The Danger of Mass Media on our Minds

Why we need to switch off the news once and for all

It was said:

“All of fitan (tribulation) is from three sources:

- Newscasters — (those spreading news)

- Newshounds — (those who put a lot of effort into discovering new stories, such as reporters)

- Consumers of news — (those consuming news daily)

And none of them are free from blame.”

A very good time for this reminder, as even in Ramadan, the news is a diet we do not seem to fast from. And yet you can really see this old saying come to pass.

Today, the news is a superspreader of fear, propaganda, injustice, hatred and all sorts of fitnah. And as we lap it up, we cannot help but get affected (or infected). And as we do so, that shapes our mindset and worldview negatively. We are no longer ‘informed’ but our minds are instead ‘deformed’ by the toxicity we consume.

How many of us will have had negative thoughts about what has taken place in Pakistan recently? Or the Ukraine situation? Or on Kashmir, covid or even climate change?

Even if it is well-intentioned, our culture seems to dictate that we need to be ‘well-informed’ to be relevant. To have something to discuss. We absolutely don’t.

Even us scrolling on social media mindlessly makes us fall into one of those categories. Let alone sharing.

It is clear by the nature of the time we’re in, that we’re in an age of immense fitnah. What good is achieved from being up-to-date with the news cycles? How does it actually improve your and your family’s lives? For the amount of time spent, the ROI is terrible.

Don’t get me wrong, we’re all guilty of it. This is a lesson to myself first. But much of our malaise is down to our mindless consumption of media. And that consumption is usually taking place because we’re not aligned to our true purpose. We’re just ‘going with the flow’.

When you are focused on a cause greater than yourself, you don’t get distracted by such things. You filter out what you don’t need. You have a clear vision and a direction you’re going in. Anything which takes you away from this overall purpose you avoid like the plague. And you’re healthier, happier and more productive because of it.

This is a time to retain your mental faculties when all around you are losing theirs. Cling to your purpose and don’t worry about news that does not concern you and that you cannot do anything about, anyway.

If you’d like some help figuring out your purpose, feel free to book a call with me here: https://calendly.com/famjad/know-purpose