The Influence of Social Media Religious Content on Islamic Identity Formation Among Generation Z University Students

Authors

  • Lucky Dewanti Universitas Muhammadiyah Bogor Raya
  • Sunardi Bashri Iman STAI Dirosat Islamiyah Al-Hikmah, Jakarta Selatan
  • Siti Kasmila Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung
  • Tamrin Talebe Universitas Islam Negeri Datokarama Palu

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55927/fjst.v5i10.10

Keywords:

Islamic Identity, Religious Education, Social Media, Generation Z, University Students.

Abstract

Social media has become an important source of Islamic religious learning among Generation Z, potentially shaping how university students understand and construct their religious identity. This study examined the influence of exposure to religious content, perceived content credibility, and engagement with religious content on Islamic identity formation. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted among 250 Muslim university students in Bandung City, West Java, Indonesia, using a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression. The findings indicated that exposure, perceived credibility, and engagement positively influenced Islamic identity formation, with credibility and engagement demonstrating particularly meaningful contributions. These findings highlight social media as an emerging environment for Islamic religious education and identity development, emphasizing the importance of credible, engaging, and educational digital religious content

References

Agbarya, A., & John, N. (2023). Online tie and content management and changing religious identity among Muslim Arab women in Israel. Information, Communication & Society, 26(2), 356–371.

Aidulsyah, F. (2023). The rise of urban Salafism in Indonesia: The social-media and pop culture of new Indonesian Islamic youth. Asian Journal of Social Science, 51(4), 252–259.

Akmaliah, W. (2020). The demise of moderate Islam: New media, contestation, and reclaiming religious authorities. Indonesian Journal of Islam and Muslim Societies, 10(1).

Al-Najmi, R., Al-Qaysi, Z., & Yanning, S. (2026). Islamic Education and Digital Public Spheres: Democracy, Social Media, and Religious Learning. Multicultural Islamic Education Review, 113–130.

Al-Zaman, M. S. (2022). Social mediatization of religion: islamic videos on YouTube. Heliyon, 8(3).

Arifin, F. (2022). Revitalizing Millennial Spirituality within Social Media at the Hijrah Shift Youth Community in Bandung City. KOMUNIKA: Jurnal Dakwah Dan Komunikasi, 16(1), 1–14.

Aslan, E., & Yildiz, E. (2024). Muslim religiosity in the digital transformation: How young people deal with images of islam in the media. Springer Nature.

Azlan, N. A. M., Abidin, N. S. Z., Saahar, S., & Alimom, N. (2020). Spiritualizing new media: The use of social media for da’wah purposes within Malaysian Muslim. International Journal of Advanced Research in Islamic and Humanities, 2(3), 30–41.

Besari, A., Rith, V., & Dara, R. (2025). Reconfiguring Islamic authority in Indonesia: The role of ulama and digital media in religious practices. Journal of Noesantara Islamic Studies, 2(3), 128–139.

Campbell, H. A., & Evolvi, G. (2020). Contextualizing current digital religion research on emerging technologies. Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies, 2(1), 5–17.

Chalim, A., Rudiana, R., & Jasafat, J. (2025). Digital da’wah: Effective strategies in spreading Islam through social media. Journal of Noesantara Islamic Studies, 2(1), 32–40.

Fahmi, R., & Aswirna, P. (2025). The Sacred Screen: A Psychological Perspective on Religion, Technology, and Mental Health among the Digital Generation. Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Religion, Social and Humanities (ICReSH 2025), 5–6.

Faisal, F., Khalid, A., & Azzahra, H. (2025). Analysis of the Framing of Islamic Preaching Messages in Ustaz Muda’s TikTok Islamic Preaching Conten. Journal on Islamic Studies, 1(4), 221–233.

Fakhruroji, M. (2020). Internet and Islamic learning practices in Indonesia: Social media, religious populism, and religious authority. Religions.

Ginting, E. B., Suwarjo, S., Lumbanbatu, J. S., & Sihotang, D. O. (2023). The relationship between the fear of missing out (FoMO) and social media use in articulating Islamic identity among Muslim millennials. International Journal of Islamic Educational Psychology, 4(2), 261–275.

Hannan, A., & Mursyidi, A. F. (2023). Social media and the fragmentation of religious authority among Muslims in contemporary Indonesia. Digital Muslim Review, 1(2), 84–104.

Hasan, F. (2022). Muslim Instagram: Eternal youthfulness and cultivating deen. Religions, 13(7), 658.

Hidayatullah, R. R., & Kamali, M. F. (2024). Innovative dakwah strategies through social media: Case study of Islamic communication approaches in Indonesia. INJIES: Journal of Islamic Education Studies, 1(1), 16–27.

Kyle, G., Landon, A. C., Pilgreen, D., & Golebie, E. (2025). Measurement instruments. In Understanding recreational fishers: disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches for fisheries management (pp. 355–385). Springer.

