The Distraction That Looks Harmless

Yesterday we spoke about the effect of consuming constant negative information, the news, disasters, tragedies and chaos that can weigh heavily on our hearts, minds and souls.

But there is another type of content that affects us just as deeply, though it might not seem harmful at first.

It is the perfectly curated lifestyles.

The soft life aesthetics.

The highlight reels of people’s homes, bodies, spouses, babies, holidays, make-up, cars, handbags, skincare, wealth, wardrobe, success and even their version of spirituality.

Without realising it, you start absorbing messages that tell you:

This is what happiness looks like.

This is what success looks like.

This is what being loved looks like.

This is what you are missing.

This is what you should want.

And this is what your life should look like by now.

And it slowly starts eating away at your contentment.

Your gratitude.

Your peace.

Your ability to see the blessings you already have.

You do not notice how your mind becomes occupied with things that hold no real value in the eyes of Allah.

You do not realise how your du‘ās shift from seeking nearness to Him, to seeking what they have.

And you do not realise how far your heart starts drifting from true fulfilment.

This too is from the traps of shaytan.

If he cannot make you feel hopeless through disaster and despair,

he will make you feel like you are not enough through distraction and desire.

He will quietly make you believe that you are behind.

That others are ahead of you.

That you need what they have in order to feel whole.

But the truth is, what you see online is only a fragment.

A filtered, carefully edited moment in someone’s life.

And even if it is not, that is their journey, not yours.

Your life is not missing anything that was meant to be yours.

Your rizq is written.

Your story is your own.

And your value in the eyes of Allah is not tied to how beautiful your feed is or how much of the dunya you have.

Social media is a tool. If used with wisdom, it can inspire. It can uplift.

But if left unguarded, it can quietly rob you of your joy and anchor your heart in the wrong direction.

Be honest with yourself about what you consume.

Unfollow what leaves you feeling ungrateful or inadequate.

Mute what stirs your nafs and distances you from your Rabb.

And follow more of what reminds you that your heart was made for Jannah, not for this fleeting world.

Protect your heart. Not just from what hurts, but also from what distracts.