Thesis:

Investigation into the negative impact of selected social media on muslim community in Garissa township sub county.

Garissa Township Sub County with a significant population of Muslim youths considers Da’wah as an important content in their life. However, a study by the Garissa Islamic Preachers showed that performance of religious activities in the world is a challenge. In Kenya the religious organizations developed a number of mechanisms to downsize the impacts of these selected social Media. Despite these initiatives, Da'wah activities are quite low, according to reports from Kenyan Muslim Preachers. The study aims to ascertain the negative effects of a few social media sites on the Muslim community in Garissa Township, Sub County. The goal of this study was to see how social media affects religious involvement. The following research aims and objectives influenced the study: study programs for the effects of social media including Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram to investigate Muslim scholars' contribution to lessening reliance on social media. The study employed social need theory of Maslow's hierarchy. The target audience for this study includes academics, zealots of various religions, and some young Muslims. The study's primary sources accounted for the vast majority of its data. The study's sample size of 100 respondents was determined using a straightforward random sampling approach. The aforementioned number of respondents were surveyed and interviewed for data. Because of the literacy issue, clients were only interviewed. The study found that social media has negatively impacted youth in Garissa Township, affecting their ability to engage in Islamic propagation and education. Platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp have led youths to prioritize status updates over attending school or Madrassa, resulting in poor academic performance. Additionally, social media dependency, termed Digital Technology Masturbation Syndrome, was noted, causing disengagement from Quran and Hadith learning. Instagram was found to influence youth morality negatively, with increased posting of inappropriate content. Strategies to mitigate these effects include parental guidance, delayed phone ownership, content restrictions, and punitive measures for sharing explicit content. The study also discovered that young people were similarly impacted by social media. According to the study findings, all members of society were literate, which qualified them to do their work without difficulty. The study also discovered that both women and children are not involved in religious propagation work, which hinders the spread of the Islamic religion. The study concluded that social media has significantly impacted Muslim youth in Garissa Township, diverting them from religious duties, including Da’wah and Islamic education. Platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp have eroded youth morals, encouraging negative behaviors such as sharing inappropriate content. Islamic propagation efforts have been undermined by social media addiction, and youth disengagement from Quran and Hadith learning. Furthermore, societal attitudes, lack of security, and inadequate staffing also hinder effective Da’wah work in the region. The study recommends that parents monitor youth social media use, delaying access to electronic devices until they complete education. It also advises creating strict regulations on content sharing, increasing staff and security for Da’wah activities, and encouraging community-wide participation in Islamic propagation, particularly involving women and youth in spreading the Islamic teachings.