The Ruling on Occupying Oneself with Social Media and Wasting Time

Question:
He says: Shaykh, this questioner, Abu Ibrahim, says: People in this time, O Shaykh Salih, have thrown themselves into social media sites. People sit for hours and nights around these sites, and they waste their time, especially regarding Ramadan.

Answer:
This is a calamity and a fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) that has befallen some people, or many people. They should fear Allah the Mighty and Majestic and preserve their time in what benefits them and is useful for them in their religion and their worldly affairs. They should not devote themselves or bow down to these mobile phones and these sites, most of which are a waste of time, or most of which involve sin, with sin in them and inappropriate scenes. So they should fear Allah the Exalted and preserve their time in what benefits them and is useful for them in their religion and their worldly affairs. The mobile phone is only to be taken for the call. As for taking it for amusement or looking at things that occupy a person or tempt a person, this is a matter that must be abandoned and guarded against. Yes.