Virtual Social Network Communication during the Covid-19 Pandemic According to Muslim Community in Sabah (2019-2021)
Ahmad Tarmizi Abdul Rahman1*, Nor-Ina Kanyo1, Santi Hairuddin1
1 Faculty of Islamic Studies, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Kota Kinabalu,Malaysia
*Corresponding Author: [email protected] Accepted: 15 May 2022 | Published: 1 June 2022
DOI:https://doi.org/10.55057/ajress.2022.4.2.7
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Abstract: Nowadays, Virtual social network communication is one of medium technological advancement in the field of information and communication. The use of virtual communication risen since the COVID-19 started in Wuhan 2019. The pandemic has changed the lifestyle of the Muslim community in Sabah, especially related to the use of virtual social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp and Twitter. The use of virtual social networks interrupted the local community stability communication life if it usage does not paralleled to ethics, religion and culture sensitivity. This study is a descriptive study that uses a quantitative design and questionnaires as it research instruments. The target respondents for this study are the Muslim communities in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah and it suburbs. The results of the study found that the influence of virtual social network communication media had a great impact on the culture, religion and values of the Muslim community in Sabah. Hence, each Muslim individual needs to have strong intellectual values to live in the world technological change.
Keywords: Modern Sabahan Muslim Community, Virtues, Religion, Culture, Virtual Social Network Communication, COVID-19.
_________________________________________________________________________
1. Introduction
The form of human communication often undergoes changes as a result of technological development and communication revolution in the form of technical and structural (Van Djik, 2006). According to Brody (1990), human communication has entered a phase emphasizing interactive communication marked by internet -based technologies and computing. This is increasingly taking the place of what is known as new media (Poster 1995; Holmes 2005). Nik Mohd Saiful (2013), the new media is a combination of traditional media such as newspapers, television, films to create more interactive and dynamic digital publications. It is characterized by elements such as open access and user-friendly for all. It concerns about collaborative content as well as it ability as a delivery digital information. For example in the form of the virtual world, social media, digital journals, tablet computers and many more. Currently, new media is seen to be more dominant and it provides major changes especially face -to -face communication is replaced by intermediate communication that is internet -based online communication (Siti Ezaleila & Azizah, 2011).
According to Simon (2020) the use of virtual social networks has increased from April 2019 to January 2020 with 4.1 percent which is 1 million users in Malaysia. About 81% of them are social media users. The user in the age group of 25-34 years are the most active group on
Facebook, Instagram and FB where the percentage of male users is more than 5.4 percent of female users which is 20.9% (Nur Ain et.al, 2021).
Simon (2020) also stated that average Malaysians spent 7 hours 57 minutes in January 2020 in using the internet a day. A total of 25.86 million is equivalent to 97% of internet users in Malaysia use smartphones to spend their time within 4 hours 3 minutes per day. In November 2020, globally Malaysia is ranked as 88th with 24.26mbps out of 139 countries with mobile broadband. Malaysia is also ranked 43rd out of 176 countries for fixed broadband with a rate of 91.40mbps (Speedtest Global Index, 2020).
This prove that the use of the internet has changed the lifestyle of society in Malaysia, especially in the use of virtual social network communication media. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are not only focused on the national economy, but also have an impact on the social aspects of the population. Residents in Malaysia as well as across the country have had to change their lifestyles to the new type of lifestyles than before (Nur Ain et.al, 2021). After the government introduced the Movement Control Regulation (MCO) Phase 1 which started on March 18, 2020, the Malaysian community has started to live a daily life that is only indoors. This new norm is very different from the previous way of life. It seems like it never occurred to society at the time.
Without realizing it, the rapidly developing communication media have led to drastic changes everywhere. Gradually, it has brought the society into a new cultural pattern and has begun to determine the pattern of thought and culture of behavior of the society (Sohana Abdul Hamid, 2016).
