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Preparing for Internet Wellness

Ditulis oleh Khairul Azhar Bin Idris.

Posted in The Star

Internet wellness sounds quite unfamiliar to many. The majority of adults in our society have little understanding of the term, even though many of them use the internet almost every day and in every facet of their lives, let alone promote it as a standard practice in internet surfing or when engaging in cyber space technology and activities. Internet or cyber wellness is defined as a practice of positive behaviour and attitude by internet users. It refers to an understanding of maintaining positive outlook in order to get positive outcomes in using the internet and finally creating and promoting positive cyberspace environment for all. It also entails how an individual will protect himself, not only against surfing websites with full of bad and negative contents, but also in curbing the negative effects that may arise out of it, so that the bad effects would not be spread out easily in the family or society.

Every member in the society should understand well and practice what is meant by internet wellness and how to propagate it as a standard practice of healthy life style and healthy living in the society. Healthy life style is a practice of choice by well-informed individuals. Considering what healthy life style looks like, a definition in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language says: ‘A way of life or style of living that reflects the attitudes and values of a person or group’.

This means that some one’s life style is his way of looking and perceiving, as well as practising and leading his life, based on the perspective and world view that he is destined for. Someone who leads a healthy life style paradigm is truly aware that he has made a wise, positive and healthy choice in his life and understands the reasons and consequences of why he has made that decision, with the intention to lead a wise, balanced and healthy life.

This constitutes the main objective of healthy life style. Internet wellness as a part of healthy life style practices, indicates that such individuals are very well informed about what is internet, its technology, the contents, the do’s and don’ts, as well as responsible ways and communications in handling and managing internet related activities and issues.

Why should we practice internet wellness approach and activities?

Everybody must be aware that the internet, gadgets and technology are just like double-edged swords that can be used for any other reasons and purposes with various intentions. Do we realise that the world of the internet and cyber technology was introduced for the human kind in the first place with the intention to bring effective ways of communication and sharing of knowledge globally? Of course, in the current advanced state of living, everything has changed so drastically. So do the internet and technology. Yet, despite this, we should not compromise by leaving behind and ignoring our existing life values and virtues just to compensate for the fast changing world of the internet and technology. Rather, we should be in control over internet use and activities and not let them enslave ourselves and our existing life values.

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How does internet wellness contribute to health and wellbeing? Everybody must understand and learn to accept the fact that wellness in whatever form, contributes significantly to promotion and maintenance of health and wellbeing, as well as to the development of good quality of life in general. Similarly, internet wellness, as an approach and practice, provides internet users with some methods and information that will guide them all the way on how to get the best quality as possible from using the internet and then practice it as part of their good internet habits.

Among the key components and elements of good internet habits are being respectful to other users, being honest, and always surfing the internet with good intention and positive attitude in mind. It is not a good habit when someone uses the internet with the intention to be destructive to other people or organisation. This will defeat the purpose of creating and promoting cyber world as a good place of communicating and strengthening human relationships and thus hinder the objective for internet wellness. Indeed, internet wellness requires that someone uses the internet wisely, and ethically, as well as precisely, in terms of the right websites to visit, or specific related information to search for, and being timely. Timeliness in internet wellness requires that one is aware of the duration one would be in the cyber world. The longer one cyber surfs, the more negative outcome one gets. The habit of long cyber surfing only brings adverse effects, and in fact, can even be detrimental to one’s mental and physical health and wellbeing, and hardly contributes for good quality of life in general.

Indeed, eschewing bad and negative habits and behaviour is a compulsory part as ordained by Islamic teaching. Each Muslim individual is responsible to curb negative habits and bad actions, while at the same time, promote good and positive behaviour. In the Quran, God promises those who call on good deeds,  "Let there among you be a group that summon to all that is beneficial, commands what is proper and forbids what is improper; they are the ones who will prosper" (Chapter 3, verse 104).

Among the purpose of this teaching is to establish the understanding and awareness of moral and virtues and that they are spread out in society, and when practiced, they will eventually create a positive and peaceful environment, so that society, can and will learn and share how to live in harmony.



souce :

http://www.ikim.gov.my/index.php ... r-internet-wellness

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