Lakens, D. (2022). Sample size justification. Collabra: Psychology, 8(1), 33267.

Mohamad, S. M. (2023). Youth religiosity and social media in Brunei Darussalam. In (Re) presenting Brunei Darussalam: A Sociology of the Everyday (pp. 51–67). Springer Nature Singapore Singapore.

Mohiuddin, A. (2023). Islamism in the digital age: The role of cyberspace in transforming religious authority. In Navigating religious authority in Muslim societies: Islamist movements and the challenge of globalisation (pp. 203–236). Springer.

Muthohirin, N. (2025). Faith in the digital age: The rise of islamic fundamentalism and the plurality of young muslims’ piety on social media. Islamica: Jurnal Studi Keislaman, 19(2), 199–233.

Nurjanah, A., & Nurnisya, F. (2021). Hijrah and the articulation of Islamic identity of Indonesian millenials on Instagram. Jurnal Komunikasi Malaysian Journal of Communication.

Prasojo, Z. H., bin Haji Masri, M. S., Fauzi, A., & Rahmiani, N. (2020). Religious Identity in the Use of Social Media Within Pontianak Muslim Community. Karsa Journal of Social and Islamic Culture, 28(1), 32–56.

Prawito, A. (2025). Religious Literacy in the Social Media Era: Islamic Religious Education (PAI) Strategies to Combat Disinformation at Madrasah Aliyah Al Muslihun. Journal of Teacher Training and Educational Research, 3(2), 84–94.

Putra, R. G., Yusri, N., & Sinaga, S. F. (2024). The role of social media in Islamic religious education: Challenges and opportunities in the digital era. Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 1(3), 191–199.

Rabbani, D. R., Rasyid, I., & Nafisah, I. (2024). The Effectiveness of Collaborative Da’wah Management between Ulama and Muslim Influencers in the Digital Era. Journal on Islamic Studies, 1(2), 110–120.

Rachman, A., Saumantri, T., & Hidayatulloh, T. (2025). Transformation of religious authority in the digital era: A post-normal times analysis by Ziauddin Sardar on the phenomenon of social media da’wah. Jurnal Ilmu Dakwah, 45(1), 107–122.

Ramlan, A. F., Ridzuan, A. R., Mohideen, R. S., & Ilyas, I. Y. (2024). INFLUENCE OF RELIGIOUS SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS’CREDIBILITY ON FOLLOWERS’RELIGIOSITY AND SPIRITUALITY IN MALAYSIA: A CONCEPTUAL MODEL THE USE OF DA’WAH STRATEGIES IN SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKING. E-Journal of Islamic Thought & Understanding, 7(1), 1–13.

Sadik, A. A., Fattah, A., & Ulviani, M. (2025). The effect of social media on religious behavior, social interaction, and mental health of students in Islamic education in the digital age. Edukasi Islami: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 14(04).

Salendra, I. W. (2024). Religious moderation in digital media discourse: A study of the nu. or. id portal from the perspective of communicative rationality. Fikri: Jurnal Kajian Agama, Sosial Dan Budaya, 9(2), 200–220.

Siregar, K. T., Zhakypkazy, I., & Uyuni, B. (2025). Indonesian muballigh and religious authority: From sanad to algorithmic transformation of Islamic knowledge transmission in the digital era. Jurnal Indo-Islamika, 15(2), 298–314.

Soedjiwo, N. A. F., & Ramdhani, F. Z. (2025). Islamic Religious Education and Muslim Youth Identity on Social Media: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Instagram and TikTok Content in Indonesia. EDUKASI: Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan Agama Dan Keagamaan, 23(3), 466–481.

Susanti, Y. A., Syamsul, E. M., & Burhani, A. Z. (2025). TikTok dakwah content: A study of religious understanding in Islamic education. Curricula: Journal of Curriculum Development, 4(1), 827–842.

Trysnes, I., & Synnes, R. M. (2022). The role of religion in young Muslims’ and Christians’ self-presentation on social media. Young, 30(3), 281–296.

Virga, R. L., Shovmayanti, N. A., Yusoff, R. M., & Rosa, N. (2025). Yuk Ngaji: Digitalization of Generation Z’s Religious Activities on Instagram Account. Al-Balagh: Jurnal Dakwah Dan Komunikasi, 10(1), 149–184.

Wang, X., & Cheng, Z. (2020). Cross-sectional studies: strengths, weaknesses, and recommendations. Chest, 158(1), S65–S71.

Published

2026-10-31

How to Cite

Dewanti, L. ., Iman, S. B., Kasmila, S., & Talebe, T. (2026). The Influence of Social Media Religious Content on Islamic Identity Formation Among Generation Z University Students. Formosa Journal of Science and Technology, 5(10), 2769–2786. https://doi.org/10.55927/fjst.v5i10.10