The Internet has made its way into many homes and schools through online learning and class work. Most schools nowadays require students to have an email or social media account to enable online learning, whether in a classroom or at home. It is a big place with many things to explore and learn about and has become a hub for social connections and entertainment. Although the Internet is beneficial in many ways, it can negatively affect young teens.
These negative effects include internet addiction, cyberbullying, low self-esteem, and other factors that can affect your teenager’s mood.
CHALLENGE: Internet addiction
Many teens who are given a device early on in their lives or use the Internet unsupervised can suffer from internet addiction. Internet addiction is when a person feels as if they need to constantly be online, usually on a social media app, to the point where it affects their personal life. With the rise of social media such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, teens can spend hours scrolling through these apps. Excessive use of these programs can negatively affect attention span, making it difficult to focus on important things like school and homework. A young teen may not understand the negative effects that the Internet has on them, so it is important to educate them on these topics.
SOLUTION: Internet addictions can be countered by managing social media and Internet use so that it does not cause any harm. If your child owns a smartphone, there is an easy way to moderate their time on their phone, which is by using Google Family. This simple program allows you to set a time limit for certain apps to prevent your teenager from spending too much time online.
CHALLENGE: Cyberbullying
Social media apps can not only affect a teenager’s attention span but can also expose them to cyberbullying. Many people can hide under an anonymous profile and have no consequences for bullying someone online. Unfortunately, this problem is common, with 59% of teenagers admitting that they have been cyberbullied at some point in their lives (Pew Research Center, 2018).
Cyberbullying can come in many forms and is not always a direct confrontation. If your teenager posts on social media, another online user could leave mean comments that can make a teen feel insecure, lower their self-esteem, and increase anxiety and stress. Some teens refrain from telling their parents that they are being cyberbullied, as they are afraid that their internet privileges will be taken away.
SOLUTION: If you suspect that your teen is suffering from cyberbullying, approach them calmly, and find a reasonable solution together. The best way to stop this is to block the individual who is bullying them or refrain from using said social media. (See What Parents Need to Know about Cyberbullying for more details.)
CHALLENGE: Low self-esteem
Internet usage can also make teenagers overly self-conscious about their physical appearance. This can be because of cyberbullying but can also happen from general social media usage as well. Body image concerns mostly affect girls but can affect boys as well. Young teens may not realize that the “perfect” body image shown on social media is often a combination of filters and Photoshop effects, which can lead to unrealistic body expectations. This can lead to low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and eating disorders.
SOLUTION: If your teen is suffering from these things, it is important to acknowledge their feelings and positively reassure them about themselves. Increasing your self-esteem is a process, and it is good to let them know you will be with them all the way.
CHALLENGE: Wasting valuable time
Spending hours on the internet can also make your teenager miss out on important things in their life. Time is a valuable asset. Spending it all on a social media app will have no benefit to a person at all. In Islam, time is very important. We are taught to value our time and not to waste it. Allah has emphasized the importance of time in Surah Al-Asr, where he says:
“By the time!”
(Surah Al-Asr, 103:1)
When Allah swears upon an item of his creation, it shows its importance. Additionally, Ibn Mas’ud narrated that the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
"The feet of the son of Adam shall not move from before his Lord on the Day of Judgement, until he is asked about five things: About his life and what he did with it, about his youth and what he wore it out in, about his wealth and how he earned it, and spent it upon, and what he did with what he knew."
(Jami’ at-Tirmidhi 2416)
This shows that wasting time is not recommended in Islam. Spending too much time on social media results in wasting valuable time.
SOLUTION: It is important to use the internet in moderation. Parents should encourage open communication and set healthy boundaries to help teens navigate the internet safely and efficiently.
Internet usage has become a part of our daily lives. Staying informed and educated about issues that can arise from internet usage will help parents let their teens use the internet positively while minimizing the risk of using it negatively. By doing this, we can create a healthier environment where teenagers can make the best of their lives, online and offline.
https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/09/27/a-majority-of-teens-have-experienced-some-form-of-cyberbullying/ Pew Research Center article about Cyberbullying Statistics
Uthman Guadalupe is a Latino Muslim college student with a passion for history and art. He is an assistant Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu coach and freelance illustrator. He is fluent in Spanish and lives
with his family in Maryland where he also enjoys playing video games and binging shows.
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