Online Etiquette
[b]We are[/b] living in a time where we spend a lot of time online. Our Facebooks, twitters, tumblrs and what not have blended into our lives have become a part of who we are. Almost everything we do, we do it online. In short, we cannot do without interacting online.
As a result of spending a lot of time online, we sometimes stumble across people being rude and making impolite remarks. Some don’t even control what they browse or what they watch.
Many of us fail to realize that just as much as we have to work on our character offline, we need to work on our character online as well. What is not accepted when one is offline is not accepted when one is online.
So, how can we behave properly online?
The following are some simple measures to help us in developing our online etiquette:
[b]1. Control your anger:[/b] Chances are there that you’ll stumble across a comment that you dislike or you may be targeted by someone for a comment you made. Control your anger at that moment. Do not indulge in cursing, cussing or writing something you might regret. Control yourself and be humble enough to leave the scene.
[b]2. Keep in mind that Allah is watching:[/b] No matter what you do, Allah is watching, even when you’re online. Keeping this in mind will help you maintain a good behavior and help you to maintain your limits when watching anything or browsing.
[b]3. Represent Islam positively:[/b] Every Muslim is an ambassador of Islam and has a responsibility to represent islam positively. A Muslim should maintain his/her behavior wherever he/she is – even behind an electronic screen.
[b]4. Be modest:[/b] Interact with the opposite gender modestly and respectfully. At the same time, be modest enough to avoid watching and sharing Haraam or immodest stuff on the internet.
[b]5. Agree to disagree:[/b] So often do we come across people debating about a topic and once they disagree on a point or two, they start cursing, cussing and making rude remarks. Understand that everyone will never have the same opinion or always think the same. If you cannot handle being disagreed with, that’s the red line for you. It’s better to leave the scene than to hurt others with comments just because of a disagreement.
As Muslims, we have to tame our behavior wherever we are…..EVEN online!!!! The Prophet Muhammad said, “The most perfect of the believers in faith is the one with the best moral character.” (Tirmidhi)