The document discusses avoiding an unhealthy relationship with the internet by not overindulging in online content and activities. It notes that while the internet provides benefits, excessive use that replaces real-life interactions and responsibilities can harm us physically, spiritually and mentally. It recommends periodically disconnecting from technology to engage with nature, loved ones and self-reflection instead. When online, it advises being selective about what we consume and focusing on quality over quantity.

1. suhaibwe bb.co m
http://www.suhaibwebb.co m/perso naldvlpt/character/avo iding-a-harmful-e-diet/
Avoiding a Harmful E-Diet
Naiyerah Ko lkailah
Islam and the Internet Series: Intro | Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI | Part VII | Part VIII | Part
IV
Food is a necessity in lif e. But keep over-eating (irrespective of
nutritional value), and you can become overweight and obese.
Eat unhealthy, f atty f oods, and you get high cholesterol, high
blood pressure, and other nasty illnesses and diseases. T he
Internet can be compared to our relationship with f ood. It is a
great tool that provides us innumerable benef its. But if we
over-indulge or keep ingesting unwholesome pieces and
quantities, it can ruin our physical, spiritual and mental health.
With the plethora of content in cyberspace, it’s dif f icult to
maneuver without f eeling overwhelmed and virtually
claustrophobic. It’s a challenge to be selective in what to read,
who to talk to, and what activities to engage in. It’s a struggle to
even turn of f our electronic gadgets that constantly beep, f lash
and vibrate with new e-mails, updates, and instant messages.
Someone or some group always wants to show and tell us
something—always wanting immediate attention. If we comply—
all the time—we’ll be hooked f or good, and always waiting f or
more.
T he Internet will gladly consume our thoughts and time, if we let
it. Our unhealthy online habits can detract f rom nourishing our real-lif e interactions, f rom excelling at work
or in school, f rom reading benef icial books and publications, and f rom spending quality time with f riends
and f amily. We can develop a horizontal approach, broadening our exposure to numerous people and
inf ormation while developing little to no depth in any of our relationships or knowledge of certain subjects.
Our incessant perusal through other people’s pictures, videos, and blogs can make us aimless consumers,
and distract us f rom leaving our own meaningf ul f ootprint in cyberspace. Worse, our online sins can
develop into addictions that violate our moral code, eat away at our soul, translate into real-lif e sins, and
sever our relationships with spouses and loved ones. If we f ind ourselves developing any of these
problems, we might consider doing the f ollowing:
1.
Unplug. Log-of f . Disconnect. Give your eyes (and ears) a break. Go to a park, or watch a sunset.
Enjoy the solitude. Listen to the chirping birds, rustling leaves, and the streaming rivers and creeks. Praise
God f or the beauty in His creation. Bond with your spouse, children or siblings. Talk about your hopes,
dreams, f ears and needs. Have a cup of cof f ee with real f riends, and connect in person. Catch up on all the
unread messages in the Qur’an. Ref lect on their meanings, and on your purpose in lif e. Try making these
daily or weekly habits. Be present with your heart, mind, body and soul.
2. Minimize. When you’re back online, think small. Take bite-size portions you can chew. Be selective.
Choose quality over quantity. Read only some posts, watch only some videos. Maybe read an e-book
instead. Remember to leave room f or breathing space, and digestion. Try not to multi-task online. Don’t
toggle between so many tabs and conversations, or jump f rom wall to wall, and post to post. Focus,
process, ref lect. Ponder on how you can apply new lessons in your lif e. T hen take time away to implement.

2. 3.
Refine. T hink of your activities online. Evaluate your surf ing, speaking, and spamming. Is it usef ul,
appropriate, and modest? Is it impulsive or superf luous? Choose your words wisely, cautiously,
courteously. If they’re with the opposite gender, make them kind but modest. Say what you mean, and mean
what you say. Try expressing thoughts and f eelings in words, rather than using emoticons. Use proper
grammar. Take the time to inf use your communication with excellence. Don’t abbreviate, abridge, and
shorten where length is valued. Don’t expose, reveal and elongate where concealment is needed. Bef ore
you share, post and f orward, check if you’ve benef ited and ref lected.
Remember, f rom all the online struggles, addiction to viewing pornography can become a clinical problem. It
is complicated by changes in brain chemistry, which are dif f icult to reverse. Don’t let it happen to you. If it
already has, seek prof essional help to prevent f urther harm to you and your loved ones.
Finally, I’d like to share a passage f rom Elias Aboujaoude’s Virtually You: the Dangerous Powers of the EPersonality. It sums up the dangers and hopes f or the new virtual phenomena quite eloquently:
Virtualism, as enabled especially by the Internet, is a major signpost in our journey through history. T here
can be no doubting that it has opened windows and brought opportunity—f or social connection and
outreach, f or liberation f rom anxiety and doubt, f or f inancial and personal success, and f or self -realization
and f ulf illment. Similarly, there can be no doubt any longer the big experiment we are conducting with our
psyches. To of f er a psychological read of the virtual age is to of f er a candid assessment of an encounter
between humankind and a new type of machine—one that is not entirely inanimate; that can be alluring,
deceptive, and addictive at the same time; and that can ef f iciently prey on our basic instincts and impulses,
our need f or amusement and inf ormation, and our never-ending search f or longing, and self -betterment.
Yet f or all the problems and “f or the worse” changes this machine might have introduced into our lives, we
are not lesser f or it; only much more complicated…I hope that we will someday be able to measure the
World Wide Web’s legacy beyond gross domestic product indexes, ef f iciency gains, and the number of
smiling emoticons f lying through the ether. Only then can we honestly rejoice in the Internet’s many real
bounties 1.
1. p 289 – 290 ↩