Why I HATE Social Media
I remember the days when I used to post on Instagram tidbits of my life. Little things from my every day life that I appreciated and thought to share with the online community.
I remember when I finally downloaded Snap Chat for the second time (because the first time it took me too long to understand how it worked so I just gave up) and gave it another chance. I remember how exciting it was to be able to share with others little snaps of my every day life. Adding Geo-filters and going out of my way to snap what I was eating, where I was shopping, and who I was with felt like such a fun activity. I wanted to share with everyone my "happy" life. I wanted to show everyone that I am "OK" despite my situation and that I was having "fun." I would do it just because I wanted others to think that I had an exciting life and things were going well for me. I wanted to show others that my life was not stagnant and that I always had places to go and people to see.
What a deception! I was in fact not OK, nor was I happy and the fun only lasted temporarily. At the end of the day, it made me really think to myself , "why am I living my life as a lie? What am I trying to prove? Who am I trying to impress?"
I would see other people posting snaps of themselves travelling, enjoying time with their husband and family, dining with their families and having "fun" too. I wonder if they were living life as a lie as well? I wonder what really happens behind the camera lens. Don't you guys ever wonder?
Is what everyone portrays their life to be on the online world ACTUALLY what it is?
I have seen so many non-Muslims and Muslims documenting and posting pics and videos of their "perfect" life. Always laughing and smiling and taking selfies with their man or with friends. Always dolled- up and having somewhere to go. Dining in at the fanciest places and shopping for the latest trends. Life looks so lavish and fancy online. But I wonder, what is really going on in their hearts? Are they really satisfied with life? Is their marriage REALLY perfect? They MUST be right? Because they look SO HAPPY?! I guess I will never find out because it really isn't my business and quite frankly, I could care less lol. To each their own. If you want to show the world your life and your love, go ahead. If you don't care about evil eye, then go ahead. Things may seem happy-go-lucky now, but things are never permanent and this fleeting life is only temporary. This is what I remind myself every day.
That is why I deleted SnapChat and I will only download Instagram from time to time to share my blog update and check out some accounts here and there. It just became too much of a fitnah for me because it made me feel unappreciative of the things that I have. The smallest of blessings could be the biggest to others yet whenever I would see other people's "blessings" it made me feel self pity and that my life was so boring. AstughfurAllah !
Like, let's be real, though, if you were really happy with your life, why share it? Happiness is a sacred feeling and it deserves to be kept safe and hidden from other envious eyes. The more happy you think you are because you are sharing your personal life with a bunch of random strangers, the less special those moments become. I remember when I used to post things on Snap Chat, instead of actually enjoying the moment, I would think to myself, "I better get a photo of this and show everyone this exciting moment!" Trying to capture the moment so I could share it with others and show everyone how "exciting" my life is. I mean, there were points where I would actually take videos and photos of things I was doing because I wanted to share the life in Toronto and what kind of things there are to do here, but eventually it turned into mainly just posting so I could show people that I wasn't a complete loser and had a life. lol. I wonder how many people share the same reality?
I guess we need to be honest with ourselves. We need to ask ourselves, what is the purpose of me sharing my life online? Is it to benefit others? Is it to make them feel happy? Sad? Jealous? What is in it for me? Will I get reward for posting my daily activities online? Will my posts invite envy to me and my family? Or will everything I post be against me on the Day of Judgement?!
It is hard to think about these things deeply at the time when we take the photo and upload it. We are not really thinking about whether or not it will be beneficial or harmful. We are just living the moment and we are excited to share with the world our lives! I totally understand that because when I was active on social media, I didn't really think twice.
But.....
Let me tell you from the side of a person who watches other people's snaps and who browses other people's Instagram accounts. I guess it depends on what someone posts and the context they are posting it in. Sometimes I feel happy. You know, happy for those who experience joy after they have been through hardships; it allows me to have hope with my situation and gives me a sense of satisfaction knowing at least somewhere, someone has received their ease. When people posts photos with a meaningful caption allowing the followers to understand their journey and where they came from, I can't help but hit that 'like' button. Those who post for a reason, hoping to reach out to others by sharing their experiences in life, well, these people I can genuinely feel happy for. On the other hand, there are just some posts that add no value to my life. There are some posts that are made to make you feel miserable about your own life and there are some posts that are made to make you feel ungrateful. This is the reality of social media and if you are thinking that you don't react this way then good for you - masha'Allah. But let me tell you, majority of people who creep on social media react exactly the way I have mentioned.
At first, you can approach social media with an open mind and an open heart but as you begin to go on it more and more, you become addicted and overwhelmed and you see that everyone has the things you don't have and then it gets to you. Then eventually, you cave in. I can't speak for everyone, but for myself, I know that it makes me feel ungrateful and it makes me feel like I need to prove to people that I am somebody I am not. I need to show the world that I am happy even though I am crying inside from pain. I feel like I need to tell the world that I am OK but in reality, the only person who I need to tell that I am OK, is myself.
