Our life is becoming more interesting and enjoyable in recent times—thanks to the advancement in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), which have brought us the cyberspace via the advent of internet and the social media. To a large extent, our activity is now confined within the cyberspace, boosted by unabated inventions and innovations of ICT applications in the form of more user-friendly gadgets, coupled with the existence social media and messaging applications.
Whether inadvertent or intentional, these inventions and innovations have assimilated very well with the human’s innate emotions, namely “sharing” and “caring” or as famously said “sharing is caring”. This assimilation could be the reason why we are witnessing the rapid proliferation of social media usage and more significantly, the transformation in the way we communicate and express ourselves. Surprisingly, there has been a trend nowadays that some people even use the cyberspace to chat with family members who stay together inside the same house; with neighbour who only stays next door; or with office colleagues who work in the same office; although they can physically meet each other easily.
Apparently, the smart mobile gadgets, messaging apps and social media serve as platform for personal communication and interaction with friends, and family, in the form of real-time peer-to-peer communication. The platform allows individuals to interact with one another, exchanging details about their lives like biographical and professional information, personal photos, ideas and thoughts, find people with like interests or long lost friends and family members. However, this inanimate platform does not discriminate anyone with specific rank or position, or by race or religion—whether one is a journalist, a politician, a CEO, a leader, celebrities, sports stars, or just an ordinary folk, one will not be barred to disseminate and shares one’s thoughts or ideas, in words or pictures to the massive audience all over the world. The platform only takes whatever the inputs and transmits them efficiently to whoever we want to. It seems that the platform recognises human emotions as a social being that requires friends and companions. Hence, it is common nowadays that people of all ages have their own social media accounts be it Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or the messaging apps like whatsApp and wechat—to name a few.
As the social media and messaging apps becoming engaging, interactive and efficient form of private communications and becoming an integral part of life, businesses and formal organisations are taking advantage of this popular communication platform to reach out to the massive audience. It also been said that this technology “has flattened the world”, in the sense that it has provide a seamless connection that penetrate borders of nations and discarding protocols and ranks among the people, which in turn bridge the gap between leaders and the masses, or superstars and celebrities with their fans. As such, what is said to be in the exclusive and in the private domain previously, may now be shared in the public domain and hence, today, the cyberspace is regarded as the most transparent, engaging and interactive form of public relations.
Leveraging on the technology and the notion of “sharing is caring” many Muslim users in recent years have taken the opportunity to disseminate religious message to their family, friends, and acquaintances. Indeed, this is a noble thing to do as Islam enjoins people to spread the message and advice one another. In this regard the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) says: “Convey from me, even if it is a verse.” The saying of the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) means that every Muslim need to convey whatever verses from the Qu’ran that he knew, even if it is only a little, as this can be attributed to our learning process.
In addition, it is also a Muslim’s duty to address any wrong doing that are occurring in his society, in accordance with his capacity, as what has been said by the Prophet (blessing and peace be upon him):“If one of you sees something wrong, change it with your hand; if you cannot, then change it with your tongue; if he cannot, then change it with your heart and this is the weakest faith.” In this regard, although the social media and messaging apps can be useful, one needs to be more judicious and exercise one’s wisdom as to maintain harmony in the society. Any wrong doings in the society should be investigated and confirmed before they could be disseminate through the cyberspace, because once something enters the cyberspace, it may become viral and sensationalised.
Although there have been many undesirable elements creeping into our cyberspace off late, we cannot deny the immense benefits that it has brought us. The cyberspace is platform created by the human being and it depends on the inputs put forth by the human being itself. It is the human being who needs to exercise his care and wisdom, so that the benefit of the cyberspace can be fully leveraged.