2. Literature Review
Communication Media According To Islamic Perspective
The media plays an important role in Islam that must emphasises on the teachings of Islam (Najidah & Abu Darda, 2012). According to Ghazali (2008), the role of Islamic information media should focus on spreading Islam, clarifying issues related to the Ummah, using a wise approach for successful communication, countering misconceptions spread by Western media about Islam, and protecting Muslims from misleading elements of etiquette. Therefore, Abdul Latif (2012) believes that Islamic mass media can implement these approachs by using the function of criticism or social control in verbal or nonverbal approaches, it is necessary to avoid expressions and scenes that contradict the Quran and Sunnah.
Islam reminds to always be cautious and carefully evaluate any information or message received for fear that it may have a bad influence on others. Especially in the context of today's globalized world where the new media is generally more dominated by enemies of Islam who have various prejudices (Mohamad Rafiuddin et.al, 2019. In surah al-Hujurat, Allah commands to be careful in believing the news received through Allah said in surah al-Hujurat verse 6:
"O you who believe, if a sinful person brings you a report, verify its correctness, lest you should harm a people out of ignorance, and then become remorseful on what you did".
Nuradilah et.al (2019) stated that in the context of Islam, virtual communication media in social networks is an effective platform for spreading da'wah as it is not limited by time, circumstances, place and any situations. According to Badlisham (2012), it is the duty of every preachers to use an approach that is suitable for the target audience. In this context, Muslims should be wise in using social media, i.e., use good and simple words when sharing
information. This means that the Muslim community must disseminate all information based on authentic references. Islamic communication based on Al-Quran and Hadith should be the main guide for Muslims to preach and create unity among the Ummah.
Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Today, the whole country is afflicted by an epidemic of a disease called coronovirus or better known as COVID -19. The COVID -19 is a virus that can cause respiratory infections. The infections cause a spectrum of symptoms ranging from a cold to severe pneumonia. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared this disease as a pandemic infectious disease that has claimed many lives worldwide. As of Oct. 5, 2021, a total of 4,822,176 deaths from the infection have been counted worldwide. This pandemic has changed the norms of human life in various aspects such as socio of worship, socio of administration, socio of economy and so on (Siti Rahma, 2020).
The outbreak was first detected in the city of Wuhan, China in December 2019. The virus is mostly transmitted through the respiratory tract from sneezing and coughing in a manner similar to influenza (MOH, 2020). This disease is a contagious disease because the individual will get symptoms after the virus infects himself without realizing it. Individuals with symptoms will be required to perform a swab test to determine whether the individual is infected or not. While waiting for the swab test, the individual must be quarantined and avoid seeing anyone, even in employment matters. This is to prevent the virus from spreading if a person tests positive (MOH, 2020). There is no denying that these epidemics have different implications for each individual. These changes cause discomfort and become polemic in some societies, especially among Muslims (Abdul Syatar et.al, 2020).
3. Methodology
This study is entitled "The Influence of Communication Media in Virtual Social Networks on the Value System in Religion and Culture." In order to collect data and produce research results, a quantitative design was used by conducting a comprehensive study on the influence of communication media in virtual social networks in relation to Islam religion and culture in Sabah. Data collection is performed by questionnaire containing 62 questions to be answered by the respondents. The questionnaire consists 5 parts: Part A: Respondent's background, Part B: Value issues in the communication medium of virtual social network, Part C: Community response to values in the context of religion and culture, Part D: Impact of value conflict on local religion and culture, and Part E: general questions. Respondents were randomly selected from 400 people in the Kota Kinabalu and it suburds.
4. Discussion and Findings
To examine the impact of the collision of virtual social network communication media on local values, religion, and culture, several questions were constructed to elicit the views of randomly selected respondents in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Overall, the profile of respondents in this study is based on 15 categories, namely age, gender, place of residence, location, length of residence, citizenship, education level, marital status, number of dependents, number of spouses, number of siblings, number of children, parental status, occupation, and workplace. The analysis results of respondent profile showed that a total of 246 respondents (61.5%) showed respondents in the range of 15-24 years followed by a total of 154 respondents (38.5%) were in the range of 25-35 years. From the aspect of gender, the majority of respondents are female, which is 287
equivalent (71.75%) out of 400 respondents. While from the aspect of residence A total of 229 respondents (57.25%) live in the suburbs and the rest live in the city center
Table 1: The impact of virtual social network media clashes on local values, religion and culture
Bil Questions Strongly
disagree
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly
agree 1. The increasing influence of
virtual communication media in social networks on the lives of young people in Sabah has challenged the local value system, religion and culture.