Social media, to me, is deception and lies. Somebody can be sharing the most exciting life or their account can be flooded with beneficial Islamic reminders, yet we do not really know who the person is behind the device. Of course, there are exceptions here and there but the general population probably is somebody they are not who they say they are.
Sharing your life with a selected few close friends and family is understandable and I truly believe those individuals are doing it to keep their family updated and to share precious moments with loved ones. But when I see people sharing their entire life story from A.M to P.M with completely random strangers, I wonder what is the purpose of this? I have seen some sisters who share their family on social media and I try to understand maybe from her point of view she wants everyone to know that you can be a niqabi and have a happy family and be free from oppression? But then I think, but why do you need the whole world to know by putting you and your family in danger? I mean I can sit here all day and wonder this and that but in the end, I will never know and only Allah can judge and He knows best. I would even like to say it is none of my business, but it really does become MY business when someone chooses to share their intimate family life to the public. Right?
The point of this post is to basically let people know why I hate social media and why I refuse to use it to share my life with friends let alone random strangers. It is not for me and if it is for you and it makes you feel happy, then alhamdulillah - you do you . Social media, to me, makes me depressed and I feel like it is so pointless because all it is is some kind of social competition to show that I have this and you don't. It makes me always want more and it makes me ungrateful for the things that I already have. And if you are already in a weakened state of emaan, it will just bring you further down. I still have bad habits and download Snap Chat and Instagram to see what is going on with people's lives but I limit myself now and every time I see their posts, it is always the same things and nothing has ever changed. It is entertaining, though. I guess that is why I still check in from time to time lol because it has become nothing but mere entertainment for me now.
Do we want to live our lives entertaining others? Why make our lives some spectacle for thousands to see? I guess at the end of the day before you share your life and post about you cooking your husband a low carb gluten-free, vegan dinner, or your Starbucks order ask yourself if you are doing it to benefit others? Or are you doing it to entertain others because you are so bored and unhappy with your life? Do you need to show others your happiness in order for yourself to accept your own happiness? Is that what true happiness is ?
Be honest with yourself and figure out the answer and you will be surprised.
#micdrop
I remember when I finally downloaded Snap Chat for the second time (because the first time it took me too long to understand how it worked so I just gave up) and gave it another chance. I remember how exciting it was to be able to share with others little snaps of my every day life. Adding Geo-filters and going out of my way to snap what I was eating, where I was shopping, and who I was with felt like such a fun activity. I wanted to share with everyone my "happy" life. I wanted to show everyone that I am "OK" despite my situation and that I was having "fun." I would do it just because I wanted others to think that I had an exciting life and things were going well for me. I wanted to show others that my life was not stagnant and that I always had places to go and people to see.
What a deception! I was in fact not OK, nor was I happy and the fun only lasted temporarily. At the end of the day, it made me really think to myself , "why am I living my life as a lie? What am I trying to prove? Who am I trying to impress?"
I would see other people posting snaps of themselves travelling, enjoying time with their husband and family, dining with their families and having "fun" too. I wonder if they were living life as a lie as well? I wonder what really happens behind the camera lens. Don't you guys ever wonder?
Is what everyone portrays their life to be on the online world ACTUALLY what it is?
I have seen so many non-Muslims and Muslims documenting and posting pics and videos of their "perfect" life. Always laughing and smiling and taking selfies with their man or with friends. Always dolled- up and having somewhere to go. Dining in at the fanciest places and shopping for the latest trends. Life looks so lavish and fancy online. But I wonder, what is really going on in their hearts? Are they really satisfied with life? Is their marriage REALLY perfect? They MUST be right? Because they look SO HAPPY?! I guess I will never find out because it really isn't my business and quite frankly, I could care less lol. To each their own. If you want to show the world your life and your love, go ahead. If you don't care about evil eye, then go ahead. Things may seem happy-go-lucky now, but things are never permanent and this fleeting life is only temporary. This is what I remind myself every day.
That is why I deleted SnapChat and I will only download Instagram from time to time to share my blog update and check out some accounts here and there. It just became too much of a fitnah for me because it made me feel unappreciative of the things that I have. The smallest of blessings could be the biggest to others yet whenever I would see other people's "blessings" it made me feel self pity and that my life was so boring. AstughfurAllah !
Like, let's be real, though, if you were really happy with your life, why share it? Happiness is a sacred feeling and it deserves to be kept safe and hidden from other envious eyes. The more happy you think you are because you are sharing your personal life with a bunch of random strangers, the less special those moments become. I remember when I used to post things on Snap Chat, instead of actually enjoying the moment, I would think to myself, "I better get a photo of this and show everyone this exciting moment!" Trying to capture the moment so I could share it with others and show everyone how "exciting" my life is. I mean, there were points where I would actually take videos and photos of things I was doing because I wanted to share the life in Toronto and what kind of things there are to do here, but eventually it turned into mainly just posting so I could show people that I wasn't a complete loser and had a life. lol. I wonder how many people share the same reality?
