Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Twitter, nearly all of us are using at least one of these if not all and I think it’s safe to say that the word sharing encapsulates best what these platforms do. Thinking about it, the saying “sharing is caring” comes to mind, but how much of this “sharing” has been elevating the opportunities for Muslim women and how much of it has been not “caring” in the least?

I explored how using social media has been instrumental in putting Muslim women on the map, working to challenge many preconceived notions about them and Islam. However, some of the darker realities of these open platforms became very apparent. That doesn’t mean to say the downsides have been a deterrent in every case! Especially when you look at those building careers through social media, using it as a podium for their voices to be heard. Sadly though, it seems to have a resounding impact on how and who is using them in a number of ways. The recent negative press about Amena Khan’s L’Oréal campaign highlighting her comments made on Twitter in 2014, illustrates this point exactly. Suffice it to say that due diligence probably wasn’t done thoroughly on L’Oréals part, nonetheless, it ended up with Amena taking most of the backlash from Muslims and non-Muslims alike. On the other hand, there are plenty of those who are going very far with the use of social media and taking full advantage of its benefits. Look at Dina Tokio, Nabila Bee, Zukreat, Huda Kattan, Habiba Da Silva, Nadia Hussain and those are just to name a few.

In order to make the most of these platforms, Muslim women have to create the fine balance between deflecting the negative and actively participating.

We all have a multitude of opinions and social media allows for these to be heard. Working on the campaign Change the Script has given me the scope to understand why some Muslim women are often reluctant to use it nowadays. For most, it’s about the current icy climate blustering in the direction of Muslims. How can you blame them? When you put yourself on these platforms, it’s a given that you will be thrown some kind of abuse no matter who you are. Putting it simply, people can be very mean. The thing is not everyone you come across in life will like you, and I think that’s just the point. That concept spreads through social media like wildfire. It’s even more apparent because of needing to have that “like” button pressed to attract adequate amounts of attention to in order to establish your online presence. Because of this, we spend a lot of time singling ourselves out. When you consider the current state of affairs in the UK, singling yourself out isn’t just an exercise you practice on your own. It is placed upon you. That is because the media seems to think that being Muslim comes hand in hand with being an irate extremist owning nonsensical beliefs. We know that is far from the case, and demonstrating that through social media is quite possibly the best way to tackle that absurd narrative.

In order to create the balance mentioned before, here’s what I have come up with lately – the three steps you ought to take is to accept, deflect and utilise.

Accepting the negative sides of social media isn’t about condoning the unwarranted attention you might get, instead, it gets you further by showcasing your identity just as any non-Muslim would. This is especially the case when you take into consideration that it will challenge the very stereotypes which attracted that negativity in the first place. Deflecting the negativity won’t make it go away, granted, but being exposed to it when using social media shouldn’t be a reason to stop you. It’s a tool you can use to show how determined you are! Lastly, utilising the hell out of it is important whether it’s to endorse and build your career or simply as a means to live as human being in the 21st century. Oh, and all of this acts to serve as a platform to challenge the narrative the world has placed on Muslim women, which is most certainly not our own.

Amira Hasan is the Resident Writer for Change the Script. She has a passion for writing, style and design. In her spare time, she writes short pieces and blogs on lifestyle.