27 Respondent
(6.75%)
50 Respondent
(12.5%)
104 Respondent
(26%)
161 Respondent
(40.25%)
58 Respondent
(14.5%)
2. The increasing influence of virtual communication media in social networks on the lives of young people in Sabah has led to a decline in the religious practices of this group and Sabah society in general.
26 Respondent
(6.5%)
59 Respondent
(14.75%)
99 Respondent
(24.75%)
164 Respondent
(41%)
52 Respondent
(13%)
3. The increasing influence of virtual social network communication media on the lives of young people in Sabah has led to increasing confusion in the local culture of this group and in Sabah society in general.
25 Respondent
(6.25%)
59 Respondent
(14.75%)
107 Respondent
(26.75%)
159 Respondent
(39.75%)
50 Respondent
(12.5%)
4. The increasing influence of virtual communication media in social networks on the lives of young people in Sabah has led to an erosion of the value system of this group and of Sabah society in general.
20 Respondent
(5%)
53 Respondent
(13.25%)
109 Respondent
(27.25%)
167 Respondent
(41.75%)
51 Respondent
(12.75%)
Based on the table 1, one of the strong effects of the influence of virtual social network communication medium is that the local culture of Sabah society in general increasingly confused. It can be seen when the new media has an impact on the value system which is very clear when people are comfortable communicating with each other by reducing the size of relationships between other communities. This is clear when the concept of visiting or chatting with other communities are free from infections fear of being infected by the virus. Therefore, Sabahan use internet technology to communicate with each other. The applications such as WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and Telegram are widely used in this manner. According to Haji Abdullah Don (2015), nowadays when people meet with their family members or friends in the occasions, they try to avoid direct communication and spend more time on the smartphone.
The increasing influence in using the communication medium of virtual social networking is one of the causes that devalued of value system practiced especially among the Muslims community. They afraid that the new value will replace the existing value. This due to the belief that custom has hindered progress and development of the people. Modern values maybe reduced and erase the local value system of the society in Sabah such as self-appearance and politeness, which is in from previous generations and cultures that went through the process of socialization and culturalization (Mohd Yuszaidy & Muammar Ghaddafi, 2015).
In Sabah, children and adolescents are obsessed with social media apps such as Facebook and Instagram. They also tend to avoid communicating with others around them. (Mohamad Rafiudin et.al , 2019). In addition, this group is also increasingly inactive and dislikes events that involve community activities.
The media's influence on society is more significant than any other voice. According to communication studies professor Bernard Cohen, the media can influence our thoughts even if the media do not tell us what to think (Sohana Abd.Hamid,2016). The rapid emergence and evolution of media has created a platform that enables people to communicate without limitations. This phenomenon is clearly visible when the users are free to criticize and discuss topics without regard to ethical and moral values. (Norazleen Mohd Nor et.al 2011).
According to Kamarul Azmi (2006), the rapid spread of cheap and quick gossip is threatening the country's ability to produce young people who are responsible and have a positive attitude, proactive, mature and rational and positive. According to Tanim et.al (2019), the rise of social media has also affected the public's perception of individuals. Fake news spread has influenced the way of the public think and create a negative perception that can destroy state institutions.
This indirectly affect the ethics and discipline of community life in a country.
In the context of Islam, disseminating information to slander is a great sin, and it is not erased unless the victims have forgiven the individual who disseminated it. Defamation has a negative effect on a person's dignity and position. In the Holy Quran, Allah said:
“Kill them wherever you find them, and drive them out from where they drove you out, as Fitnah (to create disorder) is more severe than killing. However, do not fight them near Al- Masjid-ul-Harām (the Sacred Mosque in Makkah) unless they fight you there. However, if they fight you (there) you may kill them. Such is the reward of the disbelievers”.
