How can parents talk about the risks of following influencers who subtly promote materialism or immodesty? 

Parenting Perspective 

Opening a Gentle Dialogue 

Approach the topic with genuine curiosity rather than accusation. Ask your child what they enjoy about a particular influencer and listen carefully to their answers. This builds trust and helps you understand the appeal, preventing your child from becoming defensive and making the subsequent conversation more productive. 

Building Critical Media Literacy 

Help your child understand the business behind influencing. Explain that many influencers are paid to promote products and lifestyles, which may not even be part of their real, everyday life. This knowledge empowers them to see content not just as entertainment, but as a form of strategic advertising that can subtly encourage excessive spending or un-Islamic values. 

Connecting Online Content to Real Feelings 

Discuss the real-world emotional impact of this content. Ask questions like, ‘How does seeing these things make you feel about what we have?’ This helps them recognise for themselves if an influencer’s content is leading to feelings of envy, inadequacy, or the normalisation of behaviours like immodesty, which they might otherwise not have noticed. 

Seeking Out Positive Influences 

Actively help your child find and follow creators who are positive role models. Make it a shared and enjoyable activity to discover influencers who promote beneficial skills, creativity, charity, or Islamic knowledge. By populating their feeds with uplifting and inspiring content, the appeal of materialistic or immodest content naturally fades. 

Spiritual Insight 

Islam guides us to be mindful of the content we consume and the company we keep, as these directly impact our spiritual state. 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Furqan (25), Verse 72: 

‘And those who do not bear witness to falsehood, and when they pass near ill speech, they pass by with dignity…‘ 

This verse teaches a crucial principle of digital etiquette. “Falsehood” and “ill speech” can include content that promotes materialism or immodesty. Believers are encouraged to not only avoid engaging with such content but to turn away from it with dignity, protecting their hearts and minds. 

The company we keep, both physically and digitally, has a profound effect on our character and faith. 

It is recorded in Jami at-Tirmidhi, 2378, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘A person is upon the religion of his close friend, so let one of you look at whom he befriends.‘ 

This timeless advice extends perfectly to the influencers our children follow. These online personalities act as digital companions whose habits, values, and beliefs can gradually shape our own. This makes it essential to choose influences that draw us closer to Allah, not further away.