Digital Deceptions: 4-Week-Workshop with the Authors

Dr. Amir Abdelzaher

Ustadh Arfan Qureshi

Dr. Ahmed Howeedy

Lesson 1: Reality Check: The Harms of Digital Technologies

● Overview of our sessions

• Understanding the world we live in: Age of abundance and the Age of misery
• Root causes of the ailments of the modern age: Unchecked exposure to the
• digital world
• Cause of physical, mental, and spiritual ailments

● Setting our bearings: Foundational principles

• Purpose in life
• Rational and spiritual analysis: Usuli Principles that must guide our decisions
• Masalih vs Mafasid

● Perceived Benefits, Real Harms

• Addictive by design
• Fragment attention
• Direct effects on the Brain
• Cause of mental illness
• Source of Impermissible
• Subtle Spiritual Harms

● Breaking Free

• Practical Recommendations and Assignments

● Questions

Lesson 2: Hidden Agendas: Privacy, Surveillance and Manipulation

● “But I have nothing to hide”- Why Privacy?

● The Data Brokers

● What is my data used for

• Targeted Marketing
• Unlawful activities
• Influence emotions and beliefs
• Mass Manipulation and surveillance

● Artificial Intelligence

● Reclaim your privacy

• Practical Recommendations and Assignments

● Questions

Lesson 3: Raising Children in the Digital Age

● Sacred Trust

• Goal as parents

● The Four Parenting Styles

● Achieving an Authoritarian Parenting Style

• The Parenting Pyramid: Correction, Teaching, Relationship, Tazkiya
• Learning to be a teacher

● Managing Digital Devices

• Avoid introducing
• Manage current use
• Educate about the harms
• Build on other interests and strengths
• Choose their suhba
• Manage e-learning
• Prefer tools that prioritize focus
• When to get professional help

● Foundational principles

• Spiritual means
• Modeling the way
• Building the relationship
• Instilling Iman and Mahabba

● Practical Recommendations and Assignments

Lesson 4: Back to Basics: Healthy Living in the Digital Age

● Physical and Spiritual Balance in Digital Age

● Physical Balance

• Foods and activities that promote brain health
• Activities that strengthen the brain

● Spiritual Means in the Digital Age

• Taqwa, Zuhd, Dua, Salat, Dhikr, Suhba

● Looking forward: Islamic Eschatology

• The greatest fitna to befall mankind
• Preparing your family to thrive

● Bringing it All Together

• Guiding Principles
• Summary of Recommendations
• Ramadan Detox Plan for you and your family

● Questions

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