The branch of the World Organization for al-Azhar Graduates in Qardho, Somalia, delivered a lecture at the middle school of Hajj Othman on “The Harms of Social Media in the Current Age.” It is worth mentioning that Mohammad Ali, a member of the organization, delivered the lecture. He pointed out that the world, including its continents, countries, and cities, is like a small village due to the Internet and the widespread use of social media, clarifying its pros and cons.
He clarified that among the positives of using such networks and websites are the following:
1- Through them, users can share their thoughts regardless of their affiliations, religions, languages, nationalities, or countries, enabling the preaching of Islam and its spread among people.
2- They contribute to the dissemination of various important events, such as conferences, seminars, lectures, and humanitarian and service activities.
3- They contribute significantly to spreading health awareness among people through newsletters, messages, books, and various writings that illustrate to people the dangers of certain diseases and how to deal with them and prevent them.
Furthermore, he warned of the negatives of using such networks and websites, the most important are:
1- Attaching to social media, addiction to interacting with it, and spending long hours in front of it, negatively impact the lives of those who engage with it. Moreover, it causes various psychological, ideological, and physical illnesses.
2- Wasting a lot of time, squandering it without any accountability, and without any anticipated benefit, indeed results in the neglect of many duties and voluntary acts due to preoccupation and engagement with it. This is one of the greatest losses for the individual.
3- Spreading harmful and deviant ideas among different youth groups through pamphlets and enthusiastic audio and visual content encourages imitation and following their lead.
4- Spreading doctrinal corruption and moral decay among Muslims through specific websites established by the enemies of the religion to disseminate their doubts and deviations and to spread harmful beliefs that contradict the principles of Islamic law.
