When it comes to mentoring young Muslim girls, a focus of my work revolves around un-doing the damage caused by Muslim IG fashionista influencers who’ve been allowed to wreak havoc on the psyche of young Muslim girls for the sole purpose of boosting their brand.

It’s not until you get an up-close look at some of these fashionista influencers, as opposed to only seeing them behind a screen, that you come to realize just how vapid and empty that entire culture is. Weaning young girls off of it is akin to weaning an obese person off sugar.

The reality of fashionista culture is that it’s grim. The images you see displaying smiles and interesting backgrounds are manufactured; a result of an obsessive cycle of selfies taken when out with family or friends, ensuring that no one there actually enjoys the moment.

And while I hate to say this publicly, the fact that COVID-19 has restricted everyone to staying indoors has allowed for young Muslim girls to see just how mundane some of these online personalities are when their props are taken away.

And it seems no one wants to discuss that when a young Muslim girl in high school is made to feel inadequate by a Muslim persona selling her lies via social media, it may lead her to seek validation in the arms of an immoral man seeking to prey on her emotional vulnerabilities.

If you’re a young Muslim girl reading this, know that what you consume visually affects you just as much as what you consume physically. Social media is like a cup, you either fill it up with water that nourishes you or with sugary beverages that cause tooth decay.

If you’re looking for positive Muslim female role models that’ll enrich your social media, follow Dr. Rania Awad, Dr. Tamara Gray, Sheikha Ieasha Prime, Roohi Taher, Maryam Amir, Nour Goda, Nuriddeen Knight and Sheikha Muslema Purmul.

There are still many more I haven't listed.