I guess we need to be honest with ourselves. We need to ask ourselves, what is the purpose of me sharing my life online? Is it to benefit others? Is it to make them feel happy? Sad? Jealous? What is in it for me? Will I get reward for posting my daily activities online? Will my posts invite envy to me and my family? Or will everything I post be against me on the Day of Judgement?!
It is hard to think about these things deeply at the time when we take the photo and upload it. We are not really thinking about whether or not it will be beneficial or harmful. We are just living the moment and we are excited to share with the world our lives! I totally understand that because when I was active on social media, I didn't really think twice.
But.....
Let me tell you from the side of a person who watches other people's snaps and who browses other people's Instagram accounts. I guess it depends on what someone posts and the context they are posting it in. Sometimes I feel happy. You know, happy for those who experience joy after they have been through hardships; it allows me to have hope with my situation and gives me a sense of satisfaction knowing at least somewhere, someone has received their ease. When people posts photos with a meaningful caption allowing the followers to understand their journey and where they came from, I can't help but hit that 'like' button. Those who post for a reason, hoping to reach out to others by sharing their experiences in life, well, these people I can genuinely feel happy for. On the other hand, there are just some posts that add no value to my life. There are some posts that are made to make you feel miserable about your own life and there are some posts that are made to make you feel ungrateful. This is the reality of social media and if you are thinking that you don't react this way then good for you - masha'Allah. But let me tell you, majority of people who creep on social media react exactly the way I have mentioned.
At first, you can approach social media with an open mind and an open heart but as you begin to go on it more and more, you become addicted and overwhelmed and you see that everyone has the things you don't have and then it gets to you. Then eventually, you cave in. I can't speak for everyone, but for myself, I know that it makes me feel ungrateful and it makes me feel like I need to prove to people that I am somebody I am not. I need to show the world that I am happy even though I am crying inside from pain. I feel like I need to tell the world that I am OK but in reality, the only person who I need to tell that I am OK, is myself.
Social media, to me, is deception and lies. Somebody can be sharing the most exciting life or their account can be flooded with beneficial Islamic reminders, yet we do not really know who the person is behind the device. Of course, there are exceptions here and there but the general population probably is somebody they are not who they say they are.
Sharing your life with a selected few close friends and family is understandable and I truly believe those individuals are doing it to keep their family updated and to share precious moments with loved ones. But when I see people sharing their entire life story from A.M to P.M with completely random strangers, I wonder what is the purpose of this? I have seen some sisters who share their family on social media and I try to understand maybe from her point of view she wants everyone to know that you can be a niqabi and have a happy family and be free from oppression? But then I think, but why do you need the whole world to know by putting you and your family in danger? I mean I can sit here all day and wonder this and that but in the end, I will never know and only Allah can judge and He knows best. I would even like to say it is none of my business, but it really does become MY business when someone chooses to share their intimate family life to the public. Right?
The point of this post is to basically let people know why I hate social media and why I refuse to use it to share my life with friends let alone random strangers. It is not for me and if it is for you and it makes you feel happy, then alhamdulillah - you do you . Social media, to me, makes me depressed and I feel like it is so pointless because all it is is some kind of social competition to show that I have this and you don't. It makes me always want more and it makes me ungrateful for the things that I already have. And if you are already in a weakened state of emaan, it will just bring you further down. I still have bad habits and download Snap Chat and Instagram to see what is going on with people's lives but I limit myself now and every time I see their posts, it is always the same things and nothing has ever changed. It is entertaining, though. I guess that is why I still check in from time to time lol because it has become nothing but mere entertainment for me now.
Do we want to live our lives entertaining others? Why make our lives some spectacle for thousands to see? I guess at the end of the day before you share your life and post about you cooking your husband a low carb gluten-free, vegan dinner, or your Starbucks order ask yourself if you are doing it to benefit others? Or are you doing it to entertain others because you are so bored and unhappy with your life? Do you need to show others your happiness in order for yourself to accept your own happiness? Is that what true happiness is ?
Be honest with yourself and figure out the answer and you will be surprised.
#micdrop
1 comments
As salaamu alaykum! SubhanAllah, what a CANDID post! You’ve given me so much to think about, masha Allah. I share a lot of your sentiments and I sincerely think that anyone who is on social media and doesn’t admit that it causes them to at times be depressed or ungrateful is IN DENIAL. Your questions about intentions and whether our posts will bring about rewards are causing me to really self reflect and I hope others do the same. JazakAllahu khair.
ReplyDeleteAssalamualaikum, please be mindful about what you are about to write. Think about it before writing and make sure it is something positive and beneficial, otherwise it will be deleted and ignored. JazakiAllah kheyr ! Sisters ONLY! xo