The emergence and development of culture in society is also influenced by the communication media of virtual social networks. Foreign cultures are readily adopted into local culture and Muslim cultures. Today, a clear example is the K-pop culture that has easily spread all over the world, especially among teenagers, which makes people in Sabah know more about the foreign culture than their own culture. In this regard, we can see that the younger generation is now experiencing cultural confusion because they are too attached to foreign cultures. Under the influence of Western culture, which does not emphasize the issue of aurat, the limits of mixing men and women and others. As can be seen, most teenagers today tend to follow Western life trends, including the way they wear what is better known to them as streetwear style.
Nurul Afiza et.al (2019) consider that the pollution of lifestyle and language nowadays is also an impact resulting from the increased influence of the communication medium in virtual social networks. This has been the case since the British colonial period in the 50-60s, when the lifestyle of Europeans clearly influenced the lifestyle and culture of Malaysian society. This can clearly threaten the identity of the Muslim community if it becomes too oriented towards European culture. For example, the native language is Malay, a language that should be used in this country but is rarely used in daily communication, especially by young people. It can be seen that today's teenagers tend to mix languages in order to look like people who are not outdated.
In addition, the influence of virtual social communication media leads Muslim society to de- emphasize the importance of religion in daily life. People surf the Internet more for fun but not
to seek knowledge. Muhammad Syazwan et.al (2019) believe that the addiction to virtual social networks causes society to be unreceptive to religious and cultural precepts. This is because people easily fall asleep while surfing the internet and forget to perform the duties that are required to be a follower of Islam, such as 5 times obligation in prayer daily.
The increasing influence of virtual communication media in social networks has led to an ever- increasing moral decay among young people. According to Buerah Tunggak (2012), one of the factors for moral decay among youth today is the mass media material and programs that are disseminated through virtual social networks. This is also confirmed by Bushman & Heusman (2001). The researchers' findings show that the presentation of electronic media significantly influences the behavior of adolescents. Various concepts and lifestyles such as "Happy Go Lucky," hanging out, visiting pleasure centers, and free sex disseminated through mass media have damaged the psyche of teenagers. The explosion of videos with violent stories has led to an increase in violent acts and negative behaviors among them (Baron & Bryen, 1991). This causes teenagers to lose their identity and noble morals (Hamidah Sulaiman, 2005).
5. Conclusion
Undoubtedly, the current development of technology is the result of the development of science in the field of technology and communication. The existence of virtual social networks is a very simple and effective medium that can be used for social purposes, business, knowledge and so on. It is also undeniable that today society is heavily dependent on gadgets and virtual social networks have become a necessity. However, every society must use this medium wisely and carefully. Society's carelessness and reluctance to use social networks clearly has negative effects, especially on the value system, religion and culture.
References
Abdul Latif Abu Bakar. (2012). Peranan Media dalam Dakwah Islamiah. Dalam Wacana Pemikiran Dan Peradaban Ummah ke 4, Seminar Dakwah Nasional 8-9 Okt. 2012 di PWTC
Azarudin A.B, & Khadijah M.K(2015). Pengaruh media dalam dialog kehidupan: Perspektif pengalaman saudara baru. Jurnal Komunikasi: Malaysian Journal of Communication, 31(2).
Ayub, M. S., Rozali, A. A., Marni, N., Ayub, M. S., Rozali, A. A., & Marni, N. (2019). Media Sosial dan Kecanduan Penggunaan Menurut Islam. Jasmi, Kamarul Azmi (Ed.).
Azmi, M., Rafiuddin, M., Kamalanathan, S., & Safar, J. (2019). Media Sosial dan Generasi Muda Menurut Islam. Kertas Kerja Dibentangkan di Seminar Sains Teknologi dan Manusia.
Badlihisham Mohd Nasir. 2012. Islam Dan Dakwah Dalam Zaman Kebangkitan Awal Islam Dan Era Penjajahan Barat Di Tanah Melayu. Jurnal Islamiyyat. 34: 5-12.
Bushmann, B. J., & Huesman, L. R. (2001). Stability of aggression over time and generations.
Journal of Developmental Psychology, 20, 1120 –1134.
