The Mirage of TikTok
A look at the impact of TikTok on the mind and soul and our connection to the divine
In the ever-advancing age of digital immediacy, we find ourselves adrift amid the ephemeral dance of online spectacles. TikTok, a platform that epitomizes our contemporary landscape, leads us into the fragmented rhythm of an existence untethered to the divine and eternal. It is in this realm of fleeting amusements where authenticity is sought yet scarcely found, and the rituals that once defined our spiritual essence are sacrificed at the altar of perpetual distraction.
TikTok, an insatiable vortex of transient spectacles, seduces us with the promise of authenticity, even as it undermines the core of our spiritual identity. As Charles Taylor posits in his work, the quest for authenticity has become central to modern society, and TikTok has emerged as a fertile ground for this pursuit. Within its pixelated confines, the profane and the sacred collide, blurring the boundaries between the divine and the mundane.
In this world of performative self-realization, the wisdom of Islam, beckons us to remember Allah and illuminate our innermost selves. The Quran reminds us: "Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest" (Surah 13:28). Yet, these timeless teachings risk being consumed by the digital cacophony, reduced to mere commodities, divorced from their sacred origins. Philip Rieff's critique of the therapeutic culture is echoed in this phenomenon, as the focus on individual well-being supersedes shared moral frameworks.
I’d like to stop here here to let you know that this piece so far has fully been written by GPT-4. Shocked?
Do you have a desire to stop reading all of a sudden?
Why?
Is it perhaps because we as humans are drawn to writing not because of the writing in itself but rather the expression of the human behind it?
I’ve always held to the idea that human writing would never get replaced by an AI, however I’m not sure anymore when it comes to basic writing. Is using it as a tool to start an early draft less problematic than having it write the whole thing? What is the line in the sand for what is acceptable and what is not?
If we say that all writing tools are problematic, than are digital documents which allow you to quickly edit, spell check and diagnose grammar and syntax problematic? What about a thesaurus, are those your words if you switched them out?
You might say that AI writing still feels robotic and uncanny. However, we may cross a bridge soon where that is no longer the case.
What if you couldn’t easily tell the difference? Does it matter? Should it matter?
I believe it should. Holding on to the essence of what makes us human is what makes us human to begin with.
Let me know your thoughts and how you feel about this.
And Allah and his Messenger ﷺ know best
~Muin