on Youtube. The key here is to bookmark the channels which provide solely Islamic lectures (e.g., Merciful Servant, TheProphetsPath, Islamic Guidance, TheMostMerciful, and LoveAllah328) and develop enough self-discipline to not watch recommended videos which are useless and waste your time. You can also get an Adblocker for your device so that inappropriate ads don't show up.

2. Go for a walk. Get some fresh air and some exercise while you're at it. Look at the creations of Allah (swt) and learn to appreciate all that He has created.

3. Read a book that provides Islamic insight (e.g., Reclaim Your Heart by Yasmin Mogahed). 

4. Listen to the tafsir of the Quran (e.g., Al Huda Institute does this online)

5. Get caught up on some sleep. Without your time being wasted on these platforms with useless videos, you probably will have time to catch up on some sleep and feel more productive the next day. 

6. Exercise. In Islam, taking care of your body is important and one of the ways we can do this is through exercise (but diet is also one way). There are many exercises you can do at home (e.g., squats, lunges, push ups, pull ups, planks, and burpees) and with time you can develop a solid routine that you can do at a specific time or times of the day.

7. Meal prep. If you are someone who is a student or a parent, this is specifically targetted towards you. But, honestly... anyone can try this out. With meal prepping, you prepare meals for the week ahead of you, on a certain day (usually Sunday), whether its breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner. This way, you can plan healthy and nutritious meals in advance, so you're less tempted to buy food from restaurants (plus you save $$).

8. Attending lectures at your Masjid. There are so many lectures which occur in the Masjid and we should try our best to attend as many of them as we can. They are a resource to increase your Deen and a way for you to meet Muslims who can help with increasing your Imaan (faith).

9. Going to the Masjid for Salah. Many of us are free during certain times of the day and we should try to read Salah at the Masjid whenever we can (not just for Jumua Salah). Women can choose to either stay at home or go to the Masjid... and while it is preferred for her to read Salah at home, they are given an option. 

10. Volunteer. This can be at your local hospital, food shelter, or even at the Masjid. Volunteering at the hospital allows you to be more grateful for your health and humbles you into appreciating what we didn't know we even had. 

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