Ghazali Sulaiman. (2008). Media Komunikasi Islam. Ed. S. Salahudin Suyurno, Huzaimah Ismail & Aini Ramlan. 67-76. Shah Alam: UiTM UPENA
Hamat, W. N. W. (2017). Pengaruh media massa terhadap penampilan akhlak pelajar Islam Politeknik Malaysia. O-JIE: Online Journal of Islamic Education, 1(1).
Hamidah Sulaiman. (2005). Pendidikan Islam dan Pengaruh Persekitaran dan Kemajuan:
Kesan Kepada Pembentukan Sahsiah. Jurnal Masalah pendidikan 2005, Fakulti Pendidikan, Universiti Malaya.
Hakim, N. A. M. L., Junaidun, N. A., Fadzil, N. S. M., & Ishar, M. I. M. (2021). Persepsi Pengguna Internet di Malaysia Semasa Pandemik COVID-19. Malaysian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities (MJSSH), 6(4), 117-125
Johari, M. H., Baharuddin, A. S., & Ihwani, S. S. (2019). Media Sosial dan Kelestarian Penggunaan Menurut Islam. In Prosiding Seminar Sains Teknologi dan Manusia (pp. 61- 86).
Kamarul Azmi Jasmi. (2006). Pengertian Fitnah dan Kaedah Menangani Permasalahannya dalam Masyarakat. MINDA. 1. 5-5.
Musa Abu Hassan. (1996). Pengunaan Media Komunikasi dalam Aktiviti pemindahan Pengetahuan. Dlm. Mazanah Mohamad & Ezhar Tamam (peny). Rakan Kongsi, Komunikasi dan Media dalam Pembangunan. Serdang: Penerbit UPM
Mustafa, S. E., & Hamzah, A. (2011). Media Baharu yang Baharu: Trend Penggunaan Jaringan Sosial Dalam Kalangan Pengguna di Malaysia: New new media: Trends in the use of social networks among consumers in Malaysia. Jurnal Pengajian Media Malaysia, 13(2), 93-110.
Najidah Zakariya dan Abu Dardaa Mohamad. (2013). Media Sebagai Wasilah Dakwah. Jurnal Al-Hikmah v 5: 92-99.
Razali, N. A., Hera, N., Jasmi, K. A., Razali, N. A., Hera, N., & Jasmi, K. A. (2019). Media Sosial dan Impak Negatif Menurut Islam. In Prosiding Seminar Sains Teknologi dan Manusia.
Rosli, T., Muniandy, Y., Jasmi, K. A., Rosli, T., Muniandy, Y., & Jasmi, K. A. (2019). Media Sosial dan Impak Tingkah Laku Menurut Islam. In Prosiding Seminar Sains Teknologi Dan Manusia (pp. 115-30).
Simon (2020, February 2018). Data Reportal – Global Digital Insights:
https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2020-malaysia
Sohana Abdul Hamid. (2016). Pengaruh media massa terhadap perubahan sosial masyarakat.
e-BANGI, 11, 214-226.
Speedtest Global Index – Monthly comparisons of internet speeds from around the world (2020). Speedtest Global Index: https://www.speedtest.net/global-index
Syatar, A. S. A., Amiruddin, M. M., Rahman, A., & Haq, I. (2020). Darurat Moderasi Beragama Di Tengah Pandemi Corona Virus Desease 2019 (Covid-19). KURIOSITAS:
Media Komunikasi Sosial Dan Keagamaan, 13(1), 1-13.
W Mohd Sidik, Nik Mohd Saiful. (2013). Peranan Media Baharu Dalam Memantapkan Perpaduan Belia - Satu Pemerhatian Awal. Journal of Business and Social Development.
1. 74-82.
Wahab, N. A., Muhamad, N., & Ismail, M. S. (2019). Media Sosial Sebagai Medium Dakwah Masa Kini [Social Media As A Medium Dakwah Nowadays. AL-QIYAM International Social Science and Humanities Journal, 2(1), 14-23.
Yusoff, M. Y. M., & Hanafiah, M. G. (2015). Impak media baharu terhadap sistem nilai masyarakat Melayu di Malaysia. Jurnal Komunikasi: Malaysian Journal of Communication, 31(2)
