The family plays an essential role in shaping the first steps of children's awareness and monitoring what the younger generation is exposed to through applications.

The role of the mosque in education cannot be overlooked, as it is a unifying place for Muslims, especially on Fridays.

Universities also have a vital role in raising youth awareness, as they form the cornerstone of their interaction with society, whether positively or negatively.

The new generations live between a past rich in religious values and inherited traditions and a rapidly evolving present that brings modernity and technology, which often contradict religious heritage. In some cases, modernity even seeks to challenge or erase this heritage. It has even gone so far as to mock this heritage, which forms the foundational value system of our Arab and Islamic societies. Abandoning it equates to abandoning the identity of the Arab and Muslim people.

In light of this significant contradiction, which widens daily, this article aims to explore the manifestations of this dilemma and discuss proposals for combining the authenticity that shapes our identity as Arabs and Muslims with modernity, which provides us with advanced tools for expression and new horizons for thought. These are perhaps indispensable for living in a world that has become, thanks to technology, a global village.

The intellectual and communicative products of modernity have created divisions within Muslim societies, particularly among the youth. Generations have emerged that live on the products of modernity and its culture, imitating the West in a manner detached from their own culture. Meanwhile, other groups have attempted a strict adherence to heritage in response to this deliberate targeting.

With this contrast, a gap arises between those who see heritage as the foundation of their identity and morals and those who view the digital age as an opportunity to transcend traditional constraints. The question remains: how can we build bridges between these two worlds, preserving religious values and cultural heritage while utilizing technology to reinforce these values and raise generations in a way that aligns with the requirements of the digital age?

Religious Threats

Modern tools like social media platforms and websites have deliberately promoted Western cultures that directly clash with the religious foundations of society. Many global applications, whether through songs, movies, or short and long videos, reflect a Western celebration of homosexuality. They present a direct invitation to all generations to adopt this behavior, which Western thinkers now consider the pinnacle of personal freedom.

Strangely, modern media, dominated by the West, insists on embedding the idea of homosexuality into modern educational methods for children, adolescents, and youth. Teachers appear wearing LGBTQ symbols, and traditional images of men are replaced with portrayals of men wearing makeup and gold jewelry, imitating women. Similarly, female teachers and caregivers in these educational applications perform actions that openly promote homosexuality. This unfortunate approach is carried out consistently, leaving children, adolescents, and even young adults with no escape from the digital world's pervasive influence.

This behavior highlights the immense burden on educators and families in our society to counter these poisons and save our children and youth from them. Given that constant supervision of children and adolescents is impossible, our educational community bears the significant responsibility of creating Arab and Islamic programs and applications that cater to the spiritual and technical needs of children. These programs should provide information aligned with the principles of religion and offer beneficial and well-designed content to nurture productive generations.

Some groups in the Arab world have succeeded in presenting excellent models for raising children using modern technological tools within the boundaries of Islamic principles. One example is the "Muslim Child Guide." This guide, as defined, is a comprehensive electronic directory of services and projects dedicated to the Muslim child. It provides interested parties and initiative owners with the necessary information about ongoing efforts. Parents and educators can find resources to assist them in raising children according to proper Islamic education.

The guide offers free services covering all educational, developmental, and entertainment needs for children. It updates itself by adding new applications and free programs for education and entertainment.

Despite the importance of such products, Arab societies need to raise awareness among heads of households to make optimal choices for their children. Families and educators also require ongoing training to identify harmful educational and entertainment programs and protect children from interacting with them. This is especially important given that one of the biggest challenges facing families is how to deal with Western products that embed advertisements promoting LGBTQ symbols, nudity, and proselytizing within educational programs, particularly on YouTube, the most-watched platform worldwide.

Navigating the Digital World

Young generations face new challenges in understanding and practicing their religion amidst rapid technological advancements. This necessitates the concerted efforts of various educational institutions to guide youth toward building balanced personalities that integrate authenticity with modernity. In this context, the roles of educational institutions can be highlighted as follows:

1. The family's role is crucial in shaping children's awareness. Families must monitor the applications and programs children use, filtering out content that opposes religious values.
2. Schools are the second pillar in character building. Training teachers is essential for defending our heritage and core values without isolating ourselves from modern times. According to experts, the continuous education and training of teachers should align with the ongoing education and training of students at all school levels. Teachers are pivotal in guiding students to understand religious teachings and equipping them with skills to confront technological threats.
3. The mosque, as a central gathering place for Muslims, especially on Fridays, should address these technological and cultural threats in sermons. It should offer alternatives or develop approaches to understanding these challenges within the correct framework.
4. Media, particularly social media, significantly shapes individuals' awareness, especially among youth. It is crucial to educate young people about the importance of verifying information and encourage them to use these platforms to spread goodness and knowledge.
5. Universities have a vital role in raising youth awareness, as they pave the way for their future and influence their interaction with society. University curricula should address religious, moral, and cultural threats from Western products. Furthermore, universities should require students to create graduation projects focused on combating this cultural, religious, and moral invasion and developing alternatives that preserve our heritage while embracing technological advancements.
6. Regarding foreign universities operating in our countries that avoid teaching subjects related to our heritage and core values, such as Islamic sciences and ethics, two approaches can be taken. First, these universities should be required to teach Islamic studies, including the Quran, Hadith, and Islamic history. Second, if the administrations of these universities refuse, their graduates should undergo a religious equivalency program emphasizing Islamic sciences to ensure their degrees are recognized by the Muslim state.

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