Social Media and Human Dignity: Online Humiliation, Degradation and Islamic Ethics

سوشل میڈیا اور انسانی وقار: آن لائن تحقیر، تذلیل اور اسلامی اخلاقیات

Abstract

Social media has become an important part of contemporary human life. It has provided people with opportunities for communication, education, information sharing and public participation. At the same time, the same platforms have created new forms of humiliation, ridicule, character assassination, privacy violations, cyberbullying and public shaming. A person's dignity can now be damaged within minutes through a post, comment, edited image, short video or unverified allegation, while the damage may continue even after the original content is deleted. This article examines the concept of human dignity from the perspective of Islam and modern human rights and explores how social media is increasingly being used to undermine that dignity. The Qur'an prohibits ridicule, insulting, offensive nicknames, suspicion, spying and backbiting, while the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ emphasized the sanctity of a person's honour and prohibited humiliating or looking down upon others. The article also examines Article 14 of the Constitution of Pakistan and the relevant principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It argues that freedom of expression does not justify the destruction of another person's honour, privacy or dignity. The study concludes that responsible social media use requires not only legal awareness but also moral self-restraint, verification of information, respect for privacy and recognition of the human being behind every screen name